New Mysteries on Shelves--(5)

I tend to ignore paperbacks these days for a long read because of the ease and--typicially--larger print of a hardback but all titles and mysteries don't have a hardback edition. And we receive a small share here with the new book collection. I'll mention two new ones here sharing the color title theme.

First is The Blue Cheer by Ed Lynskey. This title is the second book to feature PI Frank Johnson, a recent resident to rural West Virginia in search of a quieter life. That is so much easier said than done. When an apparent Stinger missle strikes near his home, Johnson investigates and the results lead to brutal violence and the trail of a racist cult called the Blue Cheer. Matters are compounded for the PI because he is, again, the new guy in the area. The book is 209 pages.

The second title is flip flop switch from the modern U.S. to 11th-century Japan. Black Arrow by I.J. Parker and the fourth to feature young nobleman Sugawara Akitada. Accepting the post of provisional governor for a remote northern province, Akitada encounters resistance from local corrupt authorities. They have been successful in the past with disputing order in the community. The murder of an innkeeper and the likely framing of three travelers for the crime, gets Akitada involved in his own investigation of the matter. The book is 356 pages.

I wish I could write more...

I wish I could write more frequently and post more often to the blog but I have a time crunch with things to do. I have to push sometimes to make the posts that I do currently. That said, I did run a cross a recent list in Library Journal magazine (or LJ) entitled "The Usual Suspects: Eight Top Mystery Blogs."

Great! I'll have to check these out (when time allows). However, you can check them out at LJ and do a search in the "search box" in the top for "eight top mystery blogs" and you'll be in the know too.

The first three in alphabetical order are the following (as in Library Journal): 1) Confessions of an Idiosyncratic Mind [www.sarahweinman.com/confessions] The must-read for industry folks, authors, and mystery fans. Insightful commentary from the Baltimore Sun's crime fiction columnist on the latest book deals, awards, people, and trends.
2) Crime Fiction Dossier [www.crimefictionblog.com] Critic David Montgomery on publishing, authors, and reviews. He also edits Mystery Ink, which has mystery and thriller reviews, as well as author interviews, and sponsors the Gumshoe Awards.
3)Euro Crime [eurocrime.blogspot.com] Keep up with the latest UK and European mysteries on this blog run by a British librarian.

Discovered during a long weekend--

I discovered during a long weekend at Charleston, S.C. how the printed word creates and makes fans. Writer Cathy Pickens' mystery novel Done Gone Wrong included a mouth-waterin' section where Avery Andrews--Picken's series character who's a female lawyer--makes a well-timed trip to the Jestine's restaurant for an afternoon meal. As the story goes, Avery's back in Charleston for a case.

The actual place, "Jestine's Kitchen" is a relaxed, smallish country-style environment with the feel of a good meal at grandma's home kitchen. It has become a quick favorite for my family and is a convenient walk while taking in the other sites. And I was pleasantly surprised when I looked in the back of the restaurant during a dinner visit and saw the cover of Done Gone Wrong hanging on the right wall (it was matted and framed if I remember correctly). When I stepped to the back, I read the accompanying text and it was the section from the book with Avery's visit to Jestine's. Granted, it was brief but it gave a nice nod to a restaurant with yummy, Southern-style cooking.

New Mysteries on the Shelves--(4)

Here are a couple more new titles I've discovered downstairs as I've
looked to see what's new in the library. First is Sovereign written by C.J.Sansom with a regal portrait of Henry VIII facing the reader on the book cover. The book is billed as "a Matthew Shardlake Mystery" set during the 1500s. Matthew Shardlike is a lawyer. The story involves Shardlake facing the terrifying prospect of imprisonment in Tower of London by stepping on the wrong toes. Initially, he assists Henry VIII who is participating in a military rebellion elsewhere by transporting a conspirator back to London. Suddenly, plans run awry when a local glazier is murdered and Shardlake is actively involved in the investigation. Astonishingly, the act appears to lead to Shardlake's prisoner--and possibly to the royal family. Sovereign is the third book of this series. The book is 583 pages with maps.

The second book is Mineral Spirits: a novel by Heather Sharfeddin. Set in Montana, the new sheriff of Mineral County, Kip Edelson, investigates a newly discovered skeleton and concludes a murder has occurred. Edelson's case takes him into an involved, dangerous trail while he suffers personally with his marriage starts to dissolve. This book is Sharfeddin's second novel (check her website [www.hlsharfeddin.com] for more info). The book is 250 pages.

"A Rat Pack Mystery..."

Walking by the new books at the library closest my home I spotted a new book billed as "a Rat Pack Mystery" and sure enough, it features entertainers Dean Martin, Peter Lawford, Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. on the cover. Unexpectedly, I checked it out on the way out the door.

Author Robert J. Randisi's Everybody Kills Somebody Sometime is a novel set in 1960 Las Vegas with the famed "Rat Pack" filming the original "Ocean's Eleven" movie. And despite the fun and excitement of filming the movie, one cast member receives sinister threats and a well-connected, local casino manager is asked to discreetly get involved and investigate the threats.

So, why pick up this title? Handled poorly it could be a silly effort and Sinatra and Co. may not need their lives in yet another book. I suppose the previous and voluminous work of Robert J. Randisi--he's credited with working on five different detective series in this book--sold me and I guessed he could make it work. And so far more than 100 pages in, I guessing right.