Death Becomes the Librarian with Jo Ann

As I was browsing the new Mysteries I noticed that there were a number of books that I believe are real grabbers.  You begin reading and you can not put them down.  On top of that they are the kind of book that shows you something that you might not know or introduces you to something that you did not know exists.  So give these a try and I hope you like them.

DEVIL’S TRILL by Gerald Elias is a book about music.  Daniel Jacobus is a curmudgeon, blind and a violin teacher.  He does not suffer fools easily and has opinions on many things.  A Piccolino Stradivarius that was played in a concert at Carnegie Hall goes missing and the prime suspect is Jacobus.  Elias has a way of describing music and the act of playing the violin that will keep you fascinated.  The mystery is well plotted.

David Hewson’s CITY OF FEAR involves Detective Nic Costa and his team in a convoluted case of an act of terrorism and kidnapping in Rome.  The police become obsessed in their investigation as all evidence points to a defunct terrorist group known as the Blue Demon.  I do not know why Hewson is not as acclaimed as I think he should be.  He knows Rome and Italian politics and the culture surrounding both.

BLOOD HINA, the newest Mas Arai novel, by Naomi Hirahara gives readers a good look at Japanese-American culture in Southern California.  Hirahara continues to show readers the effects of the interment camps during World War II but manages to add to our knowledge of the Japanese culture.  Here she uses the disappearance of an ancient Japanese doll owned by a woman about to be married.  The disappearance acts as a catylist  that causes a great disruption in the lives of some of Mas Arai’s oldest friends.  Don’t miss this one.

Poisoned Pen Press is systematically publishing Peter May’s titles in his much acclaimed Chinese series featuring Detective Li Yan and his now fiancee American pathologist Margaret Campbell.  In THE RUNNER  a Chinese swimmer commits suicide and a weightlifter dies while in the company of his mistress.  The Chinese are embarrassed and their hopes for many Gold Metals at the Beijing Olympics are slowly crumbling.  May is the only author who has been accepted by the Chinese police and the Chinese Mystery writers as someone who understands their culture.  He has been hosted by the Beijing police and shown how they proceed in an investigation.  His books are full of tidbits about Chinese culture that most of us know little about.

NigelMcCrery has created an intriguing character in the guise of Detective Chief Inspector Lapslie who has a rare neurological condition that crosses his senses.  He and his sergeant Emma Bradbury are investigating the brutal murder of a high profile reporter and then a second man is killed when a bomb explodes in a train station.  This is his most difficult case.

Frederick Ramsay leaves the United States and goes to Africa for his eighth novel.  A large international company that specializes in energy, mining and real estate development is looking to invest in Botswana.  There is a male lion who has been expelled from his pride because he is too old and sick.  And then there is one of the most interesting characters in recent fiction.  a woman whose son is no doing well and whose boss is always trying to find ways to get rid of her.  If you like Alexander McCall Smith you might like this book.  The African culture is well defined.  Try it.

{ 0 comments }