Fatal Games
By Mari Hannah
Witness Impulse. $11.99
What does a body found on the rugged Northumberland coast have to do with a convicted sex offender playing mind games with a prison psychologist? That’s what Detective Chief Inspector Kate Daniels needs to figure out in this latest adventure.
Just how and why the skeletal remains found near Bamburgh Castle’s fortified walls came to be here, is a puzzling mystery that will require the services of a forensic anthropologist. The more Kate’s team tries to figure out what happened here the more puzzling the case becomes.
Meanwhile, Walter Fearon is about to be released from prison and psychologist Emily McCann finds herself worried her patient might pose a serious risk to her well being.
With the clock ticking and far too many questions left unanswered, Daniels needs to find a breakthrough or the clever killer she’s attempting to unmask will have the last laugh.
The first three novels in the Kate Daniels series have not only been well received but have also won their fair share of awards. The intriguing series has now also been optioned for television in the United Kingdom and will soon have an even broader audience of followers.
Six and a Half Deadly Sins
By Colin Cotterill
Soho. $26.95
The play on words in this title refers to a colorful article of clothing, a “pha sin”, which is a skirt worn in Northern Laos. When an anonymous gift of a beautiful pha sin is given to Dr. Siri Paiboun, he is a bit dumbfounded to discover a finger sewn into the hem.
Since the retired National Coroner of the People’s Republic of Laos has quite a bit of free time on his hands, he decides to investigate and discover why the skirt came with a preserved finger.
Accompanied by his wife, Daeng, and some of their friends, the couple follows the trail of the mysterious skirt to the northern part of the country where the Vietnamese and Chinese seem to be on the verge of hostilities.
Tracking down a number of women who make the distinctive skirts opens up the door for a bit of international intrigue as well, but for the spry octogenarian it is all part of keeping busy and maintaining his investigative skills.
There are ten novels in this series. Each one not only highlights Dr. Siri’s remarkable investigative abilities but it also features a supporting cast that is as much fun as the offbeat adventures that take Dr. Siri around his native land.
Love is Red
By Sophie Jaff
Harper. $25.99
If you would like to try an occult-tinged thriller with a contemporary urban setting, “Love Is Red” would be the perfect read. This debut novel by Sophie Jaffe is a haunting tale of love, revenge, fear and faith seasoned with just a touch of gothic terror.
A serial killer dubbed the “Sickle Man” is making summer in New York a bit of a trial for the police. Preying on single women who are found dead in their locked apartments, the victims all have strange symbols carved on their bodies.
Behind the rampage is a dark entity whose mission it is to seek out and destroy “The Vessel”. This is a woman who can conceive and bear a Devine Being.
That special woman, Katherine Emerson, is a seemingly ordinary single woman in her thirties who works as a temp and shares an apartment with a single mom in Astoria.
Totally unaware that she is the Vessel and the woman the Sickle Man is seeking, Katharine goes about her daily business although she becomes subject to strange visions and witnesses strange incidents she isn’t sure are real.
The first novel in the “Night Song Trilogy”, “Love Is Red” is told from alternating points of view of Katharine and her pursuer. “I wanted to be the Stephen King for women,” writes Sophie Jaff. She has taken a big step towards fulfilling this goal!
The Invention of Fire
By Bruce Holsinger
William Morrow. $26.99
Here’s an excellent period piece set in 14th century London and featuring John Gower and his friend Geoffrey Chaucer. Historian and literary scholar Bruce Holsinger captures daily life in Medieval England as this clever mystery unravels around the appearance of the handgun.
When the bodies of sixteen men are dumped in a waste drainage ditch in London, Gower is asked to investigate the massacre. The corpses feature odd wounds that suggest a new weapon was used in the atrocity and this might be the harbinger of even worse things to come.
As the story unfolds, the reader not only follows Gower’s painstaking investigation but also the development of a new weapon called the “handgonne” and how it becomes a key element in a plot to upset the country’s political power structure.
With the placement of some clever red herrings, Gower nearly bungles this intriguing case but with a little assistance from Chaucer and some timely revelations, the medieval poet and “fixer” is able to save the day and keep a disaster from creating chaos on London’s crowded streets.
The sequel to “A Burnable Book”, this second novel featuring John Gower is as entertaining as the amateur sleuth’s debut. This is the ideal blend of history with pitch perfect characterization and clever plotting.
Tedward
By Caryl Pearson
Outskirts Press. $10.95
Santa Cruz writer Caryl Pearson shares the adventures she and her dog, Tedward, shared over more than a decade together. From Colorado to California, the pair had numerous special moments and created memories that the author will not soon forget.
“Tedward spread the magic of his joy and humor, his love of adventure, and his sometimes exasperating antics with the young and old of many species,” writes Pearson. “He was a thief, a gentleman, a trickster, a comforter, a jester, and a loyal friend, and he lived the life most dogs can only dream of.”
Well illustrated, this warm and engaging narrative captures both Tedward and his owner as they created an unforgettable and lasting bond. Anyone who loves animal stories will find this a very satisfying and rewarding read.