Celebrating Mysteries: Africa and Australasia

 

We share a lot of reading DNA, so I know that many of you also love reading mysteries with a strong sense of place. You may enjoy reading such books because you're reminded of a place you visited and loved, or you may enjoy reading them because it's a place you've never been and you want to learn more about it. For whatever reason, books with a strong sense of place can really take us out of our daily grind.

I've decided to write a series of posts that shine a spotlight on mysteries that exhibit such a strong sense of place that you almost feel as though you're there as you turn the pages. This week, I'll be focusing on Africa and Australasia. Clicking on the link in the book title will take you to my review of that book.

Let's get started!

Botswana

If you're interested in excellent mysteries and strong characters-- as well as learning about the landscape, customs, and food of Botswana, you can't beat reading Michael Stanley's Detective Kubu mysteries. 

A Carrion Death, the first Detective Kubu mystery

The Second Death of Goodluck Tinubu, the second in the series

Death of the Mantis, the third book

This series currently has seven books.

Ghana

Kwei Quartey is another author I've been following since his first book. I first got hooked on his police procedural series featuring Darko Dawson, and now he's begun a new series with a female private investigator named Emma Djann.

Wife of the Gods, the first Darko Dawson mystery

Children of the Street, the second in the series

The Missing American, the first Emma Djann mystery

The Darko Dawson series has five books.

The Emma Djann series currently has two books.

South Africa

Sally Andrew has a marvelous series featuring Tannie Marie, who lives in the Klein Karoo of South Africa... and she certainly knows how to cook! 

Recipes for Love and Murder is the first book in the series.

The Satanic Mechanic is the second book.

There is a third book in the series, Death on the Limpopo, but it only seems to be available in South Africa, which does not make me happy.

American Samoa

John Enright introduced me to American Samoa, and I was hooked. His Detective Sergeant Apelu Soifua is an excellent guide to the area, and I love Enright's poetic descriptions of the landscape.

There are four books in the Jungle Beat series:

Pago Pago Tango

Fire Knife Dancing

The Dead Don't Dance

Blood Jungle Ballet

I wish he had written more!

the Solomon Islands

Graeme Kent's Native police sergeant Ben Kella and American nun Sister Conchita had me living in the Solomon Islands during the 1960s as I read the books.

Devil-Devil is the first book in the series

One Blood is the second book

In researching this post, I was thrilled to discover that there's a third book in the series, Killman, and I immediately bought it.

Australia

When it comes to the crime fiction of Australia, there are several wonderful authors, but Adrian Hyland and Jane Harper are two of my particular favorites. 

 

Adrian Hyland wrote a much too brief  two-book series featuring part-white, part-aborigine Emily Tempest who lives in the Outback. These two books give a very different perspective of the Land Down Under.

Moonlight Downs is the first book (APA Diamond Dove)

Gunshot Road is the second

 

Jane Harper has written a (so far) two-book series featuring Federal police officer Aaron Falk and a couple of standalone thrillers. All of them take you right to the heart of Australia.

The Dry is the first Aaron Falk mystery

The Lost Man is a standalone thriller

I hope I've piqued your interest in these books and authors and that I've added to your Need to Read lists. But this is a two-way street. As far as Africa and Australasia are concerned, which mysteries do you turn to that have not only excellent stories but a strong sense of place as well? Inquiring minds would love to know!

Next up at a future date: Europe!

New Jerusalem News by John Enright

First Line: It was Brenda's idea.

Life as a professional houseguest is just what Dominick likes. Following the sun and the idle rich from resort to resort, he can live free and easy, no entanglements, no relationships, nothing and nobody to tie him down. But this all changes when he decides to spend the winter on an island off the coast of Cape Cod.

Despite his best efforts to remain detached, Dominick finds himself becoming involved in the lives of his elderly hosts, Atticus and Lydia, and their group of eccentric friends and oddball locals. The more involved he becomes, the more he begins to rethink his own life-- especially when he becomes a suspected terrorist.

I first became hooked on John Enright's writing when I read his four-book Jungle Beat mystery series set in American Samoa, so when I stumbled across New Jerusalem News, I didn't hesitate to buy it. At first, I wasn't sure I'd like the story of a professional houseguest because, to me, that's synonymous with "freeloader," but Dominick isn't a freeloader. The illegitimate son of a rich man, he has an independent income and can pay his own way, but the circumstances of his birth seem to have cast him in the role of the outsider looking in.

During the summer, he and two friends enjoyed themselves by Dominick taking on the persona of "Lord Witherspoon" so they could have all the local realtors take them on tours of the mansions that were for sale. It's only when he decides to stay during the offseason that Dominick's life begins to change. An elderly couple, Atticus and Lydia, have a lot to do with that. Atticus and Lydia have two grown daughters, and in an attempt to make everything simpler when they die, they signed over everything to them. One of the daughters lives in London and ignores them. The other lives in Boston and wants to shuffle her parents off to a condo in Florida so she can sell the property and make a fortune.

New Jerusalem News may seem a bit vague in its direction, but so is Dominick. This is a book to savor for its poetic descriptions of land and sea and for its marvelous character studies. Dominick wants to live a life of non-involvement, a life in which he's merely an observer, but reality has fun with him. He can't abandon Atticus and Lydia, and he can't help making friends with Emma and John Starks, two of the locals. And he certainly can't help getting involved when the FBI and Department of Homeland Security decide he's a terrorist. This terrorist plotline has some pointed things to say about those two government agencies, and it really pulls in the reader. Enright had me genuinely concerned about the fate of his characters.

There's another book in the Dominick Chronicles: Some People Talk With God. I look forward to reading it. John Enright has a poet's way with words, and he certainly knows how to tell a story. I'm looking forward to seeing what Dominick does next.

New Jerusalem News by John Enright

eISBN: 9781631580543

Yucca Publishing © 2015

eBook, 272 pages

Fiction, #1 Dominick Chronicles

Rating: B+

Source: Purchased from Amazon.


 

Blood Jungle Ballet by John Enright

First Line: To begin to understand it all, Apelu had to jump back two years, then connect the dots forward.

Life is changing for Detective Sergeant Apelu Soifua. His son, the only one of his children to stand by him when his wife left, is now fighting in Afghanistan. There is a new woman in his life. Everything seems to be pulling him away from being a police officer-- until a string of bizarre murders occurs. None of the murders seem to be connected since the victims range from a transvestite all the way to a politician, but when he begins working with the new medical examiner and a promising young officer named Ropeti, a pattern does begin to emerge-- a pattern that could make Apelu the next victim.

There is an "end of series" feeling to Blood Jungle Ballet that I hope is only in my imagination. I really look forward to John Enright's Jungle Beat mysteries, not only for the stories he tells, but for his poetic descriptions of the natural world of Samoa and his insight into its rich culture.

It takes some time for the clues and evidence to begin to come together, partly because higher-ups have decided that none of the murders need to be investigated. Apelu has to take care of other cases and not look as though he's working on something his bosses have told him to stay away from. When he's not on the job, he spends time reflecting on his life and what he really wants from it. Even though he grew up in California and first became a policeman there, Apelu has always worn Western culture very uneasily. In his heart and his mind, he's Samoan, and the more he thinks about it, the more he believes he wants to return fully to the culture and traditions of his people.

There are three new characters in this book whom I enjoyed. The new woman in Apelu's life and the new medical examiner represent two sides of Samoa: the native Samoan who can be a free spirit yet very much a part of her culture, and the outsider, who would love to know more about Samoa's traditions and history yet feels almost shunned by its natives. Ropeti the young Samoan police officer is a quick learner with a sense of humor whom Apelu seems to be training as a replacement. If the series focus should shift to Ropeti, I could be very happy with that-- as along as Apelu remains in the picture as his mentor.

Blood Jungle Ballet is a very rich and textured mystery-- and can easily be read out of series order-- but it wasn't quite as satisfying as the other books in the series for me. (Two of which made my Best Reads of the Year lists.) Very early on when Apelu had a conversation with an island resident, a chill ran down my spine. One of those chills that tell me I just encountered the guilty party. At that point, one part of my brain demanded to rush ahead to discover if all my deductions were correct. I didn't pay attention and forcibly kept this brain of mine on island time because I savor the time I spend with Apelu Soifua-- even when I wonder why it took him so long to solve this particular crime. 

Blood Jungle Ballet and all the rest of John Enright's Jungle Beat mysteries are perfect blends of setting, character and story. They're just the thing for anyone who loves traveling the world solving crime from his comfy armchair.

Blood Jungle Ballet by John Enright

ASIN: B00GS9KMDC 

Thomas and Mercer © 2014

eBook, 284 pages

Police Procedural, #4 Jungle Beat mystery

Rating: B+

Source: Net Galley

December 2014 New Mystery Releases!

Here's hoping for one of two things for all you fellow bookaholics this holiday season: One, that you'll receive lots of books, marvelous books; and/or Two, you'll receive plenty of gift cards so you can go out and choose lots of books, marvelous books, for yourself. I don't know about you, but nothing burns holes in my wallet faster than gift cards to my favorite bookstores!

The following are my picks for new crime fiction being released during the month of December. I've grouped them by release date, and I've included all the information you need to find them at all your favorite "book procurement locations."  Book synopses are courtest of Amazon.

Happy Holidays-- and Happy Reading to you all! 

=== December 1 ===

Title: Gods of Gold

Author: Chris Nickson

Series: #1 in the Detective Inspector Tom Harper historical series set in 1890s Leeds, England

ISBN: 9780727884282  
Publisher: Severn House
Hardcover, 224 pages

Synopsis: "June 1890. Leeds is close to breaking point. The gas workers are on strike. Supplies are dangerously low. Factories and businesses are closing; the lamps are going unlit at night.

Detective Inspector Tom Harper has more urgent matters on his mind. The beat constable claims eight-year-old Martha Parkinson has disappeared. Her father insists she’s visiting an aunt in Halifax – but Harper doesn’t believe him. When Col Parkinson is found dead the following morning, the case takes on an increasing desperation.

But then Harper’s search for Martha is interrupted by the murder of a replacement gas worker, stabbed to death outside the Town Hall while surrounded by a hostile mob. Pushed to find a quick solution, Harper discovers that there’s more to this killing than meets the eye – and that there may be a connection to Martha’s disappearance."  

Title: Blue Avenue
Author: Michael Wiley
Series: #1 in the Daniel Turner police procedural series set in Jacksonville, Florida
ISBN: 9780727884299
Publisher: Severn House
Hardcover, 224 pages

Synopsis: "Summoned by his old friend, homicide detective Daniel Turner, to identify the trussed-up, naked body of a woman, found wrapped in cellophane amongst a pile of garbage on Blue Avenue, a down-at-heel area of Jacksonville, Florida, businessman William Byrd or ‘BB’ is in for a shock. He recognises the dead woman as Belinda Mabry, the girl with whom he spent an intense and passionate summer twenty-five years before. What’s more, as Daniel informs him, she’s the third victim to have met such a hideously gruesome end. Determined to find out what happened to Belinda Mabry and where she’d been for the past twenty-five years, BB must revisit his own troubled past – and discover more than he ever really wanted to know about the woman he once loved. But his investigations are causing serious ripples amongst prominent members of the local community. Has BB found himself on a road of no return?" 

=== December 2 ===

Title: Blood Jungle Ballet
Author: John Enright
Series: #4 in the Jungle Beat police procedural series set in American Samoa
ISBN: 9781612185033
Publisher: Thomas and Mercer
Paperback, 282 pages

*Upcoming review on Kittling: Books

Synopsis: "A disquieting string of murders terrorizes the remote, lush island of Samoa. Detective Sergeant Apelu Soifua has seen a lot in his time with the police force, but even he is unsettled by the bodies that have started piling up. At first, the murders don’t seem connected—a local transvestite found castrated and brutalized, a visiting politician who drops dead on the dance floor, a prison guard and an inmate who kill each other—but as Apelu works with the hospital’s new medical examiner to find out who is behind the killings, a disturbing pattern emerges. And the closer they get to the killer, the more destructive he becomes. Can they put the pieces together before Apelu becomes the next victim?" 

Title: Geared for the Grave 
Author: Duffy Brown
Series: #1 in the Cycle Path cozy series set on Mackinac Island, Michigan
ISBN: 9780425268940
Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime
Mass Market Paperback, 304 pages

*Upcoming review on Kittling: Books

Synopsis: "Hoping to shift her chances of a promotion in her favor, Evie Bloomfield heads to Mackinac Island to assist her boss’s father. Rudy Randolph has broken his leg and operating his bike shop, Rudy’s Rides, is too much to handle by himself. But Evie’s good turn only leads to more trouble…

After Evie’s arrival, wealthy resident Bunny Harrington dies in what looks like a freak bike accident. Upon closer inspection, Bunny’s brakes were tampered with, and now the prime suspect in her murder is also Bunny’s number one enemy: Rudy. So if Evie hopes to stay on her boss’s good side, she’ll need to steer Rudy clear of jail. Now she must quickly solve this mystery so she can put the brakes on the real killer’s plan…" 

Title: If You've Got It, Haunt It
Author: Rose Pressey
Series: #1 in the Haunted Vintage cozy series set in Georgia
ISBN: 9781617732492
Publisher: Kensington
Mass Market Paperback, 304 pages

Synopsis: "Cookie Chanel has opened her own vintage clothing boutique, It’s Vintage, Y’All, in the charming town of Sugar Creek, Georgia. Always on the lookout for stylish second-hand steals, she attends the estate sale of deceased socialite Charlotte Meadows. But she gets a lot more than she bargained for when Charlotte’s ghost appears before her—offering fashion advice and begging Cookie to find out who murdered her.

As the persistent poltergeist tags along and a possibly psychic pussycat moves into the shop, Cookie sorts through racks of suspects to see who may be hiding some skeletons in the closet. Do a clothing store owner and a disembodied socialite have a ghost of a chance of collaring a killer—or will Cookie’s life be the next one hanging by a thread?" 

Title: Keeper of the Castle
Author: Juliet Blackwell
Series: #5 in the Haunted Home Renovation cozy series set in the San Francisco Bay area
ISBN: 9780451465801
Publisher: Signet
Mass Market Paperback, 336 pages

Synopsis: "Lately, Mel has been worried about finding enough historic renovation work to pay the bills. But while Turner Construction is in need of a project, Mel’s boyfriend, Graham, has his hands full managing the reconstruction of an ancient building shipped over from Scotland.

With the job plagued by rumors that the stones are cursed, Graham brings in Mel to look for paranormal activity. And while the ghost of a charming Scottish clansman does seem to be hanging around the site, the real shock comes when they stumble upon a body.

When the original construction crew starts running scared, Mel brings in her team to finish the job. Now all she has to do is nail down the killer, and put the spirits to rest, before anyone else winds up heading for the highlands…" 

Title: Aground on St. Thomas
Author: Rebecca M. Hale
Series: #3 in the Mystery in the Islands series set on St. Thomas
ISBN: 9780425252512
Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime
Mass Market Paperback, 400 pages

Synopsis: "The tropical paradise of St. Thomas is shut down as the FBI seizes control of the island to apprehend government officials on bribery charges. Tourists and locals are stranded until FBI agent Gabe “Friday” Stein can find the missing governor and two senators who have eluded capture.

Innocent of any crime, Senator Julia Sanchez can only escape wrongful arrest with the help of eccentric Senator Bobo. As they try to blend in with increasingly hostile locals and make their trek across the island to safety, Senator Sanchez is only just beginning to realize the extent of the corruption behind the island’s idyllic façade…" 

Title: The Skeleton Road
Author: Val McDermid
Series: #2 in the Detective Inspector Karen Pirie series set in Scotland
ISBN: 9780802123091
Publisher: Atlantic Monthly Press
Hardcover, 384 pages

Synopsis: "In the center of historic Edinburgh, builders are preparing to demolish a disused Victorian Gothic building. They are understandably surprised to find skeletal remains hidden in a high pinnacle that hasn’t been touched by maintenance for years. Who do the bones belong to, and how did they get there? Could the eccentric British pastime of free climbing the outside of buildings play a role? Enter cold case detective Karen Pirie, who gets to work trying to establish the corpse’s identity. And when it turns out the bones may be from as far away as former Yugoslavia, Karen will need to dig deeper than she ever imagined into the tragic history of the Balkans: to war crimes and their consequences, and ultimately to the notion of what justice is and who serves it." 

Title: Scorched Eggs
Author: Laura Childs
Series: #6 in the Cackleberry Club cozy series set in small town Minnesota
ISBN: 9780425255599
Publisher: Berkley
Hardcover, 320 pages

*Upcoming review on Kittling: Books

Synopsis: "As Suzanne is getting her hair colored at Root 66, she’s stunned to witness the County Services office next door suddenly go up in flames. Concerned neighbors throng the streets, and the fire department does their best. Unfortunately, their best isn’t enough to save longtime civil service worker—and friend to the Cackleberry Club—Hannah Venable.

Soon enough, it’s discovered that an accelerant was used to fan the flames. Someone set the fire on purpose—was Hannah the intended victim? Suzanne, Petra, and Toni vow to smoke out the culprit.

Unfortunately, the list of suspects is as varied as the Cackleberry Club’s menu. When Suzanne finds a possible connection between the fire and the nearby Prairie Star Casino, she comes to realize that the arsonist wanted something very big and bad kept secret. And if the ladies aren’t careful, they may be the ones gambling with their lives…" 

=== December 9 ===

Title: Five

Author: Ursula Archer

Standalone police procedural set in Austria

ISBN: 9781250037411

Publisher: Minotaur Books

Hardcover, 336 pages

*Upcoming review on Kittling: Books

Synopsis: "A woman’s corpse is discovered in a meadow. A strange combination of letters and numbers has been tattooed on the soles of her feet. Detective inspector Beatrice Kaspary from the local murder squad quickly identifies the digits as map coordinates. These lead to a series of gruesome discoveries as she and her colleague Florin Wenninger embark on a bloody trail – a modern-day scavenger hunt using GPS navigation devices to locate hidden caches. The "owner" of these unofficial, unpublished geocaches is a highly calculating and elusive fiend who leaves his victims’ body-parts sealed in plastic bags, complete with riddles that culminate in a five-stage plot. Kaspary herself becomes an unwilling pawn in the perpetrator’s game of cat and mouse as she risks all to uncover the motives behind the murderer’s actions. Five is definitely not a book for the faint-hearted, but it delivers great suspense, unexpected plot twists, and multi-dimensional characters."  

Title: Irène

Author: Pierre Lemaître

Series: #1 in the Camille Verhoeven police procedural trilogy set in Paris, France 

ISBN: 9781623658007

Publisher: MacLehose Press

Hardcover, 416 pages

Synopsis: "Camille Verhoeven, whose diminutive stature belies his fierce intensity, has reached an unusually content (for him) place in life. he is respected by his colleagues and he and his lovely wife, Irene, are expecting their first child.

But when a new murder case hits his desk--a double torture-homicide that's so extreme that even the most seasoned officers are horrified-Verhoeven is overcome with a sense of foreboding.

As links emerge between the bloody set-piece and at least one past unsolved murder, it becomes clear that a calculating serial killer is at work. The press has a field day, taking particular pleasure in putting Verhoeven under the media spotlight (and revealing uncomfortable details of his personal life).

Then Verhoeven makes a breakthrough discovery: the murders are modeled after the exploits of serial killers from classic works of crime fiction. The double murder was an exquisitely detailed replication of a scene from Bret Easton Ellis's American Psycho, and one of the linked cold cases was a faithful homage to James Ellroy's The Black Dahlia.

The media circus reaches a fever pitch when the modus operandi of the killer, dubbed "The Novelist," is revealed. Worse, the Novelist has taken to writing taunting letters to the police, emphasizing that he will stop leaving any clues behind unless Verhoeven remains on the case.

For reasons known only to the killer, the case has become personal. With more literature--inspired murders surfacing, Verhoeven enlists the help of an eccentric bookseller and a professor specializing in crime fiction to try to anticipate his adversary's next move. Then Irene is kidnapped.

With time running out, Verhoeven realizes that all along he's been the unwitting dupe in The Novelist's plans to create an original work of his own. Now, the only person in the world the commandant truly cares for is in danger, and a happy ending seems less and less likely as it becomes clear that the winner of this deadly game may be the man with the least to lose." 

=== December 30 ===

Title: The Bishop's Wife

Author: Mette Ivie Harrison

Standalone set in Utah

ISBN: 9781616954765

Publisher: Soho Crime

Hardcover, 352 pages

 

*Upcoming review on Kittling: Books

 

Synopsis: "Linda Wallheim is a devout Mormon, the mother of five boys and the wife of a bishop. But Linda is increasingly troubled by her church’s structure and secrecy, especially as a disturbing situation takes shape in her ward. One cold winter night, a young wife and mother named Carrie Helm disappears, leaving behind everything she owns. Carrie’s husband, Jared, claims his wife has always been unstable and that she has abandoned the family, but Linda doesn’t trust him. As Linda snoops in the Helm family’s circumstances, she becomes convinced that Jared has murdered his wife and painted himself as a wronged husband.

Linda’s husband asks her not to get involved in the unfolding family saga. But Linda has become obsessed with Carrie’s fate, and with the well-being of her vulnerable young daughter. She cannot let the matter rest until she finds out the truth. Is she wrong to go against her husband, the bishop, when her inner convictions are so strong?

Inspired by a chilling true crime and written by a practicing Mormon, The Bishop’s Wife is both a fascinating look at the lives of modern Mormons as well as a grim and cunningly twisted mystery." 

Another great selection this month, don't you think? Having lived in Utah for three years, I'm looking forward to The Bishop's Wife, and any month that has new books by John Enright and Val McDermid is a great one as far as I'm concerned!

Did any of these titles make it on your own wish lists? Which ones? This inquiring mind would love to know!

The Dead Don't Dance by John Enright

First Line: What Apelu liked about walking down the road through To`aga was that nothing much ever changed.

Following a family tragedy, Detective Apelu Soifua has moved to a very sparsely populated island in Samoa, roughing it on a family plot of land, doing a lot of walking, a lot of brush clearing, and a lot of drinking. He is in self-imposed exile, and has little to do with other humans other than a recluse and a pair of marine biologists based in the National Park of American Samoa.

Apelu's exile is turned on its ear when a rather hostile team of surveyors arrive on the island and begin ripping through a section of  his family's land. When he does a little checking, he learns that there are plans to build a resort hotel on the beach-- plans that are almost guaranteed to destroy the coral reef and the island's peaceful way of life. When a gruesome murder is committed, Apelu must come back from leave to solve the case officially.

I can't put it any plainer than this: I love this series, and it just keeps getting better. But I also have to admit that when I began reading The Dead Don't Dance, you could've heard my groan all over town. I don't have that many pet peeves when I read crime fiction, but one of them is my intolerance for drunks. Having this book begin with a self-pitying man trying to drink himself into oblivion filled me with dismay; however, I kept reading on the strength of the two previous books in the Jungle Beat series. I'm so glad I did because The Dead Don't Dance is the best one so far.

The mystery is a strong one, filled with native legends, strong hints of the supernatural (or is it really?), shady people up to no good, and the environmental impact one resort could have on an entire area.  The mystery alone makes the book good, but there are three more things that make it wonderful.

Enright is a poet, and it shows when he describes the Samoan landscape and wildlife. The man paints with words.  He has also created an excellent character in Apelu Soifua. In the previous two books, he's mostly seen as a detective with only glimpses into his family life. In The Dead Don't Dance, we see him as an investigator naturally, but we also get to see him as a father spending time with his son. It is a relationship that adds depth and a wide range of emotions-- from humor to heart-stopping fear-- to the story.

Last but certainly not least is the author's depiction of Samoan culture, family life, language, and myths. It is a culture that is still trying to survive the aftermath of World War II as well as the present-day inroads of greedy, technology-laden American and European lifestyles. I've learned so much about this place and these people from reading his books-- anything from how land ownership is dealt with to how people travel from island to island (and much more). The author's lyrical and factual evocation of Samoa enriches every part of the book it touches. Story, writing style, character, and culture all combine in John Enright's Jungle Beat mysteries to form a series that I just can't recommend highly enough.

The Dead Don't Dance by John Enright

ISBN: 9781612185026
Thomas & Mercer © 2014
eBook, 252 pages

Police Procedural, #3 Jungle Beat mystery
Rating: A+
Source: Purchased as an eBook from Amazon.

March 2014 New Mystery Releases!

The income tax refund is in the bank, I've been stitching up a storm, and I seem to be mostly back into my reading groove-- which is a very good thing. I'm not about to speak one syllable about the Phoenix weather for the past two months for fear many of you will start lobbing snowballs at me. Good heavens, what you folks in the Polar Icebox continue to have to put up with!

The only thing for it is to look through my pick of the new mysteries available in March in order to keep your reading supplies well stocked. Grab that book, that hot drink and that warm cozy afghan, and curl up with some good crime fiction. Nothing like a murder or two to take your mind off the snow levels!

I've grouped the books by release dates and have included all the information you'll need to find them at all your favorite book procurement sites. Book synopses are courtesy of Amazon. Happy Reading!

===  March 1  ===

Title: Double Fault

Author: Judith Cutler
#5 in the DCS Fran Harman police procedural series set in Kent, England

ISBN:  9780727883391

Publisher: Severn House Publishers

Hardcover, 224 pages

Synopsis: "When a child goes missing at the local tennis club on the day when several skeletons are unearthed on an Ashford building site, Fran Harman finds her caseload heavier than ever at a time when the force is cripplingly short-staffed and she has a less than supportive new Chief Constable to contend with.

Enjoying a game of tennis with his fellow Golden Oldies when the girl disappeared, Fran's partner Mark can't help blaming himself for not keeping a closer eye on her. Sucked into the kind of desperate police search he thought he'd left behind on retirement, Mark enlists the help of the Oldies to find young Livvie before it's too late.

Meanwhile, a further shocking discovery in the skeleton case suggests that a serial killer may be lurking rather closer than Fran would wish."

Title: Cold Mourning

Author: Brenda Chapman

#1 in the Stonechild and Rouleau police procedural series set in Canada

ISBN: 9781459708013

Publisher: Dundurn

Paperback, 392 pages

Synopsis: "It's a week before Christmas when wealthy businessman Tom Underwood disappears into thin air -- with more than enough people wanting him dead.

New police recruit Kala Stonechild, who has left her northern Ontario detachment to join a specialized Ottawa crime unit, is tasked with returning Underwood home in time for the holidays. Stonechild, who is from a First Nations reserve, is a lone wolf who is used to surviving on her wits. Her new boss, Detective Jacques Rouleau, has his hands full controlling her, his team, and an investigation that keeps threatening to go off track.

Old betrayals and complicated family relationships brutally collide when love turns to hate and murder stalks a family."

===  March 4  ===

Title: Spinning in Her Grave

Author: Molly MacRae

#3 in the Haunted Yarn Shop cozy series set in Tennessee

ISBN: 9780451240644

Publisher: Signet

Mass Market Paperback, 352 pages

Synopsis: "It’s time for Blue Plum’s annual historical festival, and everyone—including Kath and her spunky fiber and needlework group, TGIF—is getting in on the action. Expert spinners are being gathered, and a businessman has approached Kath about using the second-floor windows of her store for part of a reenactment. But the reenactment ends in real-life bloodshed when local baker Reva Louise Snapp is shot—with a bullet from a modern-day gun.

Kath has her theories about who wanted to end Reva Louise’s life. But there’s also talk of a sniper stalking Blue Plum, and Kath’s shop is suspected to be the murderer’s hideout. Now Kath, her TGIF pals, and the gloomy ghost, Geneva, must unravel the mystery quickly, or someone else might be left hanging by a thread...."

Title: Pearls and Poison

Author: Duffy Brown

#3 in the Consignment Shop cozy series set in Savannah, Georgia

ISBN: 9780425252482

Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime

Mass Market Paperback, 304 pages

*Upcoming review on Kittling: Books

Synopsis: "It’s election time in Savannah, Georgia, and Judge Guillotine Gloria—aka Reagan Summerside’s mom—is neck and neck in the polls with Kip 'Scummy' Seymour.  But the already dirty campaign is about to get downright filthy—with one candidate getting buried six feet under…

With her strong opinions and knack for getting into trouble, Reagan is not an ideal volunteer for her mother’s alderman campaign. Plus, she’d rather be running her consignment shop, the Prissy Fox, and eating doughnuts with her dog, Bruce Willis. But when her mother’s opponent, Kip, is found poisoned and her mother is pegged as a suspect, Reagan nominates herself as lead murder investigator.

Reagan is intent on finding Kip’s killer and clearing her mother’s good name, but she soon finds herself on the bad side of Kip’s enemies-turned-suspects. This time, no amount of costumes and makeup can keep her inconspicuous and out of danger. Because the closer Reagan gets to the truth, the hotter things get…"

Title: Poisoned Ground

Author: Sandra Parshall

#6 in the Rachel Goddard series set in Virginia

ISBN:  9781464202247

Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press

Hardcover, 250 pages

*Upcoming review on Kittling: Books

Synopsis: "When a powerful development company sets its sights on Mason Country, Virginia, as the location for a sprawling resort for the rich, the locals begin taking sides. Many residents see the resort as economic salvation for the small Blue Ridge Mountains community, while others fear the county will become financially dependent on a predatory company.

Few oppose the development more vocally than veterinarian Rachel Goddard. She sides with locals reluctant to sell their land and, in the process, complicates the life of her new husband, Sheriff Tom Bridger.

When a beloved couple is gunned down on the very farm they refused to sell, it seems supporters will stop at nothing to ensure the success of the resort. Now disagreement in the community has exploded into civil war with both sides lashing out. As the violence escalates, Rachel discovers the attacks are more sinister than they appear.

Can she bring the truth to light before her community tears itself apart?"

Title: City of Darkness and Light

Author: Rhys Bowen

#13 in the Molly Murphy historical mystery series set in 1905 Paris, France

ISBN: 9781250011664 

Publisher: Minotaur Books

Hardcover, 320 pages

*Upcoming review on Kittling: Books

Synopsis: "Molly and Daniel Sullivan are settling happily into the new routines of parenthood, but their domestic bliss is shattered the night a gang retaliates against Daniel for making a big arrest. Daniel wants his family safely out of New York City as soon as possible. In shock and grieving, but knowing she needs to protect their infant son Liam, Molly agrees to take him on the long journey to Paris to stay with her friends Sid and Gus, who are studying art in the City of Light.

But upon arriving in Paris, nothing goes as planned. Sid and Gus seem to have vanished into thin air, and Molly's search to figure out what happened to them will lead her through all levels of Parisian society, from extravagant salons to the dingy cafes where starving artists linger over coffee and loud philosophical debates. And when in the course of her search she stumbles across a dead body, Molly, on her own in a foreign country, starts to wonder if she and Liam might be in even more danger in Paris than they had been at home."

Title: Murder in Pigalle

Author: Cara Black

#14 in the Aimée Leduc private investigator series set in France

ISBN: 9781616952846

Publisher: Soho Crime

Hardcover, 320 pages

*Upcoming review on Kittling: Books

Synopsis: "June, 1998: Paris's sticky summer heat is even more oppressive than usual as rowdy French football fans riot in anticipation of the World Cup. Private Investigator Aimée Leduc has been trying to slow down her hectic lifestyle—she's five months pregnant and has the baby's well-being to think about now. But then disaster strikes close to home. A serial rapist has been terrorizing Paris's Pigalle neighborhood, following teenage girls home and attacking them in their own houses. It is sad and frightening but has nothing to do with Aimée—until Zazie, the 13-year-old daughter of the proprietor of Aimée's favorite café, disappears. The police aren't mobilizing quickly enough, and when Zazie's desperate parents approach Aimée for help, she knows she couldn't say no even if she wanted to."

Title: The Disappeared

Author: Kristina Ohlsson

#3 in the Fredrika Bergman investigative analyst series set in Sweden

ISBN:  9781476734002

Publisher: Atria Books

Hardcover, 416 pages

Synopsis: "A young woman on her way to a party vanishes without a trace. Two years later, with all hope lost, her body turns up. Mercilessly dismembered, it has deteriorated considerably in its lonely burial spot on the edge of a forest. The forensic team is able to identify the body as that of Rebecca Tolle, a student at the nearby university.

Investigative analyst Fredrika Bergman and her team are assigned to solve the case and question those who may be responsible for Rebecca’s brutal death. Soon, more bodies are found, in the same area. But the killer is still at large.

Fredrika discovers that when Rebecca died, she was researching a person with a dark past- one that Rebecca seems to have uncovered. Fredrika is deeply invested in the already heart-wrenching case, but when her lover’s name comes up as a possible suspect, it might be too much for her to bear.

Did Rebcecca get too close to evil- prompting evil to react?"

===  March 11  ===

Title: Stone Cold

Author: C.J. Box

#14 in the game warden Joe Pickett series set in the Bog Horn Mountains of Wyoming

ISBN: 9780399160769

Publisher: Putnam

Hardcover, 384 pages

Synopsis: "Everything about the man is a mystery: the massive ranch in the remote Black Hills of Wyoming that nobody ever visits, the women who live with him, the secret philanthropies, the private airstrip, the sudden disappearances. And especially the persistent rumors that the man’s wealth comes from killing people.

Joe Pickett, still officially a game warden but now mostly a troubleshooter for the governor, is assigned to find out what the truth is, but he discovers a lot more than he’d bargained for. There are two other men living up at that ranch. One is a stone-cold killer who takes an instant dislike to Joe. The other is new—but Joe knows him all too well. The first man doesn’t frighten Joe. The second is another story entirely." 

Title: The Outcast Dead

Author: Elly Griffiths

#6 in the forensic archaeologist Dr. Ruth Galloway series set in England

ISBN: 9780547792774

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Hardcover, 384 pages

*Upcoming review on Kittling: Books

Synopsis: "Forensic archaeologist Ruth Galloway uncovers the bones of a Victorian murderess while a baby snatcher threatens modern-day Norfolk in this exciting new entry in a beloved series.

Every year a ceremony is held at Norwich Castle for the bodies in the paupers’ graves: the Service for the Outcast Dead. Ruth has a particular interest in this year’s proceedings. Her recent dig at Norwich Castle turned up the body of the notorious Mother Hook, who was hanged in 1867 for the murder of five children. Now Ruth is the reluctant star of the TV series Women Who Kill, working alongside the program’s alluring history expert, Professor Frank Barker.

DCI Harry Nelson is immersed in the case of three children found dead in their home. He is sure that the mother is responsible. Then another child is abducted and a kidnapper dubbed the Childminder claims responsibility. Are there two murderers afoot, or is the Childminder behind all the deaths? The team must race to find out—and the stakes couldn’t be any higher when another child goes missing."

===  March 18  ===

Title: Hotel Brasil

Author: Frei Betto

Debut crime novel set in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

ISBN: 9781908524270

Publisher: Bitter Lemon Press

Paperback, 288 pages

Synopsis: "The setting for this witty and insightful debut crime novel is a Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, family hotel. Rio is the perfect backdrop with its history of military dictatorship, drug wars, child gangs, and violent policing tactics.

The decapitated body of a hotel resident is found. The eyes have been removed from the head, casually left on the floor of the room. The victim's eerie, frozen Mona Lisa smile seems to indicate that the murderer had been received as a friend.

According to the police, the victim was stabbed in the heart and died before the decapitation. As the investigation continues, with few leads or clues worth pursuing, other hotel clients are found dead; all decapitated, usually with the head found delicately balanced on their knees.

This classical crime novel provides an opportunity for Frei Betto (a Dominican friar, once a political prisoner, a union activist, and then an adviser to President Lula da Silva) to describe Brazilian society, especially those left at its edge, like Rio's favela children, abused, hunted-down, but also addicted to drugs and violent crime.

The book tells the fascinating back stories of the hotel residents, suspects, and eventual victims, such as the maid who dreams of making it in television soaps, and the female pimp who has survived incestuous rape, while being faithful to a suspenseful intrigue that could have been thought up by Ruth Rendell."

Title: Murder at Cape Three Points
Author: Kwei Quartey 
#3 in the Darko Dawson police procedural series set in Ghana
ISBN: 9781616953898
Publisher: Soho Crime
Hardcover, 336 pages

*Upcoming review on Kittling: Books

Synopsis: "At Cape Three Points on the beautiful Ghanaian coast, a canoe washes up at an oil rig site. The two bodies in the canoe—who turn out to be a prominent, wealthy, middle-aged married couple—have obviously been murdered; the way Mr. Smith-Aidoo has been gruesomely decapitated suggests the killer was trying to send a specific message—but what, and to whom, is a mystery. The Smith-Aidoos, pillars in their community, are mourned by everyone, but especially by their niece Sapphire, a successful pediatric surgeon in Ghana's capital, Accra. She is not happy that months have passed since the murder and the rural police have made no headway.

When the Ghanaian federal police finally agree to get involved, Detective Inspector Darko Dawson of the Accra police force is sent out to Cape Three Points to investigate. Pretty as the coast is, he is not happy to be sent away from his wife and two sons, the younger of whom is recovering from a heart operation. And the more he learns about the case, the more convoluted and dangerous it becomes. Three Points has long been inhabited by tribal villages of subsistence fishers, but real estate entrepreneurs and wealthy oil companies have been trying to bribe the tribes to move out. Dawson roots out a host of motives for murder, ranging from personal vendettas to corporate conspiracies."

===  March 25  ===

Title: The Dead Don't Dance

Author: John Enright

#3 in the Apelu Soifua "Jungle Beat" police procedural series set in American Samoa

ISBN:  9781612185026

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Paperback, 252 pages

Synopsis: "Rumored to hold more spirits than people, the remote tropical paradise To’aga frightens many Samoan locals—but not Detective Apelu Soifua. Reeling from the loss of his young daughter, Apelu retreats to the haunted island for a self-imposed exile. He spends his days drinking, trying to ignore the ghosts in his head, and receives few visitors other than a shamanistic recluse and a pair of dedicated marine biologists conducting research.

But after a crew of surveyors arrives, Apelu makes a disturbing discovery: foreign investors plan to build a resort hotel on the coast, a project sure to destroy the To’aga coral reef and shatter the island’s peaceful way of life. When tensions rise and someone—or something—commits a gruesome murder, Apelu must force himself out of retirement to solve the case. Can the heartbroken detective navigate both modern and mystical forces to find the killer and appease the angry spirits of To’aga, in this third book of the Jungle Beat Mystery series?"


Whew! There's some mighty fine reading ahead of us in March! Which books did you add to your wish list? Inquiring minds want to know!