The Safety Net by Andrea Camilleri

 

First Line: The alarm clock started ringing wildly.

 

When a Swedish television series begins filming in Vigàta, there is a frenzy of excitement. This new series is set in 1950, and the director asks locals to track down movies and vintage photos to faithfully recreate the town as it looked at that time. 

 

Ernesto Sabatello finds some movies shot by his father up in his attic. The films-- dated from 1958 to 1963-- were always shot on the same day and always had the same location, the outside wall of a country house. Montalbano is intrigued by the mystery of Sabatello's story and begins to check it out.

Meanwhile, a middle school is threatened by a group of armed men, and when Montalbano and his team begin looking into the situation, the inspector finds himself taking a closer look at the students themselves... and even into the world of social media.

~

By this time (book 25 of 28 in the series), I feel as though Salvo Montalbano is a beloved uncle, and The Safety Net brings this wily curmudgeon into the world of teenagers and social media. It also brings him into a situation all too familiar to Americans-- gun violence in schools. 

With his trademark humor, Andrea Camilleri sets us down in a town seething with excitement over the presence of a film crew in its midst. Some of the situations Montalbano and his team have to deal with are quite funny. But Camillleri can be quite serious, too.

The author shares his opinions about gun violence in schools as well as what he thinks about the internet and social media. ("How was it possible... that this vast new realm had only created a multitude of loners...?") And Montalbano shines when dealing with teenagers in this story. He starts out believing that he doesn't even come close to speaking the same language as the youngsters, but once he begins to apply himself to the task, he's better at it than he'd imagined. And-- wonder of wonders-- he even sits down with Catarella to do some work on the computer!

I've loved this series for a good long time. I love the setting, the food, the humor. The mystery of the home movies here in The Safety Net is a good one as well. But what I really love is Salvo Montalbano, a man so particular about his food that, if you invite him to dinner and he makes an excuse not to come, you know you're a bad cook. I hate to see my time with this series getting nearer to the end.

The Safety Net by Andrea Camilleri

Translated from the Italian by Stephen Sartorelli

eISBN:  9780525506621

Penguin Books © 2020

eBook, 269 pages

Police Procedural, #25 Inspector Montalbano

Rating: B+

Source: Purchased from Amazon.

The Other End of the Line by Andrea Camilleri

 

First Line: They were sitting out on Livia's little balcony in Boccadasse in silence, enjoying the cool evening air.

 

Inspector Montalbano and his team along with countless volunteers have their hands full dealing with the waves of refugees arriving night after night on the Sicilian coast. What he doesn't need is Livia promising their presence at a friend's wedding. Not only that, but she insists he has a new-- tailored-- suit. Montalbano grudgingly agrees and meets Elena Biasini, the master seamstress. 

 

While on duty one night at the dock, the inspector is called to the tailor's shop where a woman has been found murdered. Now Montalbano not only has to manage the crowds dockside, but he also must enter the world of the garment industry to solve this murder.

 

~

 

I found Montalbano's twenty-fifth case, The Other End of the Line, to be one of his strongest. Yes, there's the element of humor, with the tech-leery Montalbano trying to deal with a GPS for the first time, and Catarella trying to take care of the victim's cat. Yes, there's the mouth-watering Sicilian food. Yes, there's Livia with her demands and arguments and Montalbano's intuition and dreams that always seem to lead him to the right path in his investigation. But there's more.

 

The Other End of the Line is firmly rooted in the crisis so many European countries have faced with thousands of refugees seeking asylum. Author Andrea Camilleri skillfully shows the logistics of dealing with frightened people almost every night and brings an even more human side to the situation with the plight of a young refugee girl. 

 

The mystery is a tough one to solve. Montalbano has to deal with a member of his team trying to fit up a rival with the murder of the woman in the tailor's shop, and the victim herself is so secretive that it makes the investigation even harder. 

 

This book's treatment of the refugee crisis makes it one of the strongest in this long-running series. We get to observe both Montalbano's heart and his considerable skills. I'm looking forward to his next case even though it means that I get closer to the end of one of my favorite series.

The Other End of the Line by Andrea Camilleri

Translated from the Italian by Stephen Sartarelli

ISBN: 9780143133773

Penguin Books © 2019

Paperback, 304 pages

 

Police Procedural, #24 Inspector Montalbano mystery

Rating: A

Source: Paperback Swap

The Overnight Kidnapper by Andrea Camilleri

 

First Line: At half past five that morning-- give or take a few minutes-- a fly that had long been glued to the windowpane as though dead suddenly opened its wings, rubbed them together to clean them, then took flight and, a moment later, changed direction and landed on the bedside table.

 

What with pesky flies and breaking up fistfights on the beach, Inspector Salvo Montalbano's day doesn't begin auspiciously. When he finally arrives at the police station, even stranger things await his attention.

 

A local woman was abducted, drugged, and then released unharmed a few hours later. The case gets much higher priority when the same thing happens a couple of days later. Both women are thirty years old and work in a bank. Montalbano also has to deal with an arson case in which the store owner has vanished. 

 

At first, this case of arson and a missing person seems trivial, but when a third woman is abducted (yet another young woman who works in a bank) and a body is found, the inspector finds himself with a whole new set of questions.

~

One of the reasons why I read Andrea Camilleri's series is because of its humor, but I have to admit that the humor has been lacking in the past few books. I am happy to say that the comedy is back in full force in The Overnight Kidnapper, and I enjoyed every second of it. The stories in the past few books seemed a bit lackluster to me as well, and that changed in this book, too. Perhaps it's due to something Camilleri says in the Afterward. Unlike the other recent books, The Overnight Kidnapper was not inspired by a newspaper article that the author read. It could be that giving himself a rest from the real world set him free to get back to the roots of this long-running series.

The story, with its arson case and the strange abductions of young women who worked in local banks, also kept me wondering what was going on, and-- as usual-- I enjoyed watching Montalbano figure it all out. Even if he can't find his way out of a hospital, Montalbano is a master (1) at knowing all the major crime figures on his patch, (2) how to work with his contacts in the local media, and (3) even more importantly, how to manipulate his aggravating superior.

If anything was lacking in this book, it was food. There were no real descriptions of the mouth-watering meals Montalbano usually enjoys. He went into his favorite restaurant, he ate, and then he walked along the jetty. Even his housekeeper didn't keep his refrigerator and oven filled with her usual feasts. Ah well. I suppose we all have to go on diets periodically.

With the death of Camilleri in 2019, there are no more new Montalbano mysteries, and I find myself wanting to read these last few even slower, to stretch out my enjoyment for as long as I can. This talented man created a cast of characters, an entire fictional world, that I have lived in happily for many years. It's always sad to have something like this end.

The Overnight Kidnapper by Andrea Camilleri

Translated from the Italian by Stephen Sartarelli.

ISBN: 9780143131137

Penguin © 2019

Paperback, 272 pages

 

Police Procedural, #23 Inspector Montalbano mystery

Rating: A

Source: Paperback Swap

The Pyramid of Mud by Andrea Camilleri

 

First Line: The Thunderclap was so loud that not only did Montalbano suddenly wake up in terror, but he gave such a start that he nearly fell out of bed.

 

Vigàta has been hit by days of rain and flooding, so it's a slippery slog when Inspector Salvo Montalbano is called out to a murder scene at a construction site that's buried in mud.

 

The investigation gets off to a slow start, but once it gets going, the man's death seems to have ties to the worlds of construction, public contracts, and the Mafia. Who better to get to the bottom of this slimy mess than the wily Montalbano?

~

This workmanlike twenty-third book in Camilleri's marvelous series shows us that no one knows the inner workings of the police, the media, and the Mafia like Salvo Montalbano. In fact, he knows these areas so well that I don't even bother trying to solve the mystery myself; I just sit back and enjoy watching the inspector do all the work. 

Although The Pyramid of Mud does show us some of the ins and outs of Italian construction work, it's a stand-out for me in a different area: Livia. Normally, I don't care for the mysteries in which Livia takes part because all she and Montalbano ever seem to do is to pick fights with each other. Relationships based on fighting and making up are big yawns for me. But in this book, Livia is ill, and I found Montalbano's lack of focus on the murder investigation due to his concern for her to be touching. Could these two be mellowing in their advancing years? I hope so!

 

After reading this book, I'm one step closer to the series' end, something I'd rather not acknowledge. I'd always hoped that Montalbano would go on forever and ever and ever...

The Pyramid of Mud by Andrea Camilleri

Translated from the Italian by Stephen Sartarelli

ISBN: 9780143128083

Penguin Books © 2018

Paperback, 272 pages

 

Police Procedural, #23 Inspector Montalbano mystery

Rating: B

Source: Paperback Swap

A Nest of Vipers by Andrea Camilleri

 

First Line: He found himself in a dense forest with Livia, having no idea how they got there.

 

When wealthy widower Cosimo Barletta is found dead with a gunshot wound to the neck, his past is opened to scrutiny as Inspector Montalbano and his team work to find the man's killer. And what a past it is. Barletta has spent a lifetime cruelly extorting beautiful young women to become his mistresses, and if that weren't enough, it becomes obvious that his wealth was based upon greed and corruption. It might take Montalbano extra time to sort through all the people Barletta has done wrong in order to find the killer. But if anyone can do it, the wily inspector can.

~

In a series that has run as long as Andrea Camilleri's has, not every installment is going to be a barnburner. That is the case with A Nest of Vipers. In his Author's Note, Camilleri admits that the plot of this book is very similar to that of The Paper Moon, the difference being that he became stronger in writing about a certain topic in A Nest of Vipers. I could tell you what that topic is, but it would give away too much of the story. Personally, I think it's one that doesn't need multiple covers due in part to the fact that it can be too easily deduced.

Speaking of deduction, Salvo Montalbano is never at his best when confronted with beautiful young women. One after another, he is brought face to face with drop-dead gorgeous young things as he tries to work his way through all the dead man's mistresses. They are prime suspects after all. Also, in previous reviews I've made it very clear that I don't like Montalbano's longtime girlfriend, Livia. She can't cook. She's vindictive. She hates Montalbano's housekeeper. And--worst of all in my book-- she lives to pick fights with the inspector. But... if you are one of the many who believe fighting adds spice to any romance, this relationship will be right in your wheelhouse.

For me, the saving grace of A Nest of Vipers is its humor. From the gold standard dialogue of Catarella to the coroner whose aspiration in life is to perform Montalbano's autopsy to the inspector's finding a new home for his mountains of paperwork, there are plenty of smiles, chuckles, and outright laughs to be found.

If only there hadn't been an overload of estrogen. Poor Montalbano has so much trouble dealing with it.

A Nest of Vipers by Andrea Camilleri

Translated from the Italian by Stephen Sartarelli

ISBN: 9780143126652

Penguin Books © 2017

Paperback, 272 pages

 

Police Procedural, #22 Inspector Montalbano mystery

Rating: C+

Source: Paperback Swap

Celebrating Mysteries: Europe

 

First of all, I just want to say Thank You to everyone for their response to last week's first post in this series, Celebrating Mysteries: Africa & Australasia. Reading your tweets, emails, and comments added to my own Need to Read list just as I hoped it would, and it was gratifying to see how many readers love books with a strong sense of place.

Last year when the pandemic was raging, reading books set in far-off places kept my mind off the fact that I was a gnat's eyelash from going stir crazy. Reading mysteries set in places I knew well made me vigilant in checking the author's facts. Did they get everything right? Reading books set in places I've never been to helped satiate my wanderlust-- especially if they were set in places I never intend to travel to. 

I love learning about the landscape, the culture, and the food of other places. This world and the people in it are so diverse that the more I learn, the more connected I feel to others. There's no way I can express how much I appreciate authors who can bring another place, another culture to life for me. The only way I can try is to list some of my favorites. 

This week, I'm concentrating on the countries in Europe. There are big gaps in my list, and I'm hoping that you can fill in some of them with your comments. I found that, although I do have many favorite authors whose books are set in Europe, their emphasis seems to be more on character and story rather than putting much emphasis on place. The following authors are my favorite exceptions to that. Clicking on the link in the book's title will take you to my review.

England

William Shaw, compared to many others on my favorites list, is a relative newcomer, but I've been recommending his Alexandra Cupidi series to anyone who will listen. The setting of the marshlands of southeastern England plays a large role in these books. It's a haunting landscape, an elemental landscape, one that reminds me of watching Patrick McGoohan as The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh as a child. It's the perfect setting for Shaw's marvelous characters and stories.

The Birdwatcher is the first book in the series (although it's not always listed as such)

Salt Lane is book two

Deadland is book three

Grave's End is the fourth book

There are currently five books in this series.

I've been a fan of Kate Ellis's Wesley Peterson mysteries for years. She writes a marvelous series with two timelines. One set in the past and one in the present day. The area around Dartmouth plays a role in these books in both the present and the past. I can't begin to tell you how much I've learned about England's past by reading these enjoyable stories.

The Merchant's House is the first book

The Armada Boy is the second

An Unhallowed Grave is the third

The Funeral Boat is the fourth

This series currently has twenty-four books. There are no links to reviews for the first four because I started reading them long before I began blogging, but you can check out my review for the later Dead Man's Lane to get an idea of what I'm talking about.

Finland

James Thompson wrote a police procedural series set in Finland featuring Kari Vaara, who began as a police chief in Lapland and later moved to Helsinki as a detective. The series was cut short by Thompson's untimely death. This American-Finnish writer taught me a lot about the people and landscape of Finland in his hard-hitting mysteries.

Snow Angels is the first book

Lucifer's Tears is the second

Helsinki White is the third

Helsinki Blood is the fourth

 

There are only four books in this series.

 

 

France

 

It's a little-known fact that I began my college career as a French major; therefore, when I read mysteries set in France where the setting is so good that I begin thinking in French, I know they're good. There are two series set in France that have that effect on me.

 

If you want to feel as though you're in Paris, all you have to do is read Cara Black's Aimée Leduc series. Aimée is a private investigator who knows how to accessorize, and she'll take you through the mean streets of Paris, one arrondissement at a time. 

Murder in the Marais is the first book

Murder in Belleville is the second

Murder in the Sentier is the third

Murder in the Bastille is the fourth

There are currently nineteen books in this series. I've jumped around in my reading which is why there are no links to reviews for Sentier and Bastille.

Anyone who's been reading my blog for a long time knew that Martin Walker's Bruno Chief of Police series would definitely be on this list. I fell completely in love with the very first book. Of all the mysteries with a strong sense of place, I think Walker takes the cake. I've learned so much about the Périgord, its history, its people, the culture, and the food! I've learned the hard way that it's not a good idea to be hungry when I pick up a Bruno mystery. Yikes!

Bruno Chief of Police is the first book

The Dark Vineyard is the second

Black Diamond the third

The Crowded Grave is the fourth

There are currently thirteen books in the series.

Greece

When I think of mysteries set in Greece, two authors immediately spring to mind. If I want to be transported to ancient Greece, I definitely want Australian author Gary Corby to be my tour guide. I've had a front-row seat at the Olympic Games, and I've narrowly escaped death at sea in a trireme. Not only does Corby have me walking the mean streets with his two sleuths, his sense of humor can keep me laughing, too.

The Pericles Commission is the first book

The Ionia Sanction is the second

Number three is Sacred Games

The Singer from Memphis is the sixth.

There are currently seven books in the series, and I hope there will be more.

When I want to travel to modern Greece, the silver-tongued devil himself, Jeffrey Siger, is my preferred guide. From politics to food to history to gorgeous landscapes to the merest facial expressions, I've learned so much about the Greece of today while enjoying the investigations conducted by Andreas Kaldis and his crack team.

 

 Murder in Mykonos is the first book

Assassins of Athens is the second

Prey on Patmos is the third

Target: Tinos is the fourth

There are currently eleven books in the series.

Iceland

Longtime readers will also know that I sing the praises of Ragnar Jónasson regularly. Jónasson has taught me quite a bit about that amazing country, especially the remoter regions, and-- you know me-- the remoter the better I always say. Jónasson has written some standalones as well as a fantastic trilogy, but it's the series featuring Ari Thór Arason, the young police officer in the far north of Iceland who's probably taught me the most about his country: food customs, landscape, weather, winter darkness... It's an alien place to me which makes it all the more special to learn about it in this series.

Snowblind is the first book

Blackout is the second

The third is Rupture

The fourth is Whiteout

There are six books in the series.

Italy

Andrea Camilleri's long-running series featuring irascible Inspector Salvo Montalbano has been a favorite of mine since the first book. This series is more than a police procedural. The humor is often laugh-out-loud funny, and Camilleri-- through Stephen Sartarelli's masterful translations-- has taught me so much about the landscape, food, customs, and politics of Sicily. 

 

The last book in this series, Riccardino, will be published in September, and it will be sad to see the series end. These books are treasures.

 

 The Shape of Water is the first book

The Terra-Cotta Dog is the second

Third is The Snack Thief

Fourth is Voice of the Violin

 

There are thirty books in this series, and how I wish there could be more. Thank you for so much enjoyment, Mr. Camilleri.

 

My blog was just four months old when I posted the review for Voice of the Violin. You can also read my review of a much later book, A Beam of Light, if you are so inclined.

Scotland

 

My ancestral roots run deep in the mountains and glens of the Scottish Highlands, so it's no surprise that I'm partial to a well-written Scottish mystery series or two (or three or...) When I think of mysteries with a strong sense of place that are set in Scotland, two authors spring automatically to mind.

Author Peter May has written a fantastic trilogy set on the islands of the Outer Hebrides, and he brings that stunning, brooding landscape to life.

The Blackhouse is the first book

The Lewis Man is the second

The Chessmen is the third

Aline Templeton is the second author who springs immediately to mind when I think of mysteries set in Scotland. Let's face it, the big cities of Edinburgh and Glasgow get most of the crime fiction attention, but authors like Peter May and Aline Templeton know that the lesser known corners of the country are no strangers to criminal deeds. Indeed, Val McDermid refers to Templeton as "the crime czar of the Scottish small town." 

One of my favorite series is Templeton's police procedural featuring Marjory "Big Marge" Fleming who is a detective inspector in Galloway, which is in southwestern Scotland. If you want to get a feel for that part of the country, you'll get it in these books, and from different perspectives, for example, as Marjory's husband is a farmer who lost most of his animals to mad cow disease.

Cold in the Earth is the first book

The Darkness and the Deep is the second

The third is Lying Dead

Number four is Lamb to the Slaughter

 

There are nine books in this series.

Templeton also writes a series featuring Kelso Strang, a detective inspector who finds himself traveling from one Scottish village to another solving crimes. The first book in this (currently) three-book series is Human Face.

Thus endeth my list of European mystery series that have a strong sense of place. Now it's your turn. When it comes to Europe, which mystery series transport you to another country-- its landscape, its customs, its food? You added to my Need to Read list last time, and I'm counting on you to do it again this time. Inquiring minds need to know!

Next up at a future date: Asia!

A Voice in the Night by Andrea Camilleri

 

First Line: He woke up at exactly six-thirty a.m., rested, fresh, and perfectly lucid.

 

A robbery at a local supermarket is a standard case for the police... or is it? When the manager is later found hanging in his office, Inspector Montalbano and his team have their doubts. 

They soon have a second case on their hands when the body of a brutally murdered young woman is found in the apartment of a rich young man who has a flawless alibi and whose father is the president of the province.

 

As they begin to investigate, the supermarket robbery leads to a large local company, and as the pieces come together, Montalbano is going to need every ounce of knowledge and skill he possesses because justice will be coming face to face with the insatiable machinery of politics and the mafia.

 

~

 

When I need a little break from the normal ebb and flow of crime fiction, I know I can always turn to the irascible Inspector Salvo Montalbano and his team. Not only do I get to enjoy a mental vacation in Sicily with its memorable landscape and mouth-watering food, but I also learn about the area's political machinations. That I also get to laugh is mere icing on the cake.

 

I love watching Montalbano put the pieces of a puzzle together. In some ways, he reminds me of Martin Walker's Bruno, Chief of Police because he knows the local people he serves so well. It also doesn't hurt that Montalbano's knowledge of the mafia and local politics is encyclopedic.

 

In each book, the grumpy crime-solving maestro usually has something to say about the world at large with which I find myself in total agreement. In A Voice in the Night, it's an observation about intolerance: "Why so much mutual intolerance? Why was it that nobody could any longer stand his neighbor, his coworker, or even his schoolmate?" It certainly does seem to be that way, doesn't it?

 

Two more things that I love about this book and the entire series are Stephen Sartarelli's wonderful translations and Camilleri's sense of humor. Montalbano may be grumpy and have a short fuse, but Camilleri knows how to make us laugh about it. This time around, Montalbano starts having trouble remembering names which makes him worry that he's turning into Catarella. Long-time fans of the series love Catarella, who's usually the butt of jokes. But  Camilleri has waved his magic wand over this character and made him someone who's not just the source of laughs but also someone who does have special talents and can even make us cry from time to time. A Montalbano book without Catarella is a book without its zest.

 

If you love learning about other countries, their landscapes, their culture, their food, and how things work, by all means, make your acquaintance with Salvo Montalbano and his team. You'll find yourself laughing and learning through the entire series. I'm looking forward to the next time I visit the inspector.    

 

A Voice in the Night by Andrea Camilleri

Translated from the Italian by Stephen Sartarelli.

ISBN: 9780143126447

Penguin © 2016

Paperback, 288 pages

 

Policed Procedural, #20 Inspector Montalbano mystery

Rating: B+

Source: Paperback Swap

A Beam of Light by Andrea Camilleri

First Line: Since the first light of dawn, the morning had shown itself to be erratic and whimsical.

The weather is causing the irascible Inspector Salvo Montalbano to have strange dreams, and his mood is further hampered by the appearance of a beguiling art gallery owner. In fact, he's so bewitched that his relationship with the fiery Livia may be in danger. Personal life aside, Montalbano has to deal with the assault and robbery of a merchant's young wife and a search for arms traffickers. It's no rest for the weary.

~

A Beam of Light is vintage Camilleri. From the inimitable Catarella's knowledge of Latin to Montalbano's "friendship" with a crab down at the end of the jetty, Camilleri knows how to make readers laugh. Food also plays a mouthwatering part in the proceedings. One of Montalbano's most important indulgences is food. The man breaks into a cold sweat when someone else chooses the restaurant. It's true!

But before you think everything is played for laughs, think again. The meaning of the book's title is so poignant that it may make a tear come to your eye. There are three cases that Montalbano and his team must solve, and-- as always-- it is so enjoyable to watch the inspector's mind work as he investigates and begins to put everything together.

I've been slowly savoring each book in this series, knowing that it would inevitably come to an end. If you haven't read a Montalbano mystery, grab one. The purist in me suggests that you start at the beginning with The Shape of Water, especially if you're in the market for a long-running, high-quality series that will keep you laughing, keep you guessing, and keep your mouth watering. Worried about books in translation? Don't be. Stephen Sartarelli is a master of his craft. You're in good hands with Camilleri and Sartarelli. Come on... take a trip to Sicily!

A Beam of Light by Andrea Camilleri

Translated from the Italian by Stephen Sartarelli.

ISBN: 9780143126430

Penguin © 2015

Paperback, 288 pages

 

Police Procedural, #19 Inspector Montalbano mystery

Rating: B+

Source: Paperback Swap

October 2020 New Mystery Releases!

The past few days have been a bit gloomy here at Casa Kittling, and I'm not talking about the weather. No, the sky is its usual brilliant blue here in Phoenix, but as I sit here to write this post, I'm mourning the death of one of my heroes, Ruth Bader Ginsberg. Some people... you just want them to live forever, and the Notorious RBG was one of those people for me. What a remarkable human being!

News from a friend also brought me low. As she was with her daughter in the hospital for the birth of her granddaughter, "persons unknown" broke into her daughter's storage unit and emptied it. No new baby furniture, no furniture at all for that matter, all the kitchen things gone, and so many memories... stolen. Only a very few "rejects" left behind. I've lived through this myself, and it's the theft of cherished mementoes that breaks your heart. The rest can be replaced. I mourn the loss of my grandfather's and father's dog tags years after their theft, and I always will. I won't go into what I'd still like to do to the thieves.

But the thought of new books can always distract me, even if it's only for a little while. Here are my picks of the best new crime fiction being released throughout the month of October. I've grouped them by their release dates, and the book covers and synopses are courtesy of Amazon.

Let's take a look to see if I've chosen any that tickle your fancy!

=== October 6 ===

 

Title: The Sicilian Method

Author: Andrea Camilleri

Series: #26 in the Inspector Salvo Montalbano police procedural series set in Sicily.

288 pages

Synopsis: "Mimi Augello is visiting his lover when the woman's husband unexpectedly returns to the apartment; he climbs out the window and into the downstairs apartment, but one danger leads to another. In the dark he sees a body lying on the bed. Shortly after, another body is found, and the victim is Carmelo Catalanotti, a director of bourgeois dramas with a harsh reputation for the acting method he developed for his actors.

Are the two deaths connected? Catalanotti scrupulously kept notes and comments on all the actors he worked with, as well as strange notebooks full of figures and dates and names. Inspector Montalbano finds all of Catalanotti's dossiers and plays, the notes on the characters, and the notes on his last drama, Dangerous Turn--the theater is where he'll find the answer." 

Title: On Borrowed Crime

Author: Kate Young

Series: #1 in the Jane Doe Book Club cozy series set in Georgia.

300 pages

*Upcoming review on Kittling: Books.

Synopsis: "Lyla Moody loves her sleepy little town of Sweet Mountain, Georgia. She likes her job as receptionist for her uncle's private investigative firm, her fellow true crime obsessed Jane Doe members are the friends she's always wanted, and her parents just celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary. But recently, with her best friend Melanie on vacation, and her ex-boyfriend and horrible cousin becoming an item and moving in next door to her, her idyllic life is on the fritz. The cherry on top of it all is finding Carol, a member of the club, dead and shoved into a suitcase, left at Lyla's front door.

Unusual circumstances notwithstanding, with Carol's heart condition, the coroner rules Carol's death undetermined. But when they discover the suitcase belongs to Melanie, who had returned from her vacation the following morning, Sweet Mountain police begin to suspect Lyla's best friend. Determined that police are following the wrong trail, to clear her friend's name, and to not allow Carol become one of the club's studied cold cases, Lyla begins to seek out the real killer. That is, until she becomes the one sought after. Now, finding the truth could turn her into the killer's next plot twist, unless she wins the game of cat and mouse." 

Title: Murder on a Cold Street

Author: Sherry Thomas

Series: #5 in the Lady Sherlock historical series set in Victorian England.

352 pages

Synopsis: "Inspector Treadles, Charlotte Holmes’s friend and collaborator, has been found locked in a room with two dead men, both of whom worked with his wife at the great manufacturing enterprise she has recently inherited. 
 
Rumors fly. Had Inspector Treadles killed the men because they had opposed his wife’s initiatives at every turn? Had he killed in a fit of jealous rage, because he suspected Mrs. Treadles of harboring deeper feelings for one of the men? To make matters worse, he refuses to speak on his own behalf, despite the overwhelming evidence against him.
 
Charlotte finds herself in a case strewn with lies and secrets. But which lies are to cover up small sins, and which secrets would flay open a past better left forgotten? Not to mention, how can she concentrate on these murders, when Lord Ingram, her oldest friend and sometime lover, at last dangles before her the one thing she has always wanted?"

Title: Saddled With Murder

Author: Eileen Brady

Series: #1 in the Dr. Kate Vet cozy series set in New York State.

416 pages

*Upcoming review on Kittling: Books.

Synopsis: "It's the Christmas season and veterinarian Kate Turner is not feeling very jolly. She's overworked, unappreciated, and dealing with two dissatisfied clients. Throw in a very complicated personal life and Kate's definitely got a case of the holiday blues.

To make matters worse, Kate's ex-boyfriend, Jeremy, is mugged and robbed after they have a heated argument in the hospital parking lot. Then, two of her dissatisfied clients turn up dead (which really gets Kate's tinsel in a tangle). All of these events seem like coincidences, but they add up to something much more venomous."

Title: Still Life

Author: Val McDermid

Series: #6 in the Karen Pirie police procedural series set in Scotland.

436 pages

Synopsis: "When a lobster fisherman discovers a dead body in Scotland’s Firth of Forth, Karen is called into investigate. She quickly discovers that the case will require untangling a complicated web―including a historic disappearance, art forgery, and secret identities―that seems to orbit around a painting copyist who can mimic anyone from Holbein to Hockney. Meanwhile, a traffic crash leads to the discovery of a skeleton in a suburban garage. Needless to say, Karen has her plate full. Meanwhile, the man responsible for the death of the love of her life is being released from prison, reopening old wounds just as she was getting back on her feet."

=== October 13 ===

Title: Silent Bite

Author: David Rosenfelt

Series: #22 in the light-hearted Andy Carpenter series set in the New Jersey area.

299 pages

Synopsis: "Lawyer Andy Carpenter can finally take a breath; he’s back on dry land after a family Caribbean cruise forced on him by his wife, Laurie, to get into the Christmas spirit. Of course the family’s first stop is to the Tara Foundation, the dog rescue organization that has always been Andy’s true passion.

But when Andy arrives, his partner, Willie Miller, needs his help. Willie’s old cellmate, Tony Birch, has been arrested for murder. Andy doesn’t necessarily believe in Tony, but Willie does. And Andy believes in Willie, which is why Andy decides to take the case.

Once again David Rosenfelt puts readers in the Christmas spirit in a tale that is equal parts mystery and holiday cheer."

=== October 20 ===

Title: Apprehend Me No Flowers

Author: Diane Vallere

Series: #7 in the Madison Night cozy series set in Texas.

300 pages

Synopsis: "After a lawsuit puts interior decorator Madison Night’s business on indefinite hold, she needs a diversion. A walk in the park with police captain Tex Allen is anything but: they discover two corpses on the property. The bodies are unidentifiable, and inconvenient weather conditions have rendered the crime scene obsolete. With no leads, the case seems unsolvable.

With time on her hands, Madison joins a community volunteer group and discovers a clue that ties the victims to a local florist. A surprise court date catches her off guard, and her continuing involvement in the case may cost her more than she can afford to lose.

Can Madison dig up the evidence needed to catch a killer before the bloom fades on her business?

APPREHEND ME NO FLOWERS is the seventh thrilling cozy mystery in the humorous Mad for Mod series. If you like vintage fashion, edgy cozies, and police investigations, then you’ll love Madison Night’s latest adventure." 

Title: A Will to Kill

Author: R.V. Raman

Series: #1 in the Harith Athreya P.I. series set in India.

176 pages

*Upcoming review on Kittling: Books.

Synopsis: "For fans of Knives Out, a book that embodies all the things we love about Agatha Christie—a haunted manor house, estranged relatives a will, and a murder— set in modern-day India, and the first in a series from author RV Raman.

Aging and wheelchair-bound patriarch Bhaskar Fernandez has finally reclaimed his family property after a bitter legal battle, and now wants to reunite his aggrieved relatives. So, he invites them to remote Greybrooke Manor in the misty Nilgiris —a mansion that has played host to several sudden deaths; a colonial edifice that stands alone in a valley that is said to be haunted by the ghost of an Englishman. But Bhaskar has other, more practical problems to deal with. 

He knows that his family is waiting for him to die to regain the family fortune, and to safeguard himself against violence during the house party, he writes two conflicting wills. Which one of them comes into force depends on how he dies.
Into this tinderbox, he brings Harith Athreya, a seasoned investigator. When a landslide occurs, temporarily isolating them all at the mansion, and resulting in a murder, Athreya finds that murder is not the only thing the mist conceals. WILL TO KILL is the first Harith Athreya mystery."

=== October 27 ===

Title: Fortune Favors the Dead

Author: Stephen Spotswood

Series: #1 in the Pentecost & Parker historical P.I. series set in New York City.

336 pages

Synopsis: "It's 1942 and Willowjean "Will" Parker is a scrappy circus runaway whose knife-throwing skills have just saved the life of New York's best, and most unorthodox, private investigator, Lillian Pentecost. When the dapper detective summons Will a few days later, she doesn't expect to be offered a life-changing proposition: Lillian's multiple sclerosis means she can't keep up with her old case load alone, so she wants to hire Will to be her right-hand woman. In return, Will is to receive a salary, room and board, and training in Lillian's very particular art of investigation. 

    Three years later, Will and Lillian are on the Collins case: Abigail Collins was found bludgeoned to death with a crystal ball following a big, boozy Halloween party at her home--her body slumped in the same chair where her steel magnate husband shot himself the year before. With rumors flying that Abigail was bumped off by the vengeful spirit of her husband (who else could have gotten inside the locked room?), the family has tasked the detectives with finding answers where the police have failed. But that's easier said than done in a case that involves messages from the dead, a seductive spiritualist, and Becca Collins--the beautiful daughter of the deceased, who Will quickly starts falling for. When Will and Becca's relationship dances beyond the professional, Will finds herself in dangerous territory, and discovers she may have become the murderer's next target."

Title: A Solitude of Wolverines

Author: Alice Henderson

Series: #1 in the Alex Carter wildlife biologist/amateur sleuth series set in Montana.

320 pages

*Upcoming review on Kittling: Books.

Synopsis: "The first book in a thrilling series featuring a wildlife biologist who courts trouble as she saves endangered species . . . and a mysterious killer who buries his dead in the land she helps preserve—a fast-paced, action-driven tale of suspense with the atmosphere and propulsive tension of works by Jane Harper, C. J. Box, William Kent Krueger, and Nevada Barr.

While studying wolverines on a wildlife sanctuary in Montana, biologist Alex Carter is run off the road and threatened by locals determined to force her off the land.

Undeterred in her mission to help save this threatened species, Alex tracks wolverines on foot and by cameras positioned in remote regions of the preserve. But when she reviews the photos, she discovers disturbing images of an animal of a different kind: a severely injured man seemingly lost and wandering in the wilds.

After searches for the unknown man come up empty, local law enforcement is strangely set on dismissing the case altogether, raising Alex’s suspicions. Then another invasive predator trespasses onto the preserve. The hunter turns out to be another human—and the prey is the wildlife biologist herself. Alex realizes too late that she has seen too much—she's stumbled onto a far-reaching illegal operation and now has become the biggest threat.

In this wild and dangerous landscape, Alex’s life depends on staying one step ahead—using all she knows about the animal world and what it takes to win the brutal battle for survival."

Title: Murder in the Margins

Author: Margaret Loudon

Series: #1 in the Open Book cozy series set in England.

320 pages

Synopsis: "Penelope Parish has hit a streak of bad luck, including a severe case of writer's block that is threatening her sophomore book. Hoping a writer in residence position at The Open Book bookstore in Upper Chumley-on-Stoke, England, will shake the cobwebs loose, Pen, as she's affectionately known, packs her typewriter and heads across the pond.

Unfortunately, life in Chumley is far from quiet and when the chairwoman of the local Worthington Fest is found dead, fingers are pointed at Charlotte Davenport, an American romance novelist and the future Duchess of Worthington. Charlotte turns to the one person who might be her ally for help: fellow American Pen. Teaming up with bookstore owner Mabel Morris and her new friend Figgy, Pen sets out to learn the truth and find the tricks that will help her finish her novel."

You certainly can't complain with any month that has new books by authors like Camilleri and McDermid, can you? Of the new-to-me authors, I have to admit that I perked up the most when I saw the synopsis for Alice Henderson's A Solitude of Wolverines. You know me and critters! There are also a couple of very promising new cozy series, and I love Diane Vallere's Madison Night, so I was thrilled when I saw Apprehend Me No Flowers. 

What about you? Did any of the books on my list make your eyes light up with anticipation? Which ones? Inquiring minds would love to know!

Game of Mirrors by Andrea Camilleri

First Line: He'd already been sitting for at least two hours, naked as the day God created him, in a chair that looked dangerously like an electric chair, wrists and ankles bound in iron bands to which were attached a great many wires that led into a metal cabinet all decorated on the outside with quadrants, pressure gauges, ampere meters, barometers, and little green, red, and blue lights blinking on and off without end.

When bombs explode outside two empty warehouses, Inspector Salvo Montalbano and his colleagues are stumped. What kind of message is the bomber trying to send? Since one of the warehouses is connected to a drug dealer, maybe that's the connection.

In the meantime, Montalbano's very sexy, very alluring, next-door neighbor Liliana Lombardo is trying her best to seduce the inspector-- and her best is enough to incinerate most men's restraint. Between bombs, drug dealers, sexy neighbors, and pesky reporters, Montalbano begins to feel that he is being manipulated, and it's a feeling he does not like-- especially when he becomes the prime suspect in a brutal murder.

After reading nineteen Montalbano mysteries, it's almost impossible to write a review without repeating myself. Another reviewer said, "You either love Andrea Camilleri or you haven't read him yet," and I'd like to think that's pretty much true. (Although I'm realistic enough to know that it's not.) For me, Andrea Camilleri's blend of intriguing mysteries, humor, and characterizations are wonderful, and from the second I pick up a Montalbano mystery, I know I'm going to enjoy it. Furthermore, Stephen Sartarelli cannot be praised highly enough for his brilliant translations of the books.

In Game of Mirrors, it's a pleasure to watch Montalbano's mind work because the mystery is a game of mirrors, filled with twists, turns, and almost everything seeming to be something it's not. Through it all, Camilleri makes me laugh. If I had to name one favorite humorous character in all the series that I read, Catarella would be my choice. You could almost be forgiven for believing that this man is a total buffoon... almost... except that it would mean that you haven't been paying close attention to the stories. Camilleri lets readers know that Catarella has his strong points, too. Besides, the irascible Montalbano wouldn't keep a complete moron on his staff.

If you haven't read an Inspector Montalbano mystery, you really should do something about that. Yes, the series is a long one, but it's written in such a way that you can jump in anywhere. Give one a try. You can thank me later.

Game of Mirrors by Andrea Camilleri

ISBN:  9780143123774

Penguin Books © 2015

Paperback, 288 pages

Police Procedural, #18 Inspector Montalbano mystery

Rating: A-

Source: Paperback Swap


 

September 2019 New Mystery Releases!

Since summer is my favorite season when September rolls around I'm always glad that I live in the Sonoran Desert. That way, I get an extra month of my favorite time of year. I know... I can already hear some of you groaning.

I've been reading some mighty fine books lately, but you know me-- I always keep my eyes peeled for new ones.

The following are my picks for the best new crime fiction being released throughout the month of September-- and September has an abundance of riches.

I've grouped my picks according to their release dates, and the covers and synopses are courtesy of Amazon. Let's see if I've chosen any titles that are going to be on your own pre-order and/or wishlists! (I'll bet I have!)

=== September 3 ===

Title: The Long Call

Author: Ann Cleeves

Series: #1 in the Two Rivers police procedural series set in North Devon, England.

382 pages

*Upcoming review on Kittling: Books.

Synopsis: "In North Devon, where two rivers converge and run into the sea, Detective Matthew Venn stands outside the church as his estranged father’s funeral takes place. On the day Matthew left the strict evangelical community he grew up in, he lost his family too.

Now, as he turns and walks away again, he receives a call from one of his team. A body has been found on the beach nearby: a man with a tattoo of an albatross on his neck, stabbed to death.

The case calls Matthew back to the people and places of his past, as deadly secrets hidden at their hearts are revealed, and his new life is forced into a collision course with the world he thought he’d left behind.

From Ann Cleeves, bestselling author of Vera and Shetland, beloved by readers and TV viewers alike, comes a spectacular new series, told with deep compassion and searing insight."

Title: Word to the Wise

Author: Jenn McKinlay

Series: #10 in the Library Lovers cozy series set in coastal Connecticut.

304 pages

*Upcoming review on Kittling: Books.

Synopsis: "Lindsey Norris is finally getting married to the man of her dreams—but it's not all roses for Briar Creek's beloved library director, as gardening enthusiast and town newcomer Aaron Grady gives the term “book lover” a whole new meaning. Inappropriate looks and unwelcome late-night visits to Lindsey's house have everyone from the crafternooners to Lindsey's fiancé, Sully, on edge.

When Grady's dead body is found staged outside the library and all the clues point to Sully, Lindsey knows it's up to her to dig through the hidden chapters of Grady's previous life to find the real culprit and clear Sully's name. But becoming a thorn in the killer's side is not without its consequences, and the closer Lindsey gets to the truth, the more determined the murderer is to make her just a footnote."

Title: Molten Mud Murder

Author: Sara E. Johnson

Series: #1 in the Alexa Glock forensics expert series set in New Zealand.

320 pages

*Upcoming review on Kittling: Books.

Synopsis: "When a body is found half-submerged in a molten mud pot in one of Rotorua's famous geothermal wonderlands, forensics expert Alexa Glock spots a way to prolong her stay in New Zealand, which she has been visiting for work. Teeth are her expertise, and the investigation needs her help, as other ways of identifying the body may have... melted away.

Joining Detective Inspector Bruce Horne and his team, Alexa discovers that the murder victim, a city councilman, had trespassed on an island sacred to the Maori. The ancient punishment for such a transgression is a disaster, demonic possession, or death... and when she visits the island to investigate, the same outcome is promised for her. Alexa doesn't believe in ancient spirits returning to exact revenge, and when another victim turns up dead she begins to wonder whether the real threat is something—or someone—much closer to home." 

Title: The Bone Fire

Author: S.D. Sykes

Series: #4 in the Somerhill Manor historical series set in fourteenth-century England.

320 pages

*Upcoming review on Kittling: Books.

Synopsis: "When the Black Death reappears in England in 1361, Oswald de Lacy knows that the safest place for his wife and young son is the island-fortress of Eden, where his eccentrically pious friend Godfrey has invited the family to stay to wait out the plague during the long, dark winter. But Oswald has barely had time to settle in when a brutal murder shocks the household and it soon becomes clear that the castle is not the stronghold of security that they were so desperately looking for.  

Oswald knows the castle isn’t safe, but neither is the plague-infested countryside outside its walls. His only hope is to solve the mystery of the murder before the killer strikes again. With a cast of characters like something out of Chaucer―a lord and lady, a knight, a religious radical, a court jester, a drunk, and a couple of traveling craftsmen are just some of the suspects Oswald must reckon with―and the all-consuming threat of the plague hovering just outside the castle walls, the newest novel in the Somershill Manor Mysteries is the most brilliant and frightening yet."

Title: The Other End of the Line

Author: Andrea Camilleri

Series: #26 in the Inspector Montalbano police procedural series set in Sicily.

304 pages

Synopsis: "A wave of refugees has arrived on the Sicilian coast, and Inspector Montalbano and his team have been stationed at port, alongside countless volunteers, to receive and assist the newcomers. Meanwhile, Livia has promised their presence at a friend's wedding, and the inspector, agreeing to get a new suit tailored, meets the charming master seamstress Elena Biasini. But while on duty at the dock one late night, tragedy strikes, and Elena is found gruesomely murdered. Between managing the growing crowds at the landing, Montalbano delves into the world of garments, in the company of an orphaned cat, where he works to weave together the loose threads of the unsolved crimes and close the case."

Title: To the Lions

Author: Holly Watt

Series: #1 in the Casey Benedict journalist series set in London.

400 pages

Synopsis: "Casey Benedict, star reporter at the Post, has infiltrated the lives and exposed the lies of countless politicians and power players. Using her network of contacts, and her ability to slip into whatever identity suits the situation, Casey is always on the search for the next big story, no matter how much danger this might place her in, or what the cost might be, emotionally.

Tipped off by an overheard conversation at an exclusive London nightclub, she begins to investigate the apparent suicide of a wealthy young British man whose death has left his fiancée and family devastated. The young man's death, however, is only the tipping point of a much more sinister and dangerous scandal involving the world's most powerful leaders and magnates—men who are gathering in northern Africa for an extreme and secret hunt. With fellow reporter Miranda and combat veteran Ed by her side, Casey's determined hunt for the truth will take her from the glitz of St. Tropez to the deserts of Libya and on to the very darkest corners of the human mind."

=== September 10 ===

Title: The Vanished Bride

Author: Bella Ellis

Series: #1 in the historical Brontë sisters series set in 19th-century England.

304 pages

*Upcoming review on Kittling: Books.

Synopsis: "Yorkshire, 1845. A young wife and mother has gone missing from her home, leaving behind two small children and a large pool of blood. Just a few miles away, a humble parson’s daughters—the Brontë sisters—learn of the crime. Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Brontë are horrified and intrigued by the mysterious disappearance.

These three creative, energetic, and resourceful women quickly realize that they have all the skills required to make for excellent “lady detectors.” Not yet published novelists, they have well-honed imaginations and are expert readers. And, as Charlotte remarks, “detecting is reading between the lines—it’s seeing what is not there.”

As they investigate, Charlotte, Emily, and Anne are confronted with a society that believes a woman’s place is in the home, not scouring the countryside looking for clues. But nothing will stop the sisters from discovering what happened to the vanished bride, even as they find their own lives are in great peril..." 

=== September 17 ===

Title: What Rose Forgot

Author: Nevada Barr

Standalone thriller

304 pages

*Upcoming review on Kittling: Books.

Synopsis: "Rose Dennis wakes up in a hospital gown, her brain in a fog, only to discover that she's been committed to an Alzheimer's Unit in a nursing home. With no memory of how she ended up in this position, Rose is sure that something is very wrong. When she overhears one of the administrators saying about her that she's "not making it through the week," Rose is convinced that if she's to survive, she has to get out of the nursing home. She avoids taking her medication, putting on a show for the aides, then stages her escape.

The only problem is―how does she convince anyone that she's not actually demented? Her relatives were the ones to commit her, all the legal papers were drawn up, the authorities are on the side of the nursing home, and even she isn't sure she sounds completely sane. But any lingering doubt Rose herself might have had is erased when a would-be killer shows up in her house in the middle of the night. Now Rose knows that someone is determined to get rid of her.

With the help of her computer hacker/recluse sister Marion, thirteen-year-old granddaughter Mel, and Mel's friend Royal, Rose begins to gather her strength and fight back―to find out who is after her and take back control of her own life. But someone out there is still determined to kill Rose, and they're holding all the cards."

Title: Gallows Court

Author: Martin Edwards

Series: #1 in the Jacob Flint historical series set in 1930s London.

304 pages

*Upcoming review on Kittling: Books.

Synopsis: "LONDON, 1930. Sooty, sulfurous, and malign: no woman should be out on a night like this. A spate of violent deaths the details too foul to print has horrified the capital and the smog-bound streets are deserted. But Rachel Savernake is no ordinary woman. To Scotland Yard's embarrassment, she solved the Chorus Girl Murder, and now she's on the trail of another killer. Jacob Flint, manning The Clarion's crime desk, is looking for the scoop that will make his name. He's certain there is more to the Miss Savernake's amateur sleuthing than meets the eye. Flint's pursuit of his story will mire him ever-deeper into a labyrinth of deception and corruption. Murder-by-murder, he is swept ever-closer to that ancient place of execution, where it all began and where it will finally end: Gallows Court."

Title: Heaven, My Home

Author: Attica Locke

Series: #2 in the Highway 59 police procedural series set in rural Texas.

304 pages

Synopsis: "9-year-old Levi King knew he should have left for home sooner; now he's alone in the darkness of vast Caddo Lake, in a boat whose motor just died. A sudden noise distracts him - and all goes dark.

Darren Matthews is trying to emerge from another kind of darkness; after the events of his previous investigation, his marriage is in a precarious state of re-building, and his career and reputation lie in the hands of his mother, who's never exactly had his best interests at heart. Now she holds the key to his freedom, and she's not above a little maternal blackmail to press her advantage.

An unlikely possibility of rescue arrives in the form of a case down Highway 59, in a small lakeside town where the local economy thrives on nostalgia for antebellum Texas - and some of the era's racial attitudes still thrive as well. Levi's disappearance has links to Darren's last case, and to a wealthy businesswoman, the boy's grandmother, who seems more concerned about the fate of her business than that of her grandson.

Darren has to battle centuries-old suspicions and prejudices, as well as threats that have been reignited in the current political climate, as he races to find the boy and to save himself.

Attica Locke proves that the acclaim and awards for Bluebird, Bluebird were justly deserved, in this thrilling new novel about crimes old and new."

Title: Elevator Pitch

Author: Linwood Barclay

Standalone thriller set in New York City.

464 pages

Synopsis: "It all begins on a Monday when four people board an elevator in a Manhattan office tower. Each presses a button for their floor, but the elevator proceeds, non-stop, to the top. Once there, it stops for a few seconds and then plummets.

Right to the bottom of the shaft.

It appears to be a horrific, random tragedy. But then, on Tuesday, it happens again, in a different Manhattan skyscraper. And when Wednesday brings yet another high-rise catastrophe, one of the most vertical cities in the world—and the nation’s capital of media, finance, and entertainment—is plunged into chaos.

Clearly, this is anything but random. This is a cold, calculated bid to terrorize the city. And it’s working. Fearing for their lives, thousands of men in women working in offices across the city refuse to leave their homes. Commerce has slowed to a trickle. Emergency calls to the top floors of apartment buildings go unanswered.

Who is behind this? Why are they doing it? What do these deadly acts of sabotage have to do with the fingerless body found on the High Line? Two seasoned New York detectives and a straight-shooting journalist must race against time to find the answers before the city’s newest, and tallest, residential tower has its ribbon-cutting on Thursday." 

Title: Land of Wolves

Author: Craig Johnson

Series: #15 in the Walt Longmire series set in Wyoming.

336 pages

Synopsis: "Attempting to recover from his harrowing experiences in Mexico, in Land of Wolves Wyoming Sheriff Walt Longmire is neck-deep in the investigation of what could or could not be the suicidal hanging of a shepherd. With unsettling connections to a Basque family with a reputation for removing the legs of Absaroka County sheriffs, matters become even more complicated with the appearance of an oversize wolf in the Big Horn Mountains to which Walt finds himself feeling more and more empathetic."

See what I mean about an abundance of riches? Craig Johnson! Ann Cleeves! Jenn McKinlay! Nevada Barr! And on and on and on. On a little side note here, I love the cover of The Bone Fire. There's something about the castle, the colors and how they're blended that really catches my eye.

How about you? Is September going to wreck your book-buying budget? Which titles can't you do without? Inquiring minds would love to know!