[bksvol-discuss] Fw: Mystery February 2008
- From: "Amber Wallenstein" <amber.wallens@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 25 Feb 2008 07:38:11 -0500
Mystery February 2008
"And the wild regrets, and the bloody sweats,
None knew so well as I:
For he who lives more lives than one
More deaths than one must die."
~ Oscar Wilde (1854-1900), Anglo-Irish author
New and Recently Released!
Oscar Wilde and a Death of No Importance - by Gyles Brandreth
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 1/8/2008
ISBN: 9781416534839
ISBN-10: 1416534830
Historical Mystery. In 1889, wit and raconteur Oscar Wilde enlists the aid of
two literary friends, Arthur Conan Doyle and Robert Sherard, to investigate
the murder of Billy Wood, a young male prostitute. But things get
complicated--Wilde saw the body, but when he returns with his friends, it's
gone and
there's just a drop of blood to indicate that something untoward happened. Did
Wilde just imagine the whole thing? Oscar Wilde and a Death of No Importance
(published in the UK as Oscar Wilde and the Candlelight Murders) is the 1st in
a new series written by well-known British biographer and former MP Gyles
Brandreth.
First Chapter
The Serpent's Tale - by Ariana Franklin
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 1/31/2008
ISBN: 9780399154645
ISBN-10: 0399154647
Medieval Mystery. For the 2nd time (the first was in Mistress of the Art of
Death), King Henry II calls on the services of one of the medieval world's best
"doctors of the dead" (i.e., medical examiner), Adelia Aguilar. Henry's
favorite mistress has died a horrible death by poisoning, and Henry's wife,
Eleanor
of Aquitaine, is the prime suspect (and she's plotting to overthrow Henry's
court). A reluctant Adelia agrees to investigate and help sort out the mess.
She joins forces with her infant daughter's father, the Bishop of St. Albans,
but both are captured by Eleanor's followers and more deaths follow. This
"mesmerizing" (Publishers Weekly) tale is sure to please those who like
forensic details.
Down into Darkness: A Detective Stella Mooney Novel - by David Lawrence
Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books/St. Martin's Minotaur
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 10/16/2007
ISBN: 9780312347420
ISBN-10: 0312347421
Police Procedural. London detective sergeant Stella Mooney's 4th case is a
doozy. Someone has killed a young woman, written the words "dirty girl" on her
body, and hung her 16 feet up in a tree. Then another body is found; this one
is a man's corpse that has "filthy coward" scrawled on it. Fearing a vigilante
serial killer is at work, Stella and other members of her team work to figure
out who would do such a thing and why. In a starred review, Library Journal
says that British poet and novelist David Lawrence's story recalls "Peter
Lovesey at his best."
Prayer of the Dragon - by Eliot Pattison
Publisher: Soho
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 11/29/2007
ISBN: 9781569474792
ISBN-10: 1569474796
Mystery. Anyone who wants to know more about Tibet--especially the country's
complex relationship with China--needs to read this fascinating book. Shan
Tao Yun is a Chinese ex-investigator who was jailed for political reasons.
While in prison he made friends with two monks who now summon him to a sacred
Tibetan mountain where a double murder has occurred. The chief suspect--whom
the local village leader is ready to execute immediately--is a comatose
American,
a Navajo Indian researching his tribe's possible connections to Tibet. Shan
pokes and prods and finds plenty of other potential killers. This is the 5th
book in this award-winning series.
The Crazy School - by Cornelia Read
Publisher: Warner Books
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 1/10/2008
ISBN: 9780446582599
ISBN-10: 044658259X
Mystery. If you loved Cornelia Read's debut, the Edgar-nominated A Field of
Darkness, you'll be happy that acerbic journalist Madeline Dare is back in
Read's
sophomore effort. Maddie finally gets out of hated Syracuse when her husband
receives a job offer in western Massachusetts. But after his job disappears,
she takes the only job she can find--working at a boarding school for
emotionally disturbed teens where the teachers are held to strict standards (no
coffee,
no smoking). But the strange regulations are the least of Maddie's worries when
two students are found dead and she becomes a suspect. Readers looking
for a fresh, sharp voice in crime should check out this series.
First Chapter
A Pale Horse: An Inspector Ian Rutledge Mystery - by Charles Todd
Publisher: William Morrow
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 1/1/2008
ISBN: 9780061233562
ISBN-10: 0061233560
Historical Mystery. In his 10th outing, shell-shocked WWI vet and Scotland Yard
Inspector Ian Rutledge is working two cases: he needs to discover the identity
and murderer of a man found dead in an abbey wearing a gas mask and locate a
former soldier for the British War Office. Neither task proves easy, and
Rutledge
must travel to various parts of England and dig deep to get at the truth. This
compelling mystery series will please readers who value multi-faceted characters
in thought-provoking tales, and the setting and clever whodunit should please
fans of Golden Age writers such as Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers.
Focus on: Ireland
In Dublin's Fair City - by Rhys Bowen
Publisher: St. Martin's Minotaur
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 3/6/2007
ISBN: 9780312328191
ISBN-10: 0312328192
Historical Mystery. Molly Murphy, an Irish-immigrant detective in 1903 New
York, is headed back to visit the Emerald Isle. Immediately, however, the trip
is filled with puzzles and danger--before she even gets to Ireland, a famous
actress traveling on the same ship as Molly disappears and the woman's maid
is found dead. Then, once Molly arrives, she finds her own brother trying to
claim the actress' luggage, and then there's still an outstanding warrant
for Molly's arrest, which caused her to flee her home country in the first
place. In Dublin's Fair City is the 6th book featuring the irrepressible Molly
Murphy.
First Chapter
The Guards - by Ken Bruen
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 1/1/2004
ISBN: 9780312320270
ISBN-10: 0312320272
Noir Fiction. In a land where people are renowned for their drinking, how much
of it will get you kicked off the Irish National Police Force? It takes quite
a bit, but punching out a VIP after consuming lots of brandy will speed things
up. Jack Taylor, a former cop with a wee bit of a drinking problem, has
been let go from the force for the aforementioned offenses and now spends most
of his time in a bar. Doing the odd piece of PI work, he takes a case that
seems simple at first--an intriguing woman hires Jack to look into the supposed
suicide of her daughter--but quickly grows complicated. Winner of the 2004
Shamus Award for best novel, Jack's 1st outing is sure to please anyone looking
for a dark Irish crime story.
First Chapter
Irish Gold: A Nuala Anne McGrail Novel - by Andrew M. Greeley
Publisher: Forge
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 9/1/1995
ISBN: 9780812550764
ISBN-10: 0812550765
Mystery. American Dermot Coyne is a success--so much so that he retires at the
mere age of 25. Using his newfound freedom, he travels to Ireland hoping
to discover why his maternal grandparents left during the Troubles and would
never go back. Meeting surprising opposition to his quest in the form of
menacing
bullies, Dermot wonders what his relatives knew that was so important. Luckily,
he runs into a beautiful Trinity College student, Nuala Anne McGrail, who
agrees to translate his grandmother's diary. Before long the two are deep in a
mystery that has its roots in Ireland's bloody past. The 10th book in priest
Andrew Greeley's popular series, Irish Tiger, was released earlier this month.
Star of the Sea - by Joseph O'Connor
Publisher: Harcourt
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 3/1/2004
ISBN: 9780156029667
ISBN-10: 0156029669
Historical Mystery. The 1840 potato famine devastated Ireland, killing
thousands of people and causing many others to go in search of a new country. In
1847, some of those looking for a new life are on board the Star of the Sea,
bound for New York. Rounding out the ship's passenger list are first-class
travelers who are leaving Ireland for various different reasons. The 20+ days
they'll all be on board together will be fraught with peril--from storms
and sicknesses to abuse and murder-for-hire. This 2003 New York Times notable
book will be particularly entertaining for mystery readers who enjoy
well-written,
lyrical tales.
First Chapter
Absolution by Murder: A Sister Fidelma Mystery - by Peter Tremayne
Publisher: New American Library
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 9/1/1997
ISBN: 9780451192998
ISBN-10: 0451192990
Historical Mystery. If early Ireland fascinates you, check out author Peter
Tremayne's Celtic series featuring a "brilliant and beguiling heroine"
(Publishers
Weekly), 7th-century Irish nun Sister Fidelma of Kildare. Fidelma is a
multi-talented young woman; she's also a dálaigh (someone trained in the Brehon
laws of Ireland who can act as an advocate of the courts). In her 1st book, a
killer strikes while Fidelma is in attendance at a meeting called by the
King of Northumbria to decide what religion his people will follow. Searching
for clues as to who murdered a renowned Celtic abbess, Fidelma teams up with
the enticing Brother Eadulf.
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