New and Recently Released! Borderline: A Novel - by Nevada Barr Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 04/07/2009 ISBN-13: 9780399155697 ISBN-10: 0399155694 Mystery. Anna Pigeon can't catch a break. Thanks to the disturbing events depicted in Winter Study, she's suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. To relax, her new husband decides to take her to Texas' Big Bend National Park for a nice rafting trip down the Rio Grande. Big mistake. The group--made up of Anna, her husband, and some college students--soon overturn their raft, find a dying pregnant woman in the river (is she an illegal immigrant?), and are shot at by a sniper. If you're on the hold list for this 15th book in the series, check out Jessica Speart's Rachel Porter mysteries (she's a Fish and Wildlife Service agent) or C.J. Box's Joe Pickett series (he's a Wyoming game warden) The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie - by Alan Bradley Publisher: Delacorte Press Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 04/28/2009 ISBN-13: 9780385342308 ISBN-10: 0385342306 Historical Mystery. In what may be the most charming debut mystery of the year, readers meet Flavia de Luce, a precocious, pig-tailed 11-year-old. Flavia spends the summer of 1950 tinkering in the well-appointed chemistry lab in her family's English manor and plotting revenge on her older sisters (who do things like lock her in the attic). But the young chemist turns sleuth when a dead bird with a stamp on its beak is discovered on the doorstep, a dying man is found in the cucumber patch, and her philatelist father is named a murder suspect. Canadian author Alan Bradley's 2nd Flavia book, The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag, is due out next year. First Chapter The Last Child - by John Hart Publisher: Minotaur Books Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 05/12/2009 ISBN-13: 9780312359324 ISBN-10: 0312359322 Crime Novel. In Raven County, N.C., two people are obsessed with finding young Alyssa Merrimon. The first is detective Clyde Hunt, who, in the year since Alyssa was last seen, has watched his marriage dissolve and his relationship with his son weaken. The second is Alyssa's twin brother, 13-year-old Johnny, who believes that she is still alive. Johnny (who Kirkus Reviews says is "full of likeable traces of Huck Finn") is always on the lookout for his sister, even watching the houses of local sex offenders. But, despite Clyde and Johnny's efforts, another girl goes missing. If you enjoy thought-provoking, well-written novels populated with one-of-a-kind characters, seek out The Last Child. A Trace of Smoke - by Rebecca Cantrell Publisher: Forge Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 05/12/2009 ISBN-13: 9780765320445 ISBN-10: 0765320444 Historical Mystery. In this "unforgettable" (Publishers Weekly) first novel, crime reporter Hannah Vogel is shocked when she sees a picture of her brother, Ernst, in the Berlin police's Hall of the Unnamed Dead in 1931. In the photo, Ernst, a cross-dressing cabaret singer, is naked on a riverbank, a victim of murder. Hannah can't tell the police--Jewish friends have the siblings' identification papers, and until the friends are safe in America, she can't draw attention to her brother or herself. As she looks for a killer in the underbelly of the city, she learns that her brother had Nazi lovers--and she meets a 5-year-old boy who makes the astounding claim that Ernst is his father. The Killing Way - by Tony Hays Publisher: Forge Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 03/31/2009 ISBN-13: 9780765319456 ISBN-10: 0765319454 Historical Mystery. Merlin the sorcerer? The murderer of an innocent servant girl? While fans of Arthurian legend are loathe to entertain such a thought, political enemies of Arthur are not. In fact, it'd work out quite well for them if they could prove that Arthur's mentor is a killer. To save Merlin--as well as his own aspiration to be king--Arthur turns to one-armed drunkard Malgwyn ap Cuneglas. Malgwyn, lately a scribe, was once a fierce warrior who would have died an honorable death on the battlefield if Arthur had not saved him. Bitter about his situation, Malgwyn hates Arthur...but he can't turn down his intriguing request. This 1st in a new series will delight anyone who loves well-researched King Arthur tales. Death and the Lit Chick: A St. Just Mystery - by G.M. Malliet Publisher: Midnight Ink Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 04/01/2009 ISBN-13: 9780738712475 ISBN-10: 0738712477 Mystery. There's been a murder in a Scottish castle...and the drawbridge was drawn at the time. Harkening back to the mysteries of the Golden Age with its traditional setting and premise, Death and the Lit Chick features Detective Chief Inspector Arthur St. Just in his 2nd outing (after Death of a Cozy Writer). Though there's a limited number of people who could have killed arrogant chick lit mystery author Kimberlee Kalder, figuring out who did it isn't going to be easy--all of the suspects are experienced killers who plot murder on a daily basis (a crime writers' conference is in progress) and none of them were fond of Kimberlee. If you love Hercule Poirot and Roderick Alleyn, give DCI St. Just a shot. Table of Contents Food to Die For The Silver Needle Murder - by Laura Childs Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 03/04/2008 ISBN-13: 9780425219461 ISBN-10: 0425219461 Culinary Mystery. At Charleston's first annual film festival, trouble brews over at the opening night gala when famed director Jordan Cole is killed while walking to the podium. Theodosia Browning and her staff from the Indigo Tea Shop are catering the event and are on the scene--which means that Theodosia is soon snooping around. This 9th Tea Shop Mystery (the 1st is Death by Darjeeling) is "a love letter to Charleston, tea and fine living" (Kirkus Reviews). Recipes--and tea time tips--are included. If you have a thirst to know more about tea, check out The Story of Tea: A Cultural History and Drinking Guide, a nonfiction book by Mary Lou Heiss and Robert J. Heiss. Steamed: A Gourmet Girl Mystery - by Jessica Conant-Park and Susan Conant Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 02/06/2007 ISBN-13: 9780425210383 ISBN-10: 0425210383 Culinary Mystery. Sure, you've probably been on a bad date, but have you ever been on a deadly one? Chloe Carter has. Via an online dating site, the 20-something graduate student (who's in school in order to get her inheritance) meets a great guy...or at least he seems that way in his emails. In reality, he's a bore--and, before their first date is over, he's dead. Luckily, at the funeral, Chloe, a gourmand, meets a cool chef. Unluckily, he's the cops' chief suspect. In order to keep her man, Chloe needs to serve up the real killer. Publishers Weekly calls Steamed, the 1st in a series that now numbers four, "scrumptious" and praises its "charming characters, snappy dialogue and mouth-watering recipes." Sweet Revenge - by Diane Mott Davidson Publisher: William Morrow Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 09/01/2007 ISBN-13: 9780060527334 ISBN-10: 0060527331 Culinary Mystery. There's a body in the public library. Colorado caterer Goldy Schultz, who's prepared a holiday breakfast for the Aspen Meadow Library's staff and volunteers, is there when the disturbing discovery is made: ex-DA Drew Wellington, who left the law to deal in rare maps, has met an untimely end. Mix in valuable missing maps, more murder, sightings of a supposedly dead woman (who had confessed to killing Goldy's ex-husband), and then stir in numerous catering jobs (it's December, after all) and delicious recipes, and you've got quite a yummy concoction. Diane Mott Davidson is in "top-notch form" (Library Journal, starred review) in this 14th novel featuring the likeable Goldy. First Chapter Key Lime Pie Murder: A Hannah Swensen Mystery with Recipes - by Joanne Fluke Publisher: Kensington Books Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 03/31/2007 ISBN-13: 9780758210180 ISBN-10: 0758210183 Culinary Mystery. It's a hot, humid June in Lake Eden, Minnesota, and everyone is excited about the Tri-County Fair. Carnival rides are being set up and contest entries are all ready to be judged. Hannah Swensen, the owner of The Cookie Jar bakery and a judge for the baking contest, is as happy as anyone--until she stumbles upon the dead body of a fellow judge, along with a smashed key lime pie. If you enjoy books that capture small-town life, have a bit of romance, and are populated by quirky, amusing characters, pick up a Hannah Swensen mystery. Key Lime Pie Murder is the 9th book in the series; Cream Puff Murder, the 11th, was released earlier this year. First Chapter Earthly Delights: A Corinna Chapman Mystery - by Kerry Greenwood Publisher: Poisoned Pen Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 06/15/2007 ISBN-13: 9781590583937 ISBN-10: 1590583930 Mystery. In Melbourne, Australia, accountant-turned-baker Corinna Chapman lives and works in a charming Rome-inspired building. The plus-sized Corinna is quite happy with life--she likes her size, her work, her cats, and her neighbors (an S&M mistress, a practicing witch, two wannabe starlets, etc.). But finding a teenage junkie near death in the alley behind her shop (and learning that other addicts are dying in record numbers), being on the receiving end of hate-filled missives (as are the other women in her building), and spending time in bed with a sexy former Israeli soldier shake things up a bit. Still, she finds time to bake, and it's almost guaranteed that you'll want freshly baked bread after reading this one (recipes are included). As the World Churns: A Pennsylvania Dutch Mystery with Recipes - by Tamar Myers Publisher: Obsidian Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 02/05/2008 ISBN-13: 9780451223029 ISBN-10: 0451223020 Culinary Mystery. In Pennsylvania Dutch country, opinionated Mennonite Magdalena Yoder runs a B&B. In her 15th outing, the no-nonsense Magdalena is celebrating her recent marriage to prominent Manhattan doctor Gabriel Rosen. But the happiness is short-lived--a convict that Magdalena helped put away escapes, someone murders Doc Shafor (founder of the first annual Hernia Holstein Competition, which is in progress and which Magdalena is emceeing), and then Gabe and his daughter Alison vanish. With her best friend and her vexing new mother-in-law by her side, Magdalena looks for answers...and her new husband! If you like your humor slapstick and your mystery light, check out As the World Churns.