Crime and mystery: police procedural

Trade Review“Vail is a terrific character and . . . Jacobson knows how to throw in plot twists that are shocking but logical . . . [in] this outstanding thriller.” —Library Journal, starred review“FBI agent Karen Vail is one of thrillerdom’s feistiest heroines, and No Way Out gives her the most original problem yet: who’s willing to kill to save Shakespeare’s reputation? Jacobson mixes rocket-paced suspense with fascinating history in this thrill ride of a book.” —Joseph Finder, New York Times–bestselling author“Alan Jacobson is a wonderfully vivid writer, with a sharp, dark eye for detail. No Way Out captures the vagaries of English society with humor, while not breaking stride from what is a thrilling and uniquely British story.” —Peter James, international bestselling author“Jacobson has written the thriller of the year—fast plot, incredible character development, and chilling atmosphere. No Way Out has everything you can ask for in a thriller, plus the bonus of reading a book which you’ll re-read and which will never turn up in a second hand bookstore.” —Andrew Gulli, managing editor, the Strand Magazine“What fun to read! . . . Don’t say you weren’t warned.” —New York Journal of Books “Alan Jacobson’s newest installment in the popular Karen Vail series is a riveting jaunt across the pond. The complexity of the plot mixed with the well-researched setting and Vail’s signature style, make for a fast-paced, thrilling read where Jacobson offers you the best ticket in town. No Way Out is explosive!” —Suspense Magazine“No Way Out is the latest in the Karen Vail series. Karen is out of her usual serial killer profiling arena, and deep in black ops and terrorists with DeSantos. The two characters, though different in their approach, are after the same goal . . . stop a ricin attack in the UK. I liked the interaction between the two main characters and the complexity of operating without official sanctions. Another good addition to the Karen Vail series.” —LibraryThing

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Book Synopsis Introducing FBI profiler Karen Vail, who crosses paths with a Virginia serial killer in the first in the bestselling series.   Special Agent Karen Vail “is a knockout, tough and brilliant” (Tess Gerritsen). As lead profiler for the FBI, Vail is spearheading the task force investigation into a serial killer known as “Dead Eyes,” who’s been terrorizing Fairfax County, Virginia.   What separates this psychopath from the others is a peculiar savagery, and an intimate knowledge of the FBI’s detailed strategy of pursuit. What separates Vail from her peers is a life that has made her hard and uncompromising. Recently divorced from an abusive husband, and in the throes of an ugly custody battle, she’s also helpless against her mother’s struggle with Alzheimer’s. But little by little, as Vail’s personal baggage begins to consume her, the investigation threatens to derail.  Trade Review“As one of the founding fathers of the FBI profiling unit, I can unequivocally state that The Seventh Victim sets a new standard for serial killer novels. Like Silence of the Lambs did twenty years ago, The Seventh Victim redefines the genre and brings it into the twenty-first century. With meticulous research and dead-on accuracy, Alan Jacobson has not only written a gripping, twisting thriller, he’s created a must-read book.” —Robert Ressler, world renowned FBI profiler (retired), founder of the FBI’s VICAP (Violent Criminal Apprehension Program), recognized “father” of serial killer research, international lecturer, and bestselling author“There are thrillers which you read once, then throw away. Alan Jacobson has written a book that is fast paced and intense and will make sure you’ll read it over and over again. A masterful work—dark, creepy, yet at the same time you won’t be able to put it down.” —The Strand Magazine“[The 7th Victim] has all the ingredients for a best-selling psychological thriller: strong female lead, multifaceted serial killer, compelling plot, and just enough secrets and surprises to keep the adrenaline racing.” —School Library Journal

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Trade Review“Karen Vail is one tough character. Crush will keep you reading late into the night.” —Kathy Reichs, New York Times–bestselling author of 206 Bones“Crisply written, meticulously researched, Crush rocks from the opening page to the jarring conclusion. Don’t start the book unless you have a full evening to finish it, because you won’t be able to put it down.” —Steve Martini, New York Times–bestselling author of Shadow of Power“Action-packed story [with] plenty of bark and bite, sizzle and emotion . . . a tangled tale of delightful intrigue. Well done.” —Steve Berry, New York Times–bestselling author of The Charlemagne Pursuit

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Trade Review“From the first page, Velocity is as relentless as a bullet. Karen Vail is my kind of hero and Alan Jacobson is my kind of writer!” —Michael Connelly, #1 New York Times–bestselling author “Jacobson captures the complexity of the mission faced by DEA, the threat posed to our country, and the constant danger our agents face battling members of international drug trafficking organizations. As someone who devoted his career to carrying out that mission, I can say first-hand that Velocity hits the target. Jacobson’s acquired a new fan.” —Supervisory Special Agent Michael Upchurch, Drug Enforcement Administration “Jacobson writes for suspense junkies and gets the monkey off their backs; he’s that good.” —New York Journal of Books

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Book SynopsisNominated for the Hercule Poirot Award: Commissioner Pieter Van In must find the link between members of a satanic conspiracy and a young woman’s death A young woman is found dead in the canal outside her Bruges apartment building. But what seems like a clear-cut suicide evolves into something much more complex when Commissioner Pieter Van In uncovers the girl’s involvement in a satanic sect. Who is the mysterious Venex, and why does he inspire such devotion from his disciples? Complicating the investigation further, Van In’s boss allows beautiful journalist Saartje Maes to profile the case, sparking tension with the commissioner’s expectant wife, District Attorney Hannelore Martens. As a horrific tragedy shocks the city, Van In seems to be surrounded by secrets. And though exposing them will lead him to the truth, it will also pit him against the very police force to which he’s devoted his life. A Belgian national bestseller, The Fourth Figure has been reprinted in Dutch seventeen times. It is the 4th book in the Pieter Van In Mysteries, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order. Trade Review“A terrific crime novel with a complex plot that keeps intriguing, surprising and fascinating until the very last page. A direct hit.” —De Vrijzinnige Lezer “Crime with a quality label.” —Leesidee

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Book SynopsisA West Virginia cop must determine who had an axe to grind with a notorious womanizer in this mystery series opener.Retirement is on the horizon for Det. Sam Lagarde of West Virginia’s Bureau of Criminal Investigations, and he’s looking forward to it. As a cop with a reputation for persistence, he’s earned some relaxation. But first, there’s the matter of a head . . .Ben Cromwell is discovered, decapitated, in a dumpster behind a Charles Town spa. A known regular at the regional jail, Cromwell was no stranger to trouble. He was also no stranger to the ladies.As Lagarde begins digging into the victim’s life, he finds five women with one thing in common: their hatred of Ben Cromwell. Determining which of them followed through on that feeling won’t be easy, but if Lagarde doesn’t lose his top, he’ll come out ahead . . .“Layer upon layer, Ms. Fite connects the dots between her well-defined and wonderfully diverse characters.” —Rochelle Wisoff-Fields, author of Please Say Kaddish for Me“[Ginny Fite] has no trouble delving into the dark side of people and showing us that evil exists.” —Katherine Cobb, author of Break Out the Dawn“Not your ordinary murder mystery! . . . I couldn’t put it down.” —Tonya Royston, author of Surrender at Sundown

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Book SynopsisA West Virginia detective investigates a marriage that ended in murder in this mystery by the author of No Good Deed Left Undone.Methodical detective Sam Lagarde knows what it takes to solve a murder. But as for his personal life, he’s not certain how he managed to find romance at his age. The big mysteries for him have always been love and women . . .All the evidence in his latest case, the murder of Harold Munson, points to his wife, Charlotte, as the primary suspect. Aside from having the means and motive, she’s unbothered by the news of his death. She would much rather focus her time on her potentially Nobel Prize–winning cancer research and on quality time with her young lover. And when another body is found, she’s looking all the more guilty.However, dogged Detective Lagarde is not so sure. But identifying the real killer means diving deep into the unhappy couple’s dirty laundry and seeing who doesn’t come out clean. “A well-planned, well-conceived murder mystery. . . . There is so much attention to detail that you’re not reading the story, you’re living it.” — K.J. Simmill, author of the Forgotten Legacies series “A brilliant mystery that mixes science and suspense in just the right doses to keep you turning pages (and meeting interesting characters) until the end.” —Sherri Moorer, author of the Tanger Falls mysteries

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Book SynopsisA West Virginia cop investigates the murder of a philanthropic philanderer in this mystery by the author of Cromwell’s Folly.A detective with West Virginia’s Bureau of Criminal Investigations, Sam Lagarde appreciates a good horseback ride now and then to clear his thoughts. He keeps two horses of his own and finds their companionship to be more reliable than any of his previous marriages. And now his knowledge of horses may come in handy on his current case . . .Wealthy Grant Wodehouse is found pinned to his stable with a pitchfork through his chest. Lagarde’s certain it was a crime of passion. The trouble is Wodehouse had plenty of enemies: women he’d slept with, their husbands, people he’d swindled in business dealings, and even his own children. To discover who murdered Wodehouse, Lagarde must first narrow his list of suspects. Unfortunately, the killer is all too willing to help.Praise for Cromwell’s Folly“[Ginny Fite] has no trouble delving into the dark side of people and showing us that evil exists.” —Katherine Cobb, author of Break Out the Dawn “Not your ordinary murder mystery! . . . I couldn’t put it down.” —Tonya Royston, author of Surrender at Sundown

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Book SynopsisDet. Sgt. Apelu Soifua faces a crime tsunami in the fourth tropical mystery set on American Samoa from the author of The Dead Don’t Dance. There have been many changes in Apelu Soifua’s life, but his job in the criminal investigation division has been the one constant. For years, a series of killings on the island has baffled him, starting with the murder of a cross-dresser, whose body was found with a cross carved into the chest. Four more men fall—different races, different classes, different deaths. Not all marked with the religious symbol, but somehow all connected. Apelu is sure of it. With the help of new medical examiner Dr. Laura Alomar, Apelu follows his instincts into what will be the most complicated and twisted case of his career. An open grave on a widow’s lush plantation signals the end of Apelu’s tolerance for his violent job and the collateral damage it inflicts on his friends and loved ones. In a literal paradise on earth, the monsters come like a devil in disguise . . . “A very rich and textured mystery . . . 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.” —Kittling: Books

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Book SynopsisA relaxing holiday is cut short by murder for the Scotland Yard detective in a mystery by “one of [the genre’s] subtlest and wittiest practitioners” (The New York Times). Set on having a relaxing holiday in Tilsey, Detective Inspector Littlejohn once again finds himself pulled into a baffling investigation. When local judge Nicholas Crake is found dead in his home, Littlejohn and his partner Sergeant Cromwell have the difficult task of sifting out the murderer from a mass of feuding neighbors, friends, and family. Could Crake’s faithless wife have had the means? Or his strange brother-in-law? Or what about the superintendent, who seems to be doing more to impede the case than solve it? Faced with family secrets, old grudges, and more than one dead body, Littlejohn must unravel a web of deceit to get to the bottom of this case.

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Book SynopsisA body surfaces off the Isle of Man in a puzzling mystery by the master of the “pure British detective story” (The New York Times).The Manx Shearwater was scallop dredging--but it dragged up a body from the water instead. Considering that the corpse was tied at the ankles and weighed down with stones, it’s clear this was no accidental drowning--and now the locals are in an uproar.The victim appears to be Cedric Levis, who had an extravagant house and a reputation for philandering. Was Levis murdered for his money--or was this a crime of passion? Under the pretext of a holiday, Chief Inspector Littlejohn is invited by his old friend Archdeacon Kinrade to unofficially assist with the murder investigation--but to separate fact from fiction, he’ll have to sort through accusations, town gossip, and mysterious stories surrounding the ancient Cursing Stones.

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Book Synopsis“Slow and steady wins the case” as a dedicated London policeman puzzles through a fatal fall, a financial mystery, and an eccentric family’s many secrets (Kirkus Reviews). Miss Penelope Blow’s fatal fall from her bedroom window would seem like a tragic accident, if it weren’t for Penelope’s multiple visits to Scotland Yard before her death, trying to get in touch with Inspector Littlejohn. Now, before he ever had a chance to talk to the woman, he’s driven to look deeper into a case that may very well be murder—with no cooperation from Penelope’s wealthy, secretive, and thoroughly odd family . . . “As is often the case in Bellairs’ novels, his prose is often very wryly amusing. . . . One of his most readable tales, offering an interesting mix of characters and a satisfying puzzle to solve.” —Mysteries Ahoy

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Book SynopsisSOMEONE HAS BLOOD ON THEIR HANDS... Claire Beacham arrives home to a parcel on her doorstep - no note, no label. As a politician she has received her fair share of hate mail, but there's no way she could be prepared for what's inside the box. A severed head falls to her kitchen floor; the rich, red drip of blood on her hands. The terrifying package is a message. But who sent it and why? DI Finn and DC Mattie Paulsen are on the case. But what they don't yet know is that this is only Claire's first delivery. There will be more. And each package means another body... Praise for Will Shindler's DI Alex Finn series: 'Riveting' The Sunday Times 'Excellent' Weekend Sport'Unmissable' Sunday Express Magazine'Gripping' Heat'This is the best kind of police procedural' Literary Review

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