Crime and / or mystery fiction

Book SynopsisThe vivid, immersive nature writing of William Kent Krueger and Peter Heller meets the taut suspense of Louise Penny against the lush, sprawling landscape of rural Wisconsin in the first of a new mystery trilogy by internationally renowned animal behavior expert Patricia McConnell, bestselling author of The Other End of the Leash and The Education of Will. Like All Creatures Great & Small meets Agatha Christie – only with more glorious writing, more training tips, and more border collies! I could not put this novel down – and when I did, I felt blessed by the company of great characters both human and canine, inspired to live lives of courage and hope. —SY MONTGOMERY, New York Times bestselling author of The Soul of an Octopus, What the Chicken Knows, and The Hummingbird's GiftMaddie is living her best second life on a 40-acre sheep farm in the Wisconsin countryside. In addition to her passion for training sheepdogs—including her spirited border collie Jack—she sees all manner of dogs with behavioral problems ranging from biting to thunder phobia as part of her local practice. No stranger to trauma herself, Maddie has worked hard to recover from the ordeal of her previous marriage.But things take a turn when Maddie’s friend and mentor, George, is inexplicably killed by a rifle shot fired from the woods during a sheepdog trial. Maddie is devastated and also baffled—it’s not hunting season, and who could mistake a man, standing alone in a field, for a deer?She’s still reeling from George’s shooting when a shelter calls her for help with a German shepherd found half dead beside the highway who’s too aggressive to feed and care for. The dog flourishes at the farm, but when Maddie returns one day to find her house invaded, it’s clear that she has stumbled into a situation far more complex and sinister than she realized. And her romantic involvement with an enigmatic young shelter worker soon leads to even more trouble. As Maddie continues to search for answers to George’s death, it quickly becomes apparent that her own life is once again in danger . . .

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Book Synopsis In this “astonishing fantasy debut,” a mother and a mysterious Chinese man—who is more than he appears—search for her missing daughter in San Francisco (Locus). Offering “a deft blend of the oldest of magicks in a dragon, and the newest of sorceries in computers” (Anne McCaffrey), this is the incomparable novel that garnered Nebula, Hugo, World Fantasy, and Philip K. Dick Award nominations, and earned its author the John W. Campbell Best New Writer award.   Martha Macnamara knows that her daughter, Elizabeth, is in trouble—she just doesn’t know what kind. Mysterious phone calls from San Francisco at odd hours of the night are the only contact they've had for years. Now, Elizabeth has sent her mother a plane ticket and reserved a room for her at the city’s most luxurious hotel. Yet, since Martha checked in, she still hasn’t been contacted by her daughter, and is feeling lonely

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Book Synopsis The Campbell Award–winning author’s follow-up to Tea with the Black Dragon: “Wow! MacAvoy’s done it again” (Anne McCaffrey, New York Times–bestselling author).   Mayland Long, aka the Black Dragon, has been enjoying a peaceful relationship with Martha Macnamara—but suddenly they face threats from seemingly every side. A wild psychic force is loose in the world; Martha’s three-year-old granddaughter has been kidnapped; and one of her Celtic musician friends has been found dead, hanging by a rope of twisted grass. Now the Black Dragon must use his wits to rescue the little girl and hunt for a killer . . . even if it brings him to a horrifying realization.   In this novel, the author of The Book of Kells returns to the modern-day California of Tea with the Black Dragon, blending fantasy, mystery, Chinese lore, and a timeless love story as she so masterfu

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Book Synopsis Gideon Oliver earns his moniker “The Skeleton Detective” in this riveting entry to the Edgar Award–winning mystery series “that never disappoints” (The Philadelphia Inquirer)   Deep in the primeval rainforest of Washington State’s Olympic Peninsula, the skeletal remains of a murdered man are discovered. And a strange, unsettling tale begins to unfold, for forensic anthropologist Gideon Oliver determines that the murder weapon was a primitive bone spear of a type not seen for the last ten thousand years. And whoever—or whatever—hurled it did so with seemingly superhuman force. Bigfoot “sightings” immediately crop up, but Gideon is not buying them. But something is continuing to kill people, and Gideon, helped by forest ranger Julie Tendler and FBI special agent John Lau, plunges into the dark heart of an unexplored wilderness to uncover the bizarre, astonishing explanation.

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Book Synopsis A museum curator travels to Italy and looks into a murder in this “fresh, funny [and] thoroughly enjoyable mystery” by the author of the Gideon Oliver series (Publishers Weekly). Mild-mannered and law-abiding, Chris Norgren, curator of Renaissance and Baroque art at the Seattle Art Museum, is an unlikely undercover investigator, but when a priceless Rubens portrait is discovered in a shipment of “authentic reproductions” in a local warehouse, Chris is pressed into service to find out how it got there. The quest leads him to the medieval city of Bologna, one of his favorite places, but all too soon what might have been a welcome Italian interlude turns into a bizarre journey into shady art world doings and murderous secrets . . .

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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 In the cavernous halls of Buckingham Palace, a series of pranks lead to murder in this mystery by CWA Gold Dagger winner Peter Dickinson Princess Louise and her father, King Victor II of England, agree that life has become painfully dull. When she’s not in school, Louise spends her days roaming the palace and fulfilling her royal duties while her father fusses over budgets and attempts to keep his family out of the tabloids. So when a prankster begins placing frogs on the breakfast trays, Louise delights in the break from routine—as does King Victor. But this innocent mischief soon escalates into bloodshed when a body is found in the palace.   In an attempt to quell his family’s panic, King Victor resolves to catch the killer. At last he has a purpose—but the palace may be in greater danger than either he or Louise suspects. Trade Review“Wry, witty, irresistible.” —Financial Times “[Dickinson] outdoes himself this time. . . . A most unusual and original mystery.” —Publishers Weekly “[Dickinson] has written a mystery story with an unusual detective, and with logical, well worked-out development. The result is typical Dickinson—sensitive, different, yet within the conventions of the genre.” —The New York Times Book Review “Triumphantly touching, with genuinely interesting characters . . . exceptional.” —Newsweek

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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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