In A Dry Season by Peter Robinson

Detective Chief Inspector Banks is currently in trouble for insubordination, not an unusual occurrence.  However, this time was much worse because he actually punched his boss, Jimmy Riddle. Banks was suspended at first, but the powers that be forced Riddle to reinstate him.  Since then Riddle has made sure Banks was limited to the drudgery of desk duty and other mundane tasks.  Now Riddle has a new kind of punishment in mind. He appoints Banks to lead the investigation of a fifty year old murder that he doesn’t think can be solved.

To complicate matters, Riddle assigns Banks to work with the local DS, Annie Cabot, an officer with a reputation as a troublemaker.  Cabot took the position in a small town force where there is little activity because it was made clear to her she would not be in line for promotion any time soon.  She has been branded a loner who doesn’t work well with others on the force.  What Riddle doesn’t expect is that once Banks sinks his teeth in, he will do everything in his power to uncover the truth. Not only that, it turns out he and Cabot work well together, both on and off duty.

While this book is part of the Inspector Banks series, there is more to it than a straightforward detective story. The victim was discovered when a drought caused a reservoir to dry up, exposing a village which had been evacuated and flooded in the early 1950s. The woman was not buried by the flood, though; she was murdered and placed under a stone slab. Banks 1st task is to figure out when the body was buried before he can begin to find out why she was murdered.

Robinson’s novel switches back and forth between World War II, when the village was last occupied, and the present day investigation.  Telling the story this way makes the mystery more suspenseful, and  Robinson is able to make a very cold police case have relevance and urgency for the characters today; and I found the description of life during the war to be fascinating. This is my favorite book in the Inspector Banks series, although I would recommend all of them.  The series has also been recently made into a television series that was shown on WUNCTV in January.  Hopefully, they will repeat it soon!

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Good Bait by John Harvey

John Harvey’s new novel is a fast paced story about two parallel cases, both related to a vast criminal underworld in London.  The main story is Chief Inspector Karen Shields’ investigation into the death of a young immigrant found in a frozen pond on Hampstead Heath.    The more Shields looks into the case, the more complicated it becomes.   Another murder in the same area seems to involve some of the same people, and Shields is suddenly called to the office of superior officer to discuss the crimes with a major task force.  Shields and her team can’t determine if the young man’s murder is related to the suddenly escalating violent incidents between rival gangs in the neighborhood, or if there is a more personal element.

The other case is an unofficial one.  Detective Trevor Cordon has come to London from Cornwall out of a sense of guilt.  Maxine, a woman he had arrested many times, asked for his help locating her daughter, Letitia.  Cordon had tried to help Letitia out in the past by giving her a job, but tells Maxine there is nothing he can do this time.  So Maxine goes to London herself.  Now Cordon hears Maxine was killed by a train and no one knows whether she fell, was pushed, or committed suicide.  Cordon decides to track down Letitia and make sure she is okay.  The trouble is he is not the only person looking for her.  Cordon’s case will eventually cross with Shields’ investigation in an unexpected way.

I enjoyed this book, although at times it was difficult to keep the characters straight.  But this actually makes it seem more realistic since the real world is rarely as neat as detective novels.  Also, Harvey is good at the details of police organizations and investigations and his characters are as interesting as the plot lines. What makes a woman born in Jamaica become an officer in the British police force?  Why would Cordon feel ties to this particular child, and not the children of other folks he has run across in the course of his job?  Fans of Harvey’s other series’ will enjoy this new book, as will fans of British mysteries.

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Not Dead Yet by Peter James

Senior Investigating Officer Roy Grace has a lot on his plate in Peter James’ latest thriller (the first is Dead Simple). He has a trial coming up where he has to help put away a criminal, an unknown body found in a tunnel under the river and a headless, armless, legless body found at a barn at a chicken farm.

But his life is going to get a whole lot more complicated. A movie star, Gaia Lafayette, born in Brighton, England, is coming back to her home town to film a movie about George IV and his mistress. There is a death threat hanging over Gaia and there has already been an attempt to murder her in California so the British police must go all out in protecting her.

On top of all this is the release from prison of a man, Amis Smallbone, who Grace thought he had sent away for life and who has promised to kill him if given the chance. Grace is in a loving relationship with Cleo Morey, a medical examiner within his department. They are expecting a baby, when Cleo’s car is vandalized and a threatening message left as a warning to Cleo and Grace.

One might say that James gives one a lot to consider and sometimes you may feel like you need a scorecard to keep track of all the players. But I can promise you–you won’t regret picking up Peter James’ newest book, Not Dead Yet.

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See earlier blog post of another Roy Grace mystery by Peter James, Dead Man’s Grip.

Talking to the Dead by Harry Bingham

Fiona Griffiths is a new Detective Constable in the Cardiff police force. When a young mother and her daughter are found murdered in an abandoned house, it looks routine: the mother was a known prostitute and the building was frequented by drug users and pusher. There is one odd detail. The credit card of a millionaire who died in a plane crash 9 months ago was found at the crime scene.

Fiona cannot stop thinking about the little girl, even though she is not officially assigned to the case. She is supposed to be working on the paperwork for an upcoming trial against a former policeman accused of embezzlement. Fiona convinces her boss that she can work on both investigations, and eventually she finds that the two cases could be linked.

This new mystery from Harry Bingham drew me in right away. Fiona is an odd but appealing character with some interesting quirks, and the story is told from her point of view. She is a Cambridge graduate with a degree in philosophy who makes an unconventional career choice: to become a police officer. She also suffered a break down in her teen age years that she refuses to talk about. She is trying to live in what she calls “the normal world”, but still does things on her own and sometimes without the approval of her bosses. Her background and the reasons why she is so different are gradually revealed to us as the mystery unfolds. Despite her oddness, I was pulling for her from the beginning. I hope there will be more books featuring D. C. Fiona Griffiths! This book will appeal to fans of Mo Hayder and Denise Mina.

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The Blackhouse by Peter May

If you like mysteries set in remote locations in the United Kingdom, brooding weather, a tortured detective, a hostile boss, family secrets and some gritty forensic scenes, then, like me, you’ll love this book.

The setting is the Isle of Lewis in the Scottish Hebrides and the weather is obligingly nasty. Fin Macleod was born and raised on the island, but left as soon as he could and has returned only once in eighteen years, for a family funeral. But now he’s been assigned to work a murder case in Lewis that may be connected to an unsolved case in Edinburgh, where he is a police detective. Unhappy with his assignment, Fin has to deal with the resentment of the detective in charge of the case and the strong feelings his return stirs up among the islanders and within himself.

As Fin investigates he is reminded of incidents from his childhood, many of them painful. Peter May makes an interesting choice in structuring the novel. Fin’s childhood memories are told in the first person; the sections of the book dealing with the murder investigation are told in the third. The reason for this unusual (to me, anyway) shift becomes clear at the climax of the story, which I don’t want to spoil by going into too much detail. Suffice to say it involves a charged confrontation in a physically dangerous setting where motives become apparent and the landscape reflects the turmoil of all the emotions laid bare.

I liked the character of Fin Macleod and was largely happy with the plotting (it felt a little rushed at the end, but that may have been because I was turning the pages so fast). I especially recommend this book for its fine use of setting and atmosphere. The island of Lewis is described beautifully and I saw the people, the streets, the blackhouses and the land. The scenes depicting an ancient Lewis custom involving twelve men braving the sea to hunt birds on a remote island are particularly gripping.

The Blackhouse did not have an easy road to publication. It was rejected by British publishers before a French publisher read it, loved it, translated it, and released it to acclaim in France. Only then was it published in England. You can hear the full story from the author on youtube.

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Best ‘New to Us’ Books in 2012: Stephen B.’s Picks

If you like Thrillers, Suspense and Mysteries, then chances are you’ll like my picks for the best “New to Us” books I read this year! — Stephen B.

The Innocent by Taylor Stevens
We first met Vanessa ‘Michael’ Munroe in Taylor Steven’s first book The Informationist.  She is a bright, talented person with some deadly capabilities.  She is asked by her friend, Logan, to rescue his daughter, Hannah, from a cult located in the Buenos Aires area. The ‘extraction’ is not going to be easy and ‘Michael’ is prepared to use force. ‘Michael’ will also have the assistance of another friend ex-military, Miles Bradford. The most fascinating aspect of this story is the background of author, who was actually a member of a religious cult and escaped to create her own life.

Hypothermia by Arnaldur Indridason 
It’s been fun to discover some European authors, who write fascinating mysteries. This author hails from Iceland. ‘Hypothermia’ stars his grumpy Inspector Erlendur. There is something about the suicide of a woman named Maria that haunts Erlendur … perhaps it reminds him of a case that he had to let go years ago.  Maria’s friend , Karen is also upset with the suicide although Baldvin, Maria’s husband relates that Maria had been very depressed since the death of her mother. Although there are other cases to work on and Maria’s case is now officially closed, Erlendur can’t let go and he starts to dig out clues when he is off duty.

Three Seconds by Anders Roslund & Borge Hellstrom
For Piet Hoffman’s most dangerous assignment as a police operative he is going to be placed in jail as a criminal with the assignment of getting close to someone in prison with connections to the Polish mafia. The Polish mafia is attempting to infiltrate Scandinavia. If anyone finds out about Piet, he will be murdered.  Meanwhile, Detective Ewert Gwens knows only that Piet was present at a murder he’s trying to solve. He knows nothing about Piet’s assignment. And now it is a race between Gwens trying to solve a murder and the government trying to get the information it needs to break the hold of the Polish mafia.

The Impossible Dead by Ian Rankin
Rankin, a leading writer of police procedurals returns to his newest character, Inspector Malcolm Fox. Fox and two assistants, Sgt. Kaye and Constable Naysmith have been sent from Edinburgh to investigate police corruption in the town of Kirkcaldy.  Fox belongs to the Internal Affairs division, in Scotland it is known as ‘ Complaints ‘. A   division of all police departments that is despised by other ‘coppers’. Their only responsibility is the investigation of police corruption. Fox may have to widen the investigation because there may be more cops involved in the scandal and it may involve top officials. Then Paul Carter turns up dead.

The Survivor by Gregg Hurwitz
Nate is standing on the ledge of a building in L.A. about to jump to his death. He will leave a loving family because he has the first signs of ALS and he blames himself for the death of his best friend, who was killed by an IED while serving with Nate in Iraq. But when Nate chances to look through a window, he realizes that a bank is about to be robbed. Nate knows he must act … he captures the gun of one of the robbers and is able to kill all but one. That one yells to Nate, “He is not going to like this.”

The Drop by Michael Connelly

Harry Bosch is nearing permanent retirement and he realizes that the most important thing for him, besides his daughter, is to continue to work for the LAPD. He came back from retirement once and he has been granted his last extension to continue to work in the homicide division. He and his partner Detective Chu are about to start work on a new cold case when the Police Commissioner tells them they are to work an alleged suicide at the Chateau Marmont hotel.

The entire matter is strange because Bosch has been personally requested for the assignment by Councilman Irvin Irving. Although Irving is now a Councilman, he was once a cop and a bitter enemy of Harry’s. It’s the Councilman’s son, George, who either fell or was pushed from a seventh floor window, and Irving wants Harry to investigate. Harry would have preferred to work on the cold case, but what the Commissioner wants the Commissioner gets.

Kiz Ryder, Harry’s old partner, is now the Police Commissioner’s right hand man, but she is also a conduit to Harry. The Commish wants this matter resolved with as much speed as possible, but Harry is also drawn back to his cold case when the DNA found on the raped and murdered victim indicates a suspect who would have been 8 years old at the time of the crime.  Bosch has almost too much on his plate at this time.

Fans of Michael Connelly who have followed this protagonist over the years will not be disappointed in his latest Harry Bosch thriller.

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Amy W.’s Summer Picks

Summer, it turns me upside down
Summer, summer, summer
It’s like a merry-go-round
- Magic by The Cars

Summer is a season that pleases the senses. The syrupy sweetness of a peach, the smell of chlorine mingled with sun block or the sound of your favorite summer tune never fails to take you to a place without deadlines and schedules. Here are four books that I think will help you relax to the max where ever you find yourself this summer.

Tilt a Whirl by Chris Grabenstein
Danny Boyle prefers cargo shorts as he patrols the beaches (and ladies) of Sea Haven NJ and his partner Officer Ceepak prefers cargo pants perfect for carrying around lots of stuff that comes in handy (or would that be pantsy or leggy?) when investigating the murder of a billionaire at the nearby amusement park. This is a wild ride investigating a high-profile murder that should be an open and shut case, but becomes more and more like the twists and turns of the tilt-a-whirl.

The Little Friend by Donna Tartt
Influenced by the classic adventure stories of childhood literature, Harriet spends the summer trying to solve her brother’s murder from twelve years ago. This book is entrenched in the ways of the South, from the oppressive summer heat to the divisive structure of Southern society. It is excitement emanating from the boredom of a child’s small town summer.

Tales of the City by Armistead Maupin
This book (the first in a series) is really a collection of the popular San Francisco Chronicle serialized soap opera from the 1970’s. Tales of the City follows MaryAnn, Michael and the mysterious Anna Madrigal through the events of the time. This book is a fun romp and a guilty pleasure you can own up to enjoying.

 

Fun and Games by Duane Swierczynski
I don’t really remember if this book takes place in summer, but it does take place in La La Land, the land of perpetual summer: Los Angeles. If you like Tarantino, unstoppable assassins or seedy underground networks, this book is for you. It is excitement ripped from the pages of your favorite tabloid or comic book.

 

Check out one of these books, mix up your favorite summertime cocktail and don’t forget the sunscreen!

The Impossible Dead by Ian Rankin

Ian Rankin, one of the leading writers of police procedurals returns to one of his newest characters, Inspector Malcolm Fox in this 2012 novel. Fox and his two assistants, Sgt. Tony Kaye and Constable Joe Naysmith have been sent from Edinburgh to investigate police corruption in the town of Kirkcaldy, county Fife. Fox belongs to what we in the ‘colonies’ call Internal Affairs and in Scotland is known as ‘Complaints,’ a division of all police departments that is despised by other ‘coppers.’ Their only responsibility is the investigation of police corruption.

Fox and his crew are there to widen the investigation of Paul Carter, who has already been confirmed as a policeman willing to exchange sexual favors from women in order to overlook minor offenses. However, there may be several other policemen involved with Carter, if for nothing else but for overlooking his misdeeds. Carter was originally turned in by his uncle, Alan Carter, an ex-cop. As Fox and his team widen their investigation, Alan Carter turns up dead … an apparent suicide … or is it a murder made to look like a suicide. To complicate matters it appears that Alan Carter was looking at a case he was involved in back in 1985.

Fox and Kaye and Naysmith have to decide how wide an investigation is called for and if there is any possible connection between the present case and the one in 1985. Besides possibly widening the investigation, they realize they will be stepping on a lot more official toes! And, what they are looking at is a possible connection between the 1985 case and their present original investigation. There is good reason why Ian Rankin is now considered among the best writers of this genre.

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One Last Breath by Stephen Booth

Following in the tradition of P.D. James and Reginald Hill, Stephen Booth also writes about a crimes set in rural England. But the story is not just about the crime itself, it is a study of the interaction between the families involved, the police who are investigating and the local history and traditions. Booth writes about Detective Constable Ben Cooper, a native to the Peak District and son of a local policeman who died while on the job; and Detective Constable Diane Fry, a woman who is still an outsider despite the fact she has been in the area for years.

Their latest case involves a man who goes missing as soon as he is released from prison after serving 13 years for murdering his lover. Shortly after he disappears, his ex-wife is found dead. Is he the guilty or is he hiding from the real killer? Complicating the investigation is the fact that Ben’s father was the arresting officer in the original case so Ben himself may be a target this time. Fry has to deal with preventing Cooper from going off on his own while worrying about her sister, who is a recovering addict and has recently come to live with her.

The hunt for the killer takes place in and around the many caves that lie underneath the hills in the Peak District of central England. Booth excels in describing the landscape and the creepiness of the unused mining tunnels. Throw in a dense fog, rumors of bodies appearing in the caves, and a murderer bent on revenge and you get one very suspenseful book. It certainly kept me up late!

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