Best of
Mystery

2008

Ritual in Death


J.D. Robb - 2008
    Everything points to Satanic ritual, but Eve doesn't believe in devil worship.…

Stolen Children


Peg Kehret - 2008
    Armed with misinformation and a weapon, the men take Amy and little Kendra to a remote cabin in the woods. There they make videos of the girls and mail them to Kendra’s wealthy parents in an effort to get ransom money. After several of her escape attempts fail, Amy is forced to make one last, desperate move. Award winner Peg Kehret crafts a suspenseful thriller with a spunky heroine who uses her wits to save herself and the toddler.

Divine Justice


David Baldacci - 2008
    Men in the highest circles of power want him dead, and quickly, because he knows too many of their deepest secrets. On the other hand, the members of the secretive Camel Club not only want Stone alive, but they are willing to risk their own lives to save their leader and friend. Get ready for a David Baldacci thriller with relentless intensity, a perfect follow-up to his acclaimed "Stone Cold" - Camel Club #3.We begin with Oliver Stone taking drastic action to deal with individuals who have imposed injustices on him in his past life. He soon resorts to necessary flight and lands accidently in Divine, Virginia with a new young friend, Danny Riker. It's a strange place, fraught with secrets, criminal activities, and so much danger for Stone.Librarian's note: this is one of five volumes in the author's Camel Club series.

An Innocent Client


Scott PrattScott Pratt - 2008
     A beautiful, mysterious young girl is accused. In this Mystery Readers International finalist for "Best Debut Mystery," criminal defense lawyer Joe Dillard has become jaded over the years as he's tried to balance his career against his conscience. Savvy but cynical, Dillard wants to quit doing criminal defense, but he can't resist the chance to represent someone who might actually be innocent. His drug-addicted sister has just been released from prison and his mother is succumbing to Alzheimer's, but Dillard's commitment to the case never wavers despite the personal troubles and professional demands that threaten to destroy him. "Pratt's richly developed characters are vivid and believable, especially the strong Southern women who fight their male-dominated culture from behind a facade of vulnerability in this brilliantly executed debut." -- Publisher's Weekly. "It’s Scott Turow and Grisham... The opening chapter is maybe the most compelling I’ve read in a decade.” – Ken Bruen. Smart and sophisticated, with a plot twist that will leave you shaking your head in wonder, "An Innocent Client" -- the first in the acclaimed Joe Dillard series -- will also leave you wanting more.

The Forgotten Garden


Kate Morton - 2008
    The Forgotten Garden is a captivating, atmospheric and compulsively readable story of the past, secrets, family and memory from the international best-selling author Kate Morton.Cassandra is lost, alone and grieving. Her much loved grandmother, Nell, has just died and Cassandra, her life already shaken by a tragic accident ten years ago, feels like she has lost everything dear to her. But an unexpected and mysterious bequest from Nell turns Cassandra’s life upside down and ends up challenging everything she thought she knew about herself and her family.Inheriting a book of dark and intriguing fairytales written by Eliza Makepeace—the Victorian authoress who disappeared mysteriously in the early twentieth century—Cassandra takes her courage in both hands to follow in the footsteps of Nell on a quest to find out the truth about their history, their family and their past; little knowing that in the process, she will also discover a new life for herself.

Murder On The Sea


Jane A. Adams - 2008
    Here on the Dorset coast, she runs her own immaculate guest house and life is blissfully quiet.Until . . .A few doors down, harmless old Mrs Freer is bludgeoned to death, and Rina can’t help but be drawn into the mystery.Mrs Freer’s home was ransacked, but this was no ordinary burglary.Who knew the old lady kept a gun stashed under her pillow?And who wanted it badly enough to kill?Detective Sebastian McGregor is called in to solve this baffling case.But with her neighbours’ safety at stake, Rina knows she needs to give him a helping hand.

Singularity


Kathryn Casey - 2008
    As a single mother and one of the few female Rangers in Texas history, she has had to work twice as hard to rank among the best cops in the Lone Star State. But when megawealthy businessman Edward Lucas III is found murdered along with his mistress, their bodies posed in grotesque ways, Sara quickly senses that this will be the deadliest case of her career. While others focus the investigation on Lucas’s estranged wife, Sarah disagrees and hunts a suspect only she believes in. Yet nothing in her career could have prepared her for the horror of a young man who believes he has been sent from heaven to massacre innocent people. When Sarah picks up on the killer’s elusive trail, following his scent all over Texas, the psychopath makes her his next target. And as Sarah closes in, the madman sets his sights on all she holds dear. Singularity features a feisty, funny, and tough heroine and a truly creepy killer, as it races along to a chilling and unexpected climax.

The Lost


J.D. Robb - 2008
    Robb’s Missing in Death investigates a female tourist’s disappearance during a ferry ride. Detective Eve Dallas wonders…if she didn’t jump, and she’s not on board, then where in the world is she? In Patricia Gaffney’s The Dog Days of Laurie Summer, a woman awakens to a familiar yet unsettling world. In Mary Blayney’s Lost in Paradise, a man locked in an island fortress finds hope for freedom in an enigmatic nurse. And Ruth Ryan Langan’s Legacy belongs to a young woman who unearths a family secret buried on the grounds of a magnificent but imposing Irish castle.

Deadly Decisions / Fatal Voyage


Kathy Reichs - 2008
    A North Carolina teenager disappears from her home, and parts of her skeleton are found hundreds of miles away. These shocking deaths propel Tempe Brennan from north to south, and deep into a shattering investigation inside the bizarre culture of outlaw motorcycle gangs—where one misstep could bring disaster for herself or someone she loves. Fatal Voyage She has a passion for the truth . . . and this time, it's taking her down.A commercial airliner disaster has brought Tempe Brennan to the North Carolina mountains as a member of the investigative agency DMORT. As bomb theories abound, Tempe soon discovers a jarring piece of evidence that raises dangerous questions -- and gets her thrown from the DMORT team. Relentless in her pursuit of its significance, Tempe uncovers a shocking, multilayered tale of deceit and depravity as she probes her way into frightening territory -- where someone wants her stopped in her tracks.

Killing Fear


Allison Brennan - 2008
    . . both on his victims and on those who later find the mutilated corpses. At his trial seven years ago, Glenn vowed vengeance on Detective Will Hooper, the cop who nabbed him, and beautiful Robin McKenna, the stripper whose testimony put him behind bars. When a catastrophic disaster sets Glenn free, he blazes a freshly bloodied path across San Diego County. But the death he craves most is Robin McKenna’s. Putting aside their past troubled relationship, Will rushes to protect Robin, now a savvy businesswoman operating an upscale club. As the killings mount and Glenn proves a master manipulator, Robin and Will become snared in a twisted web of horror. But the shocking truth is even worse: The evil they are to face is even deadlier than they fear.

The Harry Bosch Novels, Volume 3: A Darkness More Than Night / City of Bones / Lost Light (Harry Bosch, #7-9)


Michael Connelly - 2008
    Meanwhile, criminal profiler Terry McCaleb is called to a murder scene where the killer has left a message that seems to implicate Bosch. The pair, first at odds, must now work together to clear Harry's name... City of Bones: When the bones of a young boy are found scattered in the Hollywood Hills, Harry Bosch is drawn into a case that recalls the darkest memories from his own haunted past. Then a love affair begins to blossom for Bosch — until a disastrous mission leaves him in more trouble than ever before, as he faces an unimaginable decision...Lost Light: Harry Bosch has finally quite the LAPD, but one unsolved case still haunts him: that of a young woman murdered four years earlier in a $2 million robbery. But when he decides to re-investigate, he falls foul of both his old colleagues and the FBI. And then someone from Bosch's past turns his world upside down...

Child 44


Tom Rob Smith - 2008
    He arrests whomever he is told to arrest. He dismisses the horrific death of a young boy because he is told to, because he believes the Party stance that there can be no murder in Communist Russia. Leo is the perfect soldier of the regime. But suddenly his confidence that everything he does serves a great good is shaken. He is forced to watch a man he knows to be innocent be brutally tortured. And then he is told to arrest his own wife. Leo understands how the State works: Trust and check, but check particularly on those we trust. He faces a stark choice: his wife or his life. And still the killings of children continue...

Suite 606


J.D. Robb - 2008
    RobbLieutenant Eve Dallas plunges into the violent aftermath of a ritualistic murder--and into the mind of an alleged witness who can't remember a thing to save his life."Love Endures" / Mary BlayneyInvestigates the connection between a ghost, a magic coin, and a deliberate deception that has kept two lovers apart for years."Cold Case" / Ruth Ryan LanganBrings a lost man out of a pounding storm and into the arms of a welcoming woman for a breathtaking twist of fate."Wayward Wizard" / Mary Kay McComasFollows a mother and son lost in the threads of history and an impaired wizard who must return them to their own world to fulfill his own destiny--in time.

Double Jeopardy: The Target / The Edge


Catherine Coulter - 2008
    And FBI agents Savich and Sherlock must unravel the clues.The Edge--In this "fast-paced thriller" (People), an FBI agent's sister disappears after an attempted suicide. When Savich and Sherlock join the search, they discover a startling connection to a puzzling murder--and put their lives on the line to uncover the truth.

Confessions


Kanae Minato - 2008
    Now, following an accident on the grounds of the middle school where she teaches, Yuko has given up and tendered her resignation. But first she has one last lecture to deliver. She tells a story that upends everything her students ever thought they knew about two of their peers, and sets in motion a maniacal plot for revenge. Narrated in alternating voices, with twists you'll never see coming, Confessions explores the limits of punishment, despair, and tragic love, culminating in a harrowing confrontation between teacher and student that will place the occupants of an entire school in danger. You'll never look at a classroom the same way again.

Fer-de-Lance/The League of Frightened Men


Rex Stout - 2008
    Here, in Stout’s first two complete Wolfe mysteries, the arrogant, gourmandizing, sedentary sleuth and his trusty man-about-town Archie Goodwin solve their most baffling cases.Fer-de-lanceThe fer-de-lance is among the most deadly snakes known to man. When someone makes a present of one to Nero Wolfe, his partner, Archie Goodwin, suspects it means Wolfe is getting close to solving the devilishly clever murders of an immigrant and a college president. But this is a case with more twists than an angry rattler...and if Wolfe doesn’t handle it with extreme care, he’ll be the next one struck by a killer with poison in his heart.The League of Frightened MenPaul Chapin’s Harvard cronies never forgave themselves for the hazing prank that left their friend a cripple. Yet they believed that Paul himself had forgiven them—until a class reunion ends in death and a series of poems promising more of the same. Now this league of frightened men is desperate for Nero Wolfe’s help. But can even the great detective outwit a killer smart enough to commit an unseen murder…in plain sight?

Three Complete Novels: M is for Malice / N is for Noose / O is for Outlaw


Sue Grafton - 2008
    The award-winning mysteries all feature former cop turned detective, Kinsey Milhone, one of the most loved heroines of modern mystery fiction.

Miss Marple and Mystery: Over 50 Stories


Agatha Christie - 2008
    They are: 1 The Actress2 Girl in the Train3 While the Light Lasts4 Red Signal4 Blue Jar6 Jane in Search of a Job7 Mr Farnsworth's Adventure8 Philomel College9 Manhood of Edward Robinson10 Witness for the Prosecution11 Wireless12 Within a Wall13 Listerdale14 Fourth Man15 House of Dreams16 S.O.S.17 Magnolia Blossom18 Lonely God19 Rajah's Emerald20 Swan Song21 Last Séance22 Edge23 Tuesday Night Club24 Idol House of Astarte25 Ingots of Gold26 Bloodstained Pavement27 Motive v. Opportunity28 Thumb Mark of St Peter29 Fruitful Sunday30 Golden Ball31 Accident32 Next to a Dog33 Sing a Song of Sixpence34 Blue Geranium35 Companion36 Four Suspects37 Christmas Tragedy38 Herb of Death39 Affair at the Bungalow40 Manx Gold41 Death by Drowning42 Hound of Death43 Gypsy44 Lamp45 Sir Arthur Carmichael46 Call of Wings47 In a Glass Darkly48 Miss Marple Tells a Story49 Strange Jest50 Tape-Measure51 Caretaker52 Perfect Maid53 Sanctuary54 Greenshaw's Folly, and55 Dressmaker's Doll.Librarian's note: this is the entry for the collection: "Miss Marple and Mystery: Over 50 Stories." Individual entries for each short story can be found elsewhere on Goodreads.

Vengeance


A.J. Scudiere - 2008
    It was the last thing he did. In retaliation for his efforts, his mafia bosses laid waste to his family. Only the youngest - Cynthia - came up fighting.Three years ago, Lee Maxwell made the same error. His wife and daughter paid for his mistake. In a haze of booze and regret, Lee disappeared.Now, Owen Dunham is following the trail of the 'Grudge Ninja' - only all the evidence is false and the profilers can't get their heads around anything except the obvious fact that the Ninja is extracting a deadly revenge for an old wrong.As the Ninja gets bolder and far more dangerous, Owen is forced to recognize that he hasn't always made the best decisions - he's spent far too much time trying to be right. Even as he questions whether bringing in the ninja is the right thing to do, the voice in the back of his head is telling him it will make his career . . .

Blue Heaven


C.J. Box - 2008
    Retired cops from Los Angeles, the killers easily persuade the inexperienced sheriff to let them lead the search for the missing children.William and Annie’s unexpected savior comes in the form of an old-school rancher teetering on the brink of foreclosure. But as one man against four who will stop at nothing to silence their witnesses, Jess Rawlins needs allies, and he knows that one word to the wrong person could seal the fate of the children or their mother. In a town where most of the ranches like his have turned into acres of ranchettes populated by strangers, finding someone to trust won’t be easy.With true-to-life, unforgettable characters and a ticking-clock plot that spans just over forty-eight hours, C.J. Box has created a thriller that delves into issues close to the heart: the ruthless power of greed over broken ideals, the healing power of community where unlikely heroes find themselves at the crossroads of duty and courage, and the truth about what constitutes a family. In a setting whose awesome beauty is threatened by those who want a piece of it, Blue Heaven delivers twists and turns until its last breathtaking page.Blue Heaven is the winner of the 2009 Edgar Award for Best Novel.

Independence Hall


Roland Smith - 2008
    Just married, leaving Los Angeles, and touring the United States with teenagers Q (Quest) and Angela in tow, the excitement heightens in Philadelphia when Angela realizes she's being followed. Q soon learns the secret about Angela's real mother - a former Secret Service agent.Readers are thrust into current issues affecting the world in this edge-of-your-seat, modern-day mystery adventure. I, Q readers will be immersed in the work of U.S. Secret Service, the Mossad, and the MI5. But who are the good guys and who are the bad guys? What happens to this newly formed family if Angela's mom is not dead?

Whispers of the Bayou


Mindy Starns Clark - 2008
    But, trying to survive in troubled circumstances, she welcomes the chance to change her location for a period of time. The letter informs her that her grandparents' estate is finally about to become hers. She immediately heads down to Louisiana and the old house by the bayou. There Miranda finds secrets that lead to life-changing revelations.This suspenseful story reminiscent of old Gothic tales has a complex mystery and a vivid sense of the Deep South. It shows how God can take the darkest circumstances and use them to light a bright path leading to the future.

Mercy Street


Mariah Stewart - 2008
    Now Stewart begins a thrilling new series–with a novel that proves to be her biggest and boldest yet. On a balmy spring evening, four high school seniors–three boys and a girl–enter a park in the small Pennsylvania city of Conroy. The next morning, two of the boys are found shot to death, and the girl and the third boy are gone. After three weeks with no leads and no sign of either of the two missing teenagers, the chief of police begins to wonder if they too were victims. But with no other suspects, the authorities conclude that one of these kids was the shooter. The missing boy’s grandmother, a secretary at the local parish church, maintains his innocence. On her behalf, the parish priest, Father Kevin Burch, hires former detective Mallory Russo as a private investigator to figure out what happened in the park that night. Mallory had ended her nine-year stint with the Conroy police force some time ago after becoming a target of a smear campaign. Now a true-crime author, Mallory is surprised to receive the priest’s offer–and highly intrigued by the case. She can’t help but accept the challenge–especially when she learns that her investigation will be financed by Father Burch’s cousin the reclusive billionaire Robert Magellan, a man whose own wife and infant son disappeared without a trace a year ago, a man who understands the heartache of not knowing what happened to a loved one. Detective Charlie Wanamaker is facing another sort of tragedy. He fled Conroy years ago with no plans to return to what he considered a dying factory town–until a family emergency brought him back. Finding the situation much worse than he’d thought, he trades his job as a big-city detective for one with the Conroy police department. Assigned to the park shooting case, Charlie quickly realizes that the initial investigation left a lot of questions unanswered. Unofficially, he teams up with Mallory to uncover the truth and find the two kids, dead or alive. What Charlie and Mallory discover will take them down a twisted path that leads to an old unsolved murder–and justice for a killer with a heart of stone.Mercy Street is tautly paced, resonant with emotion, and relentlessly gripping. It showcases Mariah Stewart at her most brilliant, as she ratchets up the suspense to new levels of excitement.BONUS: This edition includes an excerpt from Mariah Stewart's Cry Mercy.Praise for Mariah Stewart “Mariah Stewart is one to watch and savor for a long time.”–The Philadelphia Inquirer “Stewart can always be counted on to write an exciting romantic suspense thriller.”–TheBestReviews.com

Left To Die


Lisa Jackson - 2008
    . .One by one, the victims are carefully captured, toyed with, then subjected to a slow and agonizing death. Piece by piece, his exquisite plan takes shape. The police can't yet see the beauty in his work--but soon, very soon, they will. . . Than Being Left Alone. . . In the lonely woods around Grizzly Point, Montana, four bodies have been discovered. Detectives Selena Alvarez and Regan Pescoli have been hoping for a career-making case, but this is a nightmare. Even with the FBI involved, Selena and Regan have nothing to go on but a killer's cryptic notes, and the unsettling knowledge that there is much worse to come. . . To Die. . . When Jillian Rivers opens her eyes, she's trapped in a mangled car. Then a stranger, claiming to be a trail guide named Zane McGregor, pries her free. Though she's grateful, something about him sets Jillian on edge. And if she knew what lay out there in the woods of Montana, she'd be truly terrified. Because someone is waiting... watching... poised to strike and make Jillian the next victim...

The Complete Ripley Novels


Patricia Highsmith - 2008
    Its publication reflects the fact that Patricia Highsmith, "no more a practitioner of the murder mystery genre... than are Dostoevsky, Faulkner and Camus" (Joan Smith, Los Angeles Times), has finally entered the American literary canon. Marginalized throughout her career as a mere thriller writer, Highsmith has experienced a remarkable renaissance since her death in 1995. Now Highsmith fans and new readers alike can find these five novels - The Talented Mr. Ripley, Ripley Under Ground, Ripley's Game, The Boy Who Followed Ripley, and Ripley Under Water - all housed under one roof in this brilliantly designed, highly collectible edition.

Secret Histories


F. Paul Wilson - 2008
    You'll meet his mother and father, big sister Kate and his bully of a brother Tom. While aimed for young adults, F. Paul Wilson doesn't write down and the book is as enjoyable for adults as it is for teens. And, as you can see from the above description there's plenty of foreshadowing of events that were to overtake Jack as an adult (i.e. An old woman with a dog making herself known to Jack when he's just fourteen!)

Q is for Quarry & R is for Ricochet


Sue Grafton - 2008
    The case fell to the Santa Teresa County Sheriff's Department, but the detectives had little to go on. The woman was young, her hands were bound with a length of wire, there were multiple stab wounds, and her throat had been slashed. After months of investigation, the murder remained unsolved.That was eighteen years ago. Now the two men who found the body, both nearing the end of long careers in law enforcement, want one last shot at the case. Old and ill, they need someone to help with their legwork and they turn to Kinsey Millhone. They will, they tell her, find closure if they can just identify the victim. Kinsey is intrigued and agrees to the job.But revisiting the past can be a dangerous business, and what begins with the pursuit of Jane Doe's real identity ends in a high-risk hunt for her killer.R is for RicochetReba Lafferty was a daughter of privilege, the only child of an adoring father. Nord Lafferty was already in his fifties when Reba was born, and he could deny her nothing. Over the years, he quietly settled her many scrapes with the law, but he wasn't there for her when she was convicted of embezzlement and sent to the California Institution for Women. Now, at thirty-two, she is about to be paroled, having served twenty-two months of a four-year sentence. Nord Lafferty wants to be sure she stays straight, stays at home and away from the drugs, the booze, the gamblers." "It seems a straightforward assignment for Kinsey: babysit Reba until she settles in, make sure she follows all the rules of her parole. Maybe all of a week's work. Nothing untoward - the woman seems remorseful and friendly. And the money is good." But life is never that simple, and Reba is out of prison less than twenty-four hours when one of her old crowd comes circling round.

Homicide at Blue Heron Lake


Susan Page Davis - 2008
    Instead, she and her high school crush, Nate Holman, discover the body of Henry Derbin, an elderly island resident. Amid rekindling her old friendship with Nate and trying to make sense of the murder, Emily shares her faith with an old schoolmate. When a second body turns up, the cottagers on Grand Cat Island are frightened and baffled. Is this why Mr. Derbin forbade everyone from going on his land? Can Emily and Nate overcome past hindrances to their romance long enough to dig up clues that will help solve both murders?

Full Cupboard of Life/In the Company of Cheerful Ladies


Alexander McCall Smith - 2008
    1 Ladies’ Detective Agency in Gaborone, Botswana, a country that is indeed fortunate.Still engaged to the estimable Mr J.L.B. Matekoni, Mma Ramotswe understands that she should not put too much pressure on him, as he has other concerns, especially a hair-raising request from the ever persuasive Mma Potokwane, matron of the orphan farm. Besides Mma Ramotswe herself has weighty matters on her mind. She has been approached by a wealthy lady to check up on several suitors. Are these men interested in the lady or just her money? This may be a difficult case, but it's just the kind of problem Mma Ramotswe likes and she is, as we know, a very intuitive lady.In the Company of Cheerful LadiesPrecious is busier than usual at the detective agency when she discovers an intruder in her house on Zebra Drive—and perhaps even more baffling--a pumpkin on her porch. Her associate, Mma Makutsi, also has a full plate. She's taken up dance lessons, only to be partnered with a man with two left feet. And at Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors, where Mr J.L.B. Matekoni is already overburdened with work, one of his apprentices has run off with a wealthy older woman. But what finally rattles Mma Ramotswe’s normally unshakable composure is a visitor who forces her to confront a difficult secret from her past.

Smoke Screen


Sandra Brown - 2008
    The blaze left seven people dead, but the death toll would have been much higher if not for the bravery of Jay and three other city officials who risked their lives to lead others to safety.Firefighter Raley Gannon, Jay's lifelong friend, was off-duty that day. Though he might not have been a front-line hero, he was assigned to lead the investigation into the cause of the fire. It was an investigation he never got to complete. Because on one calamitous night, Raley's world was shattered.Scandalized, wronged by the people he trusted most, Raley was forced to surrender the woman he loved and the work to which he'd dedicated his life. For five years his resentment against the men who exploited their hero status to further their careers -- and ruin his -- had festered, but he was helpless to set things right.That changes when he learns of Jay Burgess's shocking death and Britt Shelley's claim that she has no memory of her night with him. As the investigation into Jay's death intensifies, and suspicion against Britt Shelley mounts, Raley realizes that the newswoman, Jay's last sexual conquest, might be his only chance to get personal vindication -- and justice for the seven victims of the police station fire.But there are powerful men who don't want to address unanswered questions about the fire and who will go to any lengths to protect their reputations. As Raley and Britt discover more about what happened that fateful day, the more perilous their situation becomes, until they're not only chasing after the truth but running for their lives.Friends are exposed as foes, heroes take on the taint of criminals, and no one can be trusted completely. A tale about audacious corruption -- and those with the courage to expose it -- Smoke Screen is Sandra Brown's most searing and intense novel yet.

The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency


Anne Collins - 2008
    She is also the only female private detective in Botswana. Her agency the No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency is the best in the country. With help of her secretary, Mma Makutsi, and her best friend, Mr JLB Matekoni, she solves a number of difficult problems. A missing husband, a missing finger and a missing child she will solve these mysteries in her own special way.

More From the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency: Blue Shoes and Happiness / The Good Husband of Zebra Drive


Alexander McCall Smith - 2008
    1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series featuring Botswana’s best-loved detective. Life is good for Mma Ramotswe as she sets out with her usual resolve to solve people’s problems, heal their misfortunes, and untangle the mysteries that make life interesting. And life is never dull on Tlokweng Road. A new and rather too brusque advice columnist is appearing in the local paper. Then, a cobra is found in the offices of the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency. Recently, the Mokolodi Game Preserve manager feels an infectious fear spreading among his workers, and a local doctor may be falsifying blood pressure readings. To further complicate matters, Grace Makutsi may have scared off her own fiancé. Mma Ramotswe, however, is always up to the challenge. And Blue Shoes and Happiness will not fail to entertain Alexander McCall Smith’s oldest fans and newest converts with its great wit, charm, and great good will.The Good Husband of Zebra DriveIn the eighth installment of Alexander McCall Smith's endlessly enjoyable, bestselling series, the judicious Precious Ramotswe comes to discover what is true, stable, and genuine in an ever-shifting world. There is rarely a dull moment in the life of Precious Ramotswe, and on Zebra Drive and Tlokweng Road many changes are afoot. Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni wants be put in charge of a case involving an errant husband, and Mma Makutsi is considering leaving the agency, taking her near perfect score on the Botswana Secretarial College typing exam with her. Meanwhile, Mma Ramotswe has been asked to investigate a series of unexpected deaths at the hospital in Mochudi. Along the way, she encounters other tricky mysteries, and once again displays her undying love for Botswana, a country of which she is justly proud.

Shake Down


Joel Goldman - 2008
    Kate Scranton, whose job is spotting lies for high-priced courtroom lawyers, is convinced that mild-mannered Latrell Kelly knows something about the crime. But Latrell is hiding far more than Kate can guess. And with Jack half-blinded by an imploding personal life, and someone on his own side leaking crucial information, they're headed straight for the ultimate danger zone...

The House on Tradd Street


Karen White - 2008
    But she's going to have to accept it. An old man she recently met has died, leaving her his historic Tradd Street home, complete with housekeeper, dog, and a family of ghosts anxious to tell her their secrets.Enter Jack Trenholm, a gorgeous writer obsessed with unsolved mysteries. He has reason to believe that diamonds from the Confederate Treasury are hidden in the house. So he turns the charm on with Melanie, only to discover he's the smitten one...It turns out Jack's search has caught the attention of a malevolent ghost. Now, Jack and Melanie must unravel a mystery of passion, heartbreak, and even murder.

Tropical Dreams


Kelly Cozzone - 2008
    She can't escape the devastation of anger and pain. Bringing Tropical Dreams to life is the culmination of facing all life has dealt to her. The same life that taught her trusting someone carried dire consequences. Until David Murphy walked into her club. He made her want to trust again, made her want to love again. What she didn't know was someone wasn't about to let that happen. They wanted her dead! Can David keep her alive long enough to find out who is after her? Can he put aside his own demons for her? Can they overcome deceit, betrayal and more death? Or will life finally take its toll!

Breaking Cover


J.D. Rhoades - 2008
    Did he go native, or was he discovered and killed? When Tony Wolf is finally driven out into the open, torn from deep cover during the rescue of two kidnapped children, he becomes the number one target of both the vicious biker gang he double-crossed and a massive Federal manhunt.But Tony’s tired of being the hunted, and as both the gang and a traitorous FBI agent converge on a small southern town, they’re all about to learn a hard lesson: When the Wolf breaks cover, he doesn’t always run away.Sometimes he comes straight at your throat.J.D. Rhoades has written his most compelling thriller to date--a pulse-pounding novel that leaps off the page and will leave readers begging for more.

Reconstruction


Mick Herron - 2008
    But Jaime Segura isn't there on a homicidal mission, and he's just as scared as those whose lives he holds as collateral. As an armed police presence builds outside the school's gates, the only person Jaime will talk to is Ben Whistler, an MI6 accountant who worked with Jaime's lover, Miro. Miro's gone missing, along with a quarter of a billion pounds allotted for reconstruction work in Iraq. Jaime refuses to believe that Miro is a thief - though he's always had his secrets. But then, so does Louise, so do the other hostages - and so do some people on the outside, who'd much rather Jaime was silenced.

Too Close to Home


Linwood Barclay - 2008
    Promise Falls isn't the kind of community where a family is shot to death in their own home. But that is exactly what happened to the Langleys one sweltering summer night, and no one in this small upstate New York town is more shocked than their next-door neighbors, Jim and Ellen Cutter. They visited for the occasional barbecue, and their son, Derek, was friends with the Langleys? boy, Adam; but how well did they really know their neighbors? That's the question Jim Cutter is asking, and the answers he's getting aren't reassuring. Albert Langley was a successful, well-respected criminal lawyer, but was he so good at getting criminals off that he was the victim of revenge ? a debt his innocent family also paid in blood? From the town's criminally corrupt mayor to the tragic suicide of a talented student a decade before, Promise Falls has more than its share of secrets. And Jim Cutter, failed artist turned landscaper, need look no further than his own home and his wife Ellen's past to know that things aren't always what they seem. Suddenly the Cutters must face the unthinkable: that a murderer isn't just stalking too close to home but is inside it already. For the Langleys weren't the first to die and they won't be the last.

Haunted


Franklin W. Dixon - 2008
    LOCATION: Juvenile detention center in Glastonbury, CT. POTENTIAL VICTIMS: Many of the inmates appear to be dying from pure terror! SUSPECTS: Lara Renner claims to be a psychic with a direct line to the spirit behind the hauntings, but perhaps her motives are more down-to-earth. Then there's the cafeteria worker with a major grudge. Or could it be the culprits are truly ghosts?

Rhapsody in Red


Donn E. Taylor - 2008
     Preston Barclay is a self-made recluse (and he likes it that way). Teaching college history allows him time to grieve the loss of his pianist wife and find relief from the musical hallucinations that have been playing in his head since her death. But when he and a headstrong colleague, Mara Thorn, discover the body of another instructor on campus, Press's monotonous solitude is shaken up. The preliminary evidence points to Press and Mara. Now they must take some chances, including trusting each other (and bending the rules) to build their own defense. With their unlikely alliance, they must stay ahead of the police, the college's incompetent administration, and whoever is trying to get away with murder. If not, they might end up unemployed, behind bars, or worse . . .

The Edogawa Rampo Reader


Edogawa Rampo - 2008
    He is also a major writer in the tradition of Japanese Modernism, and exerts a massive influence on the popular and literary culture of today's Japan. The Edogawa Rampo Reader presents a selection of outstanding examples of his short fiction, and a selection of his non-fiction prose. Together, they present a full and accurate picture of Rampo as a major contributor to the Japanese literary scene, helping to clarify his achievements to the English-speaking world. All the content of the Rampo Reader is brand-new to English. His non-fiction work has never been translated into English before. This is the only place to find a comprehensive one-volume introduction to the world of Edogawa Rampo.

Traitor in Williamsburg: A Felicity Mystery


Elizabeth McDavid Jones - 2008
    With the Revolution heating up, Felicity knows the accusations will bring danger to Fiona's family. Then Felicity's own father is accused of being a traitor, too, and she decides she has to find out who's making the terrible accusations! Set in 1776.

A Place for Violence


Kevin Wignall - 2008
    There's Luke Williams, a young American who's been left in a wheelchair by a drunk driver. Then there's Brian Tully, a wise-cracking bully with connections in Vegas, together with his sheepish family. And finally there's Dan Borowski, an Australian security analyst. Trouble is, Dan isn't there to relax, and though they don't yet know it, nor are any of the others... This short story first appeared in "Storyglossia" in May 2008. Dan Borowski first appeared as a character in "For the Dogs", and this is one of two short stories (the other is "Retrospective") to feature him.

Gaslight Grimoire: Fantastic Tales of Sherlock Holmes


Charles PrepolecRick Kennett - 2008
    John H. Watson opens to reveal eleven all new tales of mystery and dark fantasy. Sherlock Holmes, master of deductive reasoning, confronts the irrational, the unexpected and the fantastic in the weird worlds of the Gaslight Grimoire.

A Thief in the Theater: A Kit Mystery


Sarah Masters Buckey - 2008
    It even stars famous actors from New York City! But behind the scenes, Kit and her friend Stirling discover more drama than they bargained for. Set in Cincinnati in 1935.

Sandra Brown CD Collection 3: Slow Heat in Heaven, Best Kept Secrets, Breath of Scandal


Sandra Brown - 2008
    Now a crisis has brought her home to a family in conflict, a logging empire on the brink of disaster, and seething secrets that make Heaven hotter than hell.Best Kept Secrets:Alexandra Gaither is an attorney who finally has the power to get the justice she needs. Twenty-five years before, her mother had died a scandalous death. Alex believes one of three powerful men murdered her. Each is charming, each is a suspect, and each tries to shield her from his past. But not one of them can stop her passionate search for the truth.Breath of Scandal:On a rainy Southern night, Jade Sperry endured a young woman’s worst nightmare at the hands of three local hell-raisers. Robbed of her youthful ideals and at the center of scandal and tragedy, Jade ran as far and as fast as she could. Someday, somehow, she’d return…exacting a just revenge, freeing herself from her enemies’ grasp, and, perhaps, fulfilling a lost promise of love.

Fallen Flowers


Michael Corwin - 2008
    It was included as part of a Women's Murder Club based computer game.A Women's Murder Club Novella. Lindsay solves a serial murder case involving young Chinese women who apparently commit suicide...

The Dawn Patrol


Don Winslow - 2008
    The author of The Winter of Frankie Machine is back with a razor-sharp novel as cool as its California surfer heroes, and as heart-stopping as a wave none of them sees coming.

Damaged Goods


Helen Black - 2008
    Abused. Who do you trust when the world is against you?Hope is in short supply for Kelsey Brand! Abandoned by her mother and placed in care, 14-year-old Kelsey - along with her younger sisters - is just another forgotten child of the state. Unable to cope with the care home's harsh regimes, Kelsey attempts to take her own life, leaving her horrifically scarred - and mute. Days later, the body of Kelsey's mother Grace - a known prostitute and heroin addict - is found butchered on a notorious Luton council estate. And Kelsey becomes a suspect! Enter Lilly Valentine. A tough-talking Yorkshire lawyer with a heart of gold and a will of iron, Lilly has forsaken a glittering career to move south and help vulnerable kids escape the system. Determined to prove Kelsey's innocence, Lilly ventures into the heart of a dark city with as many secrets as problems. Prostitution, pedophilia, drugs and blackmail: Lily must put her own life at risk to save a silent, terrified child and find the real killer!

The Hound of the Baskervilles (Graphic Revolve)


Martin Powell - 2008
    Could it be the Hound of the Baskervilles, a legendary creature that haunts the nearby moor? Sherlock Holmes, the world's greatest detective, is on the case. These reader-favorite tiles are now updated for enhanced Common Core State Standards support, including discussion and writing prompts developed by a Common Core expert, an expanded introduction, bolded glossary words and dynamic new covers.

The Plea of Apollisian


Shane Moore - 2008
    Within this child reside secrets as dark as any moonless night yet a bright desire for good things befalls him. Many mystics and shamans have foretold of it but no one headed there warning. until now. As the goddess of mercy falls from the heavens the world begins to unravel. The relationship of long time allies' strain under mounting pressure from unfair treatment forcing the hand of Clan Stoneheart's new leader. Tensions mount and talks waver as a division of warriors lead by a renegade general march in secret to bath Beykla in its own blood. Can one man stand against this onslaught of vengeance?. Will his own kingdom hear his plea?

The Death By Bikini Mysteries


Linda Gerber - 2008
    

Annie's Adventures


Lauren Baratz-Logsted - 2008
    (Sisters, actually. Octuplets to be exact.) One particular New Year’s Eve, the girls wait for their mommy to bring them hot chocolate and their daddy to return with more wood for the fire. But they don’t. Mommy and Daddy, that is. They’re gone. Poof! Maybe dead—no one knows for sure.You must see the problem here. Eight little girls on their own, no mommy or daddy to take care of them. This is not a good thing.So now these little girls, must take care of themselves. Get to school, cook the meals, feed the cats (eight of them, too), and pay the bills. They can’t ask for help, oh no. Any self-respecting adult would surely call in social services, and those well-meaning people would have to split them up. After losing their parents, being split up would be completely unbearable.At the same time, the question remains:What happened to Mommy and Daddy? The Sisters Eight (as they are called, affectionately and otherwise) are determined to find out. Luckily, they do seem to have someone or something helping them. Notes keep appearing behind a loose brick in the fireplace.It’s a good old-fashioned mystery with missing (or dead) parents, nosy neighbors, talking refrigerators, foul-smelling fruitcake (is there any other kind?), and even a little magic. Eight little girls, eight cats, and one big mystery—let the fun begin!Annie’s Adventures, wherein the girls’ parents go missing (or die) and the girls learn each one has a power and gift. Annie, being the oldest, is the first to discover hers.

Paper, Scissors, Death


Joanna Campbell Slan - 2008
    Memories of friends, family . . . and murder? Mousy housewife Kiki Lowenstein has two great loves: scrapbooking and her young daughter, Anya. But her happy family album is ruined when her husband, George, is found naked and dead in a hotel room. As Kiki tracks down George's murderer, she discovers his sordid secret life. Cruel taunts by George's former flame compel Kiki to spout an unwise threat. When the woman is murdered, Kiki's scissor-sharp words make her the prime suspect. She could be creating scrapbook keepsakes for the rest of her life-behind bars. Supported by her loyal friends, along with a little help (and a lot of stomach flutters) from the dashing Detective Detweiler, can Kiki cut the true killer out of the picture and design a new life for herself and Anya?

River Bones


Mary Deal - 2008
    Despite battling the memory of the drowning deaths of her younger sister and alcoholic parents, Sara is determined to make peace with her past. However, she soon learns that the elusive psychopath is now stalking her. Sara's attempt to rebuild her life is hindered even more by the discovery of skeletal remains on her property. As the investigation focuses on several suspects, Sara discovers critical clues and bravely volunteers to be a decoy for the sheriff's department. Sara Mason is a woman whose destiny has brought her back home... but her decision leads her down a path lined with danger, and straight into the arms of a madman.

Winter's Journey


Kathryn Meyer Griffith - 2008
    To keep the bank from repossessing her truck and putting her and her daughter on the street, Loretta Brennan takes a treacherous route to Wyoming with a winter storm approaching. She worries if she can make the deadline and navigate the icy roads since her driving partner husband died in an accident the year before. At a truck stop, Loretta meets handsome hitchhiker Sam Emerson, who helps her out of a bind. She feels compelled to return the favor and offers him a ride to Cheyenne. Blizzards, a series of trucker murders, and a sinister truck haunt them along their route. They grow close despite Loretta's fear that Sam may be aligned with the killer. Is Sam a good man down on his luck or is she falling in love with a murderer?

Just One Look / The Innocent / Promise Me


Harlan Coben - 2008
    And though Jack denies it's him, he disappears that night, taking the photo with him. Now, to save her family from a fierce, silent killer who will stop at nothing to get the photo, Grace must confront the dark corners of her own tragic past...

Haunted Wirral


Tom Slemen - 2008
    The cases in Haunted Wirral confirm the old adage that truth really is stranger than fiction. Most ghost story books about Wirral include the same old weathered yarns about Mother Redcap's ghost and the spectres of smugglers, but the mysterious peninsula proved to be a stranger place than even Tom Slemen took it to be, with tales weirder than anything found within the books of Stephen King, or Rod Serling's Twilight Zone. Take the intriguing case of the girl born to Wirral parents who became so infatuated with a long-dead crusader, that she ended up being whisked back in time to the 14th century to become his fiancee. There are the ghostly tales about a haunted wardrobe, which is still out there and could be in your bedroom; a black obsidian mirror, which allows unwise dabblers into the occult to summon forth any dead person, and the dead man who turned up at a school reunion in Leasowe...

The Cat Who Smelled Smoke (Cat Who..., #30)


Lilian Jackson Braun - 2008
    This book has not been published and its future publication status is unclear.

Smash Cut


Sandra Brown - 2008
    Wheeler’s mistress, Julie Rutledge, who is also a suspect, believes that Creighton is the killer, despite his rock-solid alibi, and she’ll do almost anything in her quest to prove his guilt—even ruin Derek’s career. But the more Derek learns of Creighton’s darker side, especially his bizarre fascination with movie murders, the more he comes to believe Julie is right. The clock ticks down to a shocking ending as Derek and Julie join forces to find the truth. Has Creighton begun reenacting cinema’s goriest scenes? And who will be his unwilling costars? They won’t know until the final SMASH CUT.

Blood-Tied


Wendy Percival - 2008
    but time has a way of exposing the truth... Esme Quentin is devastated when her sister Elizabeth is beaten unconscious, miles from her home. Two days later Esme discovers that Elizabeth has a secret past. Desperate for answers which the comatose Elizabeth cannot give, Esme enlists the help of her friend Lucy to search for the truth, unaware of the dangerous path she is treading. Together they unravel a tangle of bitterness, blackmail and dubious inheritance, and as the harrowing story is finally revealed, Esme stumbles upon evidence of a pitiful crime. Realising too late the menace she has unwittingly unleashed, Esme is caught up in a terrifying ordeal. One that will not only test her courage and sanity but force her to confront her perception of birth and family.

True Blue: To Protect and Serve


Randy Sutton - 2008
    Told by the cops that lived them, these stories show what it truly means to protect and serve.Readers will come to recognize the faces behind the badge, as they witness officers charge into the unknown on The Beat, honor and mourn friends in The Fallen, hear the War Stories spread in police locker rooms and bars, discover the unbreakable line between civilian and cop in the Line of Duty, and feel the blood-boiling adrenaline during those life-altering moments when a cop must use Deadly Force. TRUE BLUE: To Protect and Serve is a funny, exciting, haunting compilation of true stories written by active and retired police officers, most of whom have never written before, alongside published officers from all over the United States. A portion of the royalties for this book will be donated to The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund.

A Murder Hatched


Donna Andrews - 2008
    It all began with Murder with Peacocks, which won the St. Martin's Minotaur/Malice Domestic Best First Traditional Mystery Novel Competition. Upon learning that her novel had won, Donna acquired a copy of the Peterson Field Guide to Eastern Birds and settled herself down with her zany heroine, blacksmith Meg Langslow. The fun has not stopped since. Murder with Peacocks scooped up the Agatha, Anthony, and Barry Awards, along with the Romantic Times award for best first novel and the Lefty award for the funniest mystery.See how this stunning, laugh-out-loud series all began and meet Meg Langslow, one of the most dynamic and hilarious characters ever to grace the mystery shelves.

Dead On Arrival


Karen H. Vaughan - 2008
    It was, after all, her ex-coworker, “Velcro” Hodges, a debt collector who was known to leech on his prey until the debt is already paid in full. But why was he dropped insider Laura’s room?Now someone wants Laura to be dead. As the plot thickens, Laura tries to find out on who could possibly want her next to be in cold blood. Lead Detective Inspector Jeff Gibbons helps her, tracking any leads he gets, but that doesn’t seem to help solve the puzzle.Dead on Arrival has its own unique way letting readers laugh, have fun, and it takes out the humor on every individual who gets the chance to read it.Dead on Arrival is highly recommended for readers, and for individuals who just can’t get enough of thrills, twists, and surprises.

The Medicine People


Lazarus Barnhill - 2008
    In what seems an open-and-shut case, he is charged with the murders of two police officers and his own wife. On hand for his arrest and charged with his safekeeping is rooki

The Ice Bridge


Kathryn Meyer Griffith - 2008
    She’ll fall in love again…with a man and the island. Charlotte returns to her Aunt Bess and Mackinac Island, a quaint retreat that welcomes summer tourists and allows no cars, to renew herself and write about the island’s ghosts. She’s come to help Bess with her heartache, an ended love with Shaun, and to renew a friendship with neighbor Hannah. In winter Mackinac closes down and everyone looks forward to the ice bridge that freezes across the Straits of Mackinac. Until Hannah disappears into the icy waters crossing it. Everyone says it’s an accident. But Charlotte and her admirer cop friend, Mac, don’t think so. Something isn’t right. Hannah was too smart to go off the path. So it’s murder…but why…how…by whom? In the end, it’s Mac–and perhaps Hannah’s ghost–who saves Charlotte and Bess’s lives when the killer decides they’re too close to the truth and tries to kill them, too.

Don't Turn Around


Hunter Morgan - 2008
    . . Casey McDaniels knows the unbearable consequences of domestic violence--and the darkness that can swallow a life. An advocate for victim's rights, Casey is giving key testimony in the arraignment of the man who savagely murdered her best friend. But to her horror, he's set free. . . Don't Let Your Guard Down. . . He's hiding in plain sight, following a plan that has worked before, performing each move with exact precision, waiting for the perfect moment to strike again--and this time, the victim will be Casey McDaniels. . . And Whatever You Do, Don't Turn Around. . . At first, Casey suspects her friend's killer is following her. She's receiving threats over the phone and bizarre messages in the mail--strange, childlike drawings of human eyes. But then Casey starts to have doubts. Could someone else be stalking her? As Casey enters a deadly cat-and-mouse game, she soon comes face-to-face with her stalker--and her worst nightmare. . .

false positive


J.J. Dare - 2008
    He married a beautiful woman and settled into a mundane job as a police detective. Then everything came crashing down around him. A terrible accident that nearly claimed his wife's life not only opened the door to his past, but forced him to recognize all of his perceptions of the world around him were wrong

The Blood Detective


Dan Waddell - 2008
    Family historian Nigel Barnes is put on the case. As one after another victim is found in various locations all over London, each with a different mutilation but the same index number carved into their skin, Barnes and the police work frantically to figure out how the corresponding files are connected. With no clues to be found in the present, Barnes must now search the archives of the past to solve the mystery behind a string of 100-year-old murders. Only then will it be possible to stop the present series of gruesome killings, but will they be able to do so before the killer ensnares his next victim? Barnes, Foster, and Jenkins enter a race against time – and before the end of the investigation, one of them will get much too close for comfort.

Seeking the Dead


Kate Ellis - 2008
    A killer is on the prowl - a killer who binds and asphyxiates his victims before leaving their naked bodies in isolated country churchyards. The press are calling him the Resurrection Man.Tragic events from the past link Carmel with new-kid-on-the-block DI Joe Plantagenet, who, with his new boss, DCI Emily Thwaite, faces the unenviable task of identifying the killer before he claims another victim. The victims appear to have nothing in common but the manner of their deaths, but as Joe's investigations lead him to a pub with a sinister history, he is forced to consider that the case may have occult connections. Then Carmel becomes aware of a malevolent presence in her new flat and, when she starts to receive mysterious threats, it is Joe she turns to first. And that is when Joe is forced to get into the mind of a cunning - and scarily ruthless - killer.

Questionable Ethics


Angela Abderhalden - 2008
    . . nobody was surprised Mel was a bit--untamed. She left all that when she married and moved to the big city. But after a traffic accident claimed the lives of her husband and child, Mel returned home for the emotional support of her family and a familiar place to get through the grief. Her first day on the job answering phones at her brother's office as a favor gets her a gun in the face. Welcome home! That's the start of an unusual crime spree and only Mel has the info, the luck, and the spunk to tie the separate pieces together and uncover the truth behind the murders and mayhem. She may have come home looking for peace and time to heal, but if adventure and mystery come knocking--well, Mel Addison is ready and willing to play. The crimes may be the easy part, though. There's a new cop in town with an eye for Mel and her own heart can't seem to decide what to do.

Penny and Rio: The Mysterious Backyard Meeting


Jennifer Swanson - 2008
    Penny is curious and always on the go, while Rio prefers a good nap. At their new house, Penny discovers that their backyard is the meeting place for several different animals. Penny doesn't know why a cat, a groundhog, a squirrel, and an owl could possibly be meeting, but she knows she has to find out. She comes up with an ingenious plan for spying on them and discovers their plot. She has to stop them - but can she get her sister dog, Rio, to help her or will Rio decide that sleep is more important? Follow along as these two pet detectives, Penny and Rio solve the first of many cases in Penny and Rio: The Mysterious Backyard Meeting.

Fate and Destiny


Claire Collins - 2008
    During a blizzard, Andrew’s dog, Shadow, finds Destiny—a beautiful woman left for dead, but very much alive. With her she brings mystery, danger and passion to the little cabin.

Murder Most Welcome


Nicola Slade - 2008
    The wealthy Richmonds must never discover that her husband's recent death in the Indian Mutiny came as a great relief. Nor must they hear about the rumors circulating in the army regarding his scandalous behavior. His death has also been the subject of speculation and Charlotte must take care not to spill any secrets. Above all she must make certain that nobody in her new life hears of her own adventurous upbringing in Australia. When the past catches up with Charlotte, she begins to fear for her own life.

A Better Time


Jill Province - 2008
    His first mission on that day: to win back the heart of his beloved former wife, Jodi. Though reluctant to allow Mickey's insanity back into her life, she observes his incredible transformation and agrees to meet him again the following day. Charged by his first quest, he travels to Cartersville Cemetery where he visits his mother's gravesite. As Becker takes on the difficult task of asking forgiveness from the dead, he is not alone. A strange woman lurks the grounds and remains there until his departure. Had Mickey remained with his former wife, he may have prevented her murder. Instead, Mickey becomes the prime suspect. Although his key witness can't confirm his alibi or help him in the conventional sense, she offers him a solution no one ever thought possible.

Domino Lady: Sex as a Weapon


Lori GentileMartin Powell - 2008
    The city of angels. Just beneath the surface is a city stinking of corruption with criminal bosses and politicians squeezing the life out of the city. Stunned by the murder of her crusading politician father, socialite Ellen Patrick determines to bring her father's killers to justice at any cost! Donning a distinctive white dress and a black domino mask, she becomes The Domino Lady, one of the sexiest and most elusive crime fighters of all time. Nine tales of one of the world s first female masked crime fighters."

Death on Demand / Design for Murder


Carolyn G. Hart - 2008
    Hart delivers a novel approach to murder that is sure to enthrall you until the last killer is caught.. . .Death on DemandAt Annie Laurance’s Death on Demand bookstore in Broward’s Rock, South Carolina (“the finest mystery bookstore north of Miami”), murder suddenly isn’t confined to the shelves. An author’s abrupt demise during a gathering of famous mystery writers is proof positive that a bloody sword is sometimes mightier than a brilliant pen. But now Annie is in the unenviable position of prime suspect, which means that she and her wealthy paramour, Max Darling, must unmask a brutal and ingenious killer. For Annie, failing could mean prison . . . while success could mean her death.Design for MurderWhen Annie stages a Mystery Night for Chastain, South Carolina’s annual antebellum house tour, she finds herself the lead in a deadly drama wherein the curtain falls on a mean-spirited grande dame. But while fingers point at Annie as the murderer, the perpetrator lurks within the cast of Murder-Most-Make-Believe. Guilty until proven innocent, Annie hopes to clear her name with Max’s help—until her chief witness is killed. Now it will take all of Annie’s sleuthing skills to unmask the evil in the hearts of Chastain’s Beautiful People.

The Legacy of the Ninth


Paul Anthony - 2008
    Behold, the noble Domitian: A valiant Roman centurion who witnesses an appalling act of mass suicide in the Negev desert, and Hussein who plunders a Jewish artefact from its rightful owner. Centuries later Boyd, the detective, tries to find out why events in Masada are now so closely linked with nearby Hadrian's Wall. Indeed, against all the odds, Boyd realizes that the links are so strong that prospects of peace in the Middle East are in danger of collapsing. Things can't get any worse, can they?

The Big Splash


Jack D. Ferraiolo - 2008
      The treacherous, hormone-soaked hallways of Franklin Middle School are the setting for this sharp, funny noir novel about tough guys and even tougher girls. “The Frank” is in the clutches of a crime syndicate run by seventh-grader Vinny “Mr. Biggs” Biggio, who deals in forged hall passes and black-market candy. Double-cross him and your number is punched by one of his deadly water-gun-toting assassins. One hit in the pants and you are in “the Outs” forever. Matt Stevens is a proud loner with his own code of justice. He’s avoided being pulled into Vinny’s organization until now: Mr. Biggs has offered him a job he can’t resist, one that leads to the surprising downfall of Vinny’s top assassin, the beautiful and deadly Nikki “Fingers” Finnegan, at the hands of an unknown assailant. Matt thinks he was used, and he becomes determined to find the trigger-guy or -girl, even if it means bringing down one of his oldest friends.  New talent Jack D. Ferraiolo revitalizes the noir novel while delivering a terrific, addictive mystery that crackles with wit and excitement.   “Jack Ferraiolo shines a light on middle school and reveals what we’ve always suspected: it’s a sinister place ruled by crime bosses and thugs. ‘The Big Splash’ will make you laugh out loud.”—Jeff Kinney, #1 New York Times bestselling author of DIARY OF A WIMPY KID“Move over Bogart; now there's hard-boiled private detective Matt Stevens on the job at Franklin Middle School ... You could call this genre kid noir.”—Judy Freeman, on the "Sure Shot Books for Boys" list on readkiddoread.com“Entertaining and thrilling.”--The New York Times Sunday Book Review (full page review)“A first novel with an ingenious premise: junior high noir … Twists and curve balls keep readers guessing; extended jokes will keep them laughing. With crisp prose and surprisingly poignant moments, Ferraiolo’s debut entertains on many levels.” --Publishers Weekly, starred review“Ferraiolo weaves a tale that is thought-provoking and rib-tickling all at the same time. Highly recommended.”--Library Media Connection starred review“Matt Stevens may turn out to be a bankable franchise: His first-person present-tense narration carries in it echoes of Marlowe, and the simple plot makes some crafty twists and turns as it goes along.”--Kirkus“Ferraiolo cleverly interweaves Mafia undertones with Middle School social dynamics in this comical yet page turning novel.  Young adult mystery enthusiasts will love the unmasking of this new sleuth in literature.”--ALAN “Ferraiolo has taken us down, in a manner of speaking. Good fun, and the comic-book style cover will attract readers.”—KLIATT reviews“This fabulous mystery will have teens racing to get to the last page…A great whodunit mystery lovers are sure to consume.”—VOYA“This debut novel delivers plenty of laughs … Fans of private-eye spoofs will enjoy this entertaining read.”—Booklist “Well paced, funny, and suspenseful, with some real commentary on bullying and mob mentality, this book will have fans eagerly awaiting the next installment in this faux noir detective series.”—School Library Journal“Ferraiolo shines in this debut novel, working the noir tropes for all they’re worth … The mystery itself is cagily constructed to keep readers guessing pretty much til’ the last bell.”—Bulletin for the Center of Children’s Books“If middle school has an “underworld,” this book is The Godfather and The Maltese Falcon all rolled into one. Better still, it’s funny, and not just a little.”—Gordon Korman, author of SCHOOL OF ROCKF&P level: W

Breaking Faith


Stuart Aken - 2008
    See author's blog or website for details.

Cozy in Kansas: In the Dead of Winter/Bye, Bye Bertie/For Whom the Wedding Bell Tolls


Nancy Mehl - 2008
    But Winter Break's eclectic citizens have their secrets. Ivy T

Danny Orlis and the Angle Inlet Mystery


Bernard Palmer - 2008
    While on the way to pick them up he overhears a conversation that promises to give them a special adventure during their time together. Buried treasure, clues from an old Indian chief and an old map all add to the mystery. They soon discover they are not the only ones searching for the treasure. Because of Danny's faithful witness for the Lord, the boys come up with some better ideas about the use of so much money, should they find it. By the time the adventure is over, they have found a far greater treasure than they had ever imagined.

Web


J.P. Mercer - 2008
    Sasha's life has been spinning out of control for years, but is she capable of three gruesome murders?After an attempt on her own life and her sister's involvement in murder, President Ingrid Sheppard suspects powerful people would stop at nothing, including framing Sasha, to prevent her from serving a second term in the White House. Desperate, Ingrid turns to two women for help: Sidney DeRoche and Liberty Starr.Sidney DeRoche is Ingrid's best friend and a renowned defense attorney. Can Sidney defend Sasha, her ex-lover who once broke her heart?Liberty Starr, a former agent/assassin for the government, is asked to come out of seclusion to protect the President and her family. Twists and turns pit Liberty against an old foe, a chameleon who might be better than she is. Will Liberty be able to find this other assassin before tragedy consumes the President and her sister, and the many lives they touch? Or will Liberty be the one who ultimately pays the highest price of all?

Origin of the Soul and the Purpose of Reincarnation


Walter Semkiw - 2008
    Semkiw, such as Born Again and Return of the Revolutionaries, which focus on cases which demonstrate objective evidence of reincarnation. Dr. Semkiw draws upon independent research, including books such as Twenty Cases of Reincarnation, Xenoglossy, Unlearned Language and European Cases of the Reincarnation Type, all written by Ian Stevenson, MD, to better understand the nature of the soul and how reincarnation works. Dr. Semkiw also utilizes information gathered through Kevin Ryerson, a trance medium who has been featured in Shirley MacLaine's books, including Out on a Limb. Topics covered in Origin of the Soul and the Purpose of Reincarnation include when and how souls were created, how personality is determined, the nature of soul mates, stages of human evolution, and the nature of time and space. Split incarnation, where one soul inhabits more than one body at a time, as well as ghosts, astrology, the Kabbalah and Enneagram are also addressed. Stages of initiation, identified in the life of Jesus, are reviewed. Child prodigies are explained through reincarnation, as illustrated in cases involving Beethoven, Anne Frank, Gauguin, Picasso, Rubens and Oprah Winfrey. New reincarnation cases include those involving Hans Christian Andersen, Beethoven, Annie Besant, Francis Collins, Copernicus, Maneka Gandhi, Edvard Grieg, Jean Baptist Lamarck, Bruce Lipton, Louis Pasteur, Michelangelo, Napoleon, Adam Smith, Craig Venter and St. Teresa of Avila. Respected clairvoyants, who can access spiritual realms and beings, have contributed to Origin of the Soul and the Purpose of Reincarnation. These include Echo Bodine, Judy Goodman, Wayne Peterson and Michael Tamura. In working together and through an organization called IISIS, contributors seek to establish a new science of spirituality.

Sherlock Holmes: Las aventuras imprescindibles: 1. De Oxford a las cataratas Reichenbach


Arthur Conan Doyle - 2008
    

Images of Betrayal


Claire Collins - 2008
    One evening, a beguiling, rugged young man walks out of a blizzard and into her life. He possesses the remarkable ability to take photographs of events that have not yet happened.

Waterlilies Over My Grave


Patricia A. Guthrie - 2008
    But, when her ex-husband psychotic psychiatrist, Duncan Byrne, follows her with deadly intentions, she must turn to a burn-out and hostile Detective, Mark Driscoll, who she's recommended take a mandatory vacation. To the horror of both, he's assigned to protect her. After a series of attacks threaten her and two ladies who resemble Annie are murdered, a town is held hostage with fear, and Mark and Annie must work together to catch the killer before he catches them.Water Lilies Over My Grave is a psychological suspense novel about relationships; good ones, bad ones and obsessive ones. YOU CAN RUN; BUT YOU CAN'T HIDE

The Last Detective / Diamond Solitaire (Peter Diamond, #1, #2)


Peter Lovesey - 2008
    'The Last Detective' and 'Diamond Solitaire' are the first two novels in Peter Lovesey's 'Diamond' series, and are bound together in this volume.

A Story Of Bad: A Murder Mystery... A Romance... Intertwined


Edward M. Krauss - 2008
    "A Story of Bad" is the tale of a cop and reporter entering into a controversial romance, where they both try to stay loyal to each other and their employers while respecting business ethics and trying to both solve and cover the murder mystery that brought them together in the first place as other chaos erupts all around the them. "A Story of Bad" is a highly recommended and deftly composed mystery and romance blend, for fans of either. -Midwest Book Review This book contains no graphic violence or graphic sex.

The Fool Card


Bevan Atkinson - 2008
    In this first book, Xana Bard has chosen a quiet life----drinking tea, talking to her pets, reading, and conferring with the Pacific Ocean beyond her picture window. She calls the ocean Doctor P., and it's cheaper than her therapist and may be a little more helpful. She's happy enough, until the night Thorne Ardall, shot while chasing his boss's killer, crashes into her house. Using her tarot-trained intuition rather than her better judgment, Xana patches Thorne up and they agree to track down the murderer as a team. She's sure her mother will have a cow. Her friends will have a cow. Her shrink will have a cow. They can start a dairy farm for all she cares; she has taken hold of her life again.

The Deputy's Widow


J.B. Kohl - 2008
    It starts with a simple phone call from Diana Kramer, a smooth tongued woman who begs the detective to find letters she's written to her lover, Sheriff's Deputy Chester "Chet" Ferrebee. Chet is to wed another woman this afternoon and Diana, the scorned mistress, wants the letters back where they belong.with her. Hours after the wedding, when Chet turns up dead in a roadside motel room, his bride beaten beyond recognition and unable to remember anything, Baker fears his client is somehow involved. As he searches for the letters, he unwillingly digs into the past of the sleepy town of Crane Haven and uncovers the dangerous secrets of a group of men who shattered a young girl's mind, as well as her chance for happiness, years ago.

The Devil's Den


Gracen Miller - 2008
    It had Serena thinking Meredith was finally eligible for the looney-bin. Meredith was talking about monsters and fairytales, some real wacko smack bordering on insanity as far as Serena was concerned. So, when Meredith disappeared, there was only one thing Serena could do, take matters into her own hands and investigate the local criminal hotspot, The Devil’s Den. The bar was as seedy and decadent as it was reputed to be. And the creature she found there—Six was his first, middle and last name—was nothing short of terrifying, his abilities completely defying logic. Yet, it was easier for Serena to pretend he was not all that he claimed. Born over three thousand years ago, Six is a vampire who has become jaded and spoiled by his feral power and immortality. Humans are nothing more significant than toys to be played with and in fact his favorite sport is to locate the most innocent of victims and then torture them cruelly before taking their lives. Even with his supernatural arrogance, nothing could have prepared Six for the sudden unexplainable desire he feels toward the human, Serena. Serena, a karate instructor happy with her bland, boring life, launches his demoralized existence into a chaotic mess. Through their tangled encounters, Six is surprised when he realizes he has found his salvation in the one thing he despises most…humanity. And Serena having never been the adventurous type, but instead having always taken the safer route her entire life, finds adventure when she needs it most and wanted it the least.

The Silent World Of Nicholas Quinn: And "Service Of All The Dead"


Colin Dexter - 2008
    Now he is dead…And his murder, in his North Oxford home, proves to be the start of a formidably labyrinthine case for chief Inspector Morse, as he tries to track down the killer through the insular and bitchy world of the Oxford colleges…Service of All the DeadThe sweet countenance of reason greeted Morse serenly when he woke, and told him that it would be no bad idea to have a quiet look at the problem itself before galloping off to a solution.Chief Inspector Morse was alone among the congregation in suspecting continued unrest in the quiet parish of St. Frideswide’s.Most people could still remember the churchwarden’s murder. A few could still recall the murderer’s suicide. Now even the police had closed the case. Until a chance meeting among the tombstones reveals startling new evidence of a conspiracy to deceive…

Deadly Withdrawal


Michelle Ann Hollstein - 2008
    Aggie Underhill… An ATM going bonkers shooting out wads of cash, a shady bank owner with a nasty habit, two teenage bank robbers, a picture perfect teller and her thug of a boyfriend, plus two unexplained murders. Naturally curious, Aggie can’t help but be nosy. Despite the warning from her daughter to mind her own business, Aggie takes detective matters through the world of gossip into her own hands.If you like sassy, independent, crime solving women then you’re in for a treat. You’ll love the Ms. Aggie Underhill Mysteries.

The Automatic Detective


A. Lee Martinez - 2008
    It’s even harder for a robot named Mack Megaton, a hulking machine designed to bring mankind to its knees. But Mack’s not interested in world domination. He’s just a bot trying to get by, trying to demonstrate that he isn’t just an automated smashing machine, and to earn his citizenship in the process. It should be as easy as crushing a tank for Mack, but some bots just can’t catch a break.When Mack’s neighbors are kidnapped, Mack sets off on a journey through the dark alleys and gleaming skyscrapers of Empire City. Along the way, he runs afoul of a talking gorilla, a brainy dame, a mutant lowlife, a little green mob boss, and the secret conspiracy at the heart of Empire’s founders---not to mention more trouble than he bargained for. What started out as one missing family becomes a battle for the future of Empire and every citizen that calls her home.

The Ghost Wore Yellow Socks


Josh Lanyon - 2008
    A dead body in a very ugly sportscoat and matching socks. The dead man is a stranger to Perry, but that's not much of a comfort; how did a strange dead man get in a locked flat at the isolated Alton Estate in the wilds of the "Northeast Kingdom" of Vermont? Perry flees downstairs to get help and runs into "tall, dark and hostile" former navy SEAL Nick Reno.Reno doesn't have a lot of time for drama queens, but, convinced that Perry's jitters are based on something more than caffeine overdose, he heads upstairs to investigate. By then the body has disappeared. If there's one thing Nick has learned the hard way, it's to mind his own business. But Perry Foster doesn't believe in ghosts and isn't willing to let sleeping dead men lie. And Nick just can't convince himself to walk when it's becoming increasingly obvious someone wants the sexy young artist out of the way — permanently.

Blarney: 12 Tales of Lies, Crime & Mystery


Steve Hockensmith - 2008
    A dozen stories about crime and duplicity originally published in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine and various anthologies.

If Tombstones Could Talk


Stacey Joy Netzel - 2008
    The story behind Andrew Lindeman's tragic death during the Pike's Peak Gold Rush in 1859 triggers dreams in which she relives his last moments. She's drawn closer to the handsome ghost while she resolves to clear his tarnished name. A passionate kiss sets his spirit free, but will Melanie lose her heart for good?

Exit 22


P.M. Terrell - 2008
    After meeting a beautiful but mysterious woman, he is pulled into a shocking double homicide. Now he's a fugitive on the run, racing to escape detectives closing in and a sociopathic assassin determined to kill him... and time is running out.p.m.terrell's most popular contemporary suspense, Exit 22 has spawned the Black Swamp Mysteries series. Second book in this series, Vicki's Key, will be released March 2012. Third book in the series, Secrets of a Dangerous Woman, to be released September 2012. And Dylan's Song to be released March 2013.

The Kindergarten Caper: The Screech Owls Prequel


Roy MacGregor - 2008
    This is the story of why the Screech Owls became the Screech Owls, and how Nish went from the most disliked kid in school to, as he put it, “the hero” of the fledgling hockey team.