I love Margaret Coel’s writing because there’s never a misplaced step. She balances two opposing cultures with little room for compromise, which is good because this chick works without a safety net. It’s human nature, or certainly the nature of writers, to analyze another’s work when reading it, in an attempt to take the story apart like an acrobatic trick—kick off your shoes and try it out. Every once in a while you second guess them and follow them out onto that tightrope just to find where they might’ve slipped up, but Margaret never does and just when you think she has she’ll turn and wink, so keep reading. Like Catherine McLeod, the reporter protagonist of Man Found Dead in Park, Margaret embraces both the mainstream and native cultures, all the while maintaining the aspect of her writing that transcends the genre with a deep understanding of human nature. When a man is found dead in an Indian section of Denver where no one is talking, McLeod finds herself in conflict with Mexican drug cartels and an investigation that leads north into Wyoming's Wind River Reservation and what turns out to be her roots. Transformative for both McLeod and the reader, the width and breath of the story is easy to miss, because Coel’s writing has a heady narrative that holds a sense of wonder and romance—a place that a lot of other writers fear to tread. I sometimes wonder if she knows how good she is, but I think probably not. The humility of a few artists is what keeps them grounded, and even when she’s out there flying high, I’m pretty sure she has her head up but is feeling every twitch of the story through the soles of her feet. Navigating with the finesse of a Flying Wallenda, Coel never misses a thing, because the devil is in the details, and like her character, Detective Nick Bustamante, Margaret knows that these indiscernible little slights of hand are the thing that makes for great drama under the Big Top. So join Margaret Coel out onto that high wire where she works without a safety net. Just when you think you’ve got it all figured out there will be moments of insecurity, thoughts that will disconcert, and you might be tempted to look down, but don’t. If things get too hairy just reach out and take this daredevil performer’s hand, and she’ll grin that signature smile and make sure you make it back to safety. --Craig Johnson

    

    Whoever did it left a mysterious clock-like symbol on the wall . . . drawn in blood.Stranger still, the killer has left a clue: the business card of an ex-cop.Corpses keep turning up in the strangest of places. Can Helen prove herself and piece together the case before the body count rises?Meet the Detective: Helen CarterDetective Sergeant Helen Carter is used to getting a rough time of it at work. As one of the few women officers around, she has heard it all before: she’s only there as a box-ticking exercise, or she only got the job because of her father, who was a detective inspector. But she can handle it. She knows she can hold her own against any man on the force. The only thing she can’t handle, however, are the constant fights with her fiancé, Ted.The SettingEdinburgh CID is on the third-floor of the ugly, modern concrete lump that is the police station. On a sunny day, you can look right out to Arthur’s Seat. And on any day, you can see spotty-faced, bored teenagers coming and going from the local high school across the road. With its historic cobbled streets and fair share of deprivation, Edinburgh police are up against every type of criminal imaginable.

    His dad has just died, he’s being made bankrupt, he’s getting evicted, his girlfriend has left him and Middlesbrough are 2-0 down in the UEFA Cup. But there’s a way out. His father has bequeathed him a huge inheritance, if only he can find out where it is. As he tries to repair his relationship with Julie and deal with the ghosts of his dysfunctional upbringing, he discovers his dad isn’t the man he thought he was. Soon it becomes obvious something very strange has happened and Nick begins to doubt that his dad is even dead at all. As he searches for the truth, he is plunged into a world of theft, greed and brutal murder. Soon, as the Boro play a huge European game, he will have to fight for his and Julie’s life on the windswept sand dunes of Saltburn. Teesside Steal is set in Teesside and North Yorkshire and is the first in the Nick Guymer series of mysteries. It is a story of upbringing, inheritance and UEFA Cup football.

    Its purpose is one of certitude with a little dash of homage thrown in for good measure. For some, it may just be seen as an extended or alternate ending. For others, it may be taken as Chief Inspector Endeavour Morse's final will and testament. Your choice...

    And she is certain her day would have ended with another lecture. Had she not been taken hostage by a brutish but dangerously handsome Highlander, that is.Jude Anderson, Laird of Hanvale, is hellbent on getting his son back from the people who kidnapped him. However, he didn’t count one thing: the fear in the faerie-like eyes of the Englishwoman, or the feelings it would ignite in his heart.Yet, as happy as he feels with Cleopatra in his arms, Jude’s mind never strays from his ultimate goal: keeping his son safe. An undertaking that seems almost impossible when assassins move through the walls. Because it's an eye for an eye, a child lost for a lost child...

     Isaac Gilpatrick witnesses the killing of old Marshall Blodgett, and when his mother Ione is threatened with death - or worse - he is intimidated into remaining silent. But the guilt he carries wears at Isaac's nerves, until he can bear it no longer and vows to put the information into the new marshal's hands. Unfortunately, Marshal TJ Osgood arrives in town too late. He finds Isaac silenced for good after a crooked judge ordered him hanged. Now, with an under-aged deputy and a hound dog as his only allies, Osgood must sort out the truth, protect the bereaved Ione Gilpatrick, and bring a rough bunch of backwoods timber thieves to justice. That is, if Ione doesn't beat him to it....

    When she's found, their worst nightmare is realized. In the weeks and months that follow, they try to put their lives back together, but tragedy haunts them. Detective Annie Logan finds herself charged with sorting through the lives of those MISSING CHLOE. She has to separate facts from lies in a case that will test both her skills and her emotions, but can she figure it out and prevent a killer from escaping justice. ************************************** MORE FROM JOHN C. DALGLISH THE CITY MURDERS SERIES(Clean Crime Fiction) BOSTON HOMICIDE - #1 MIAMI HOMICIDE - #2 CHICAGO HOMICIDE - #3 DALLAS HOMICIDE - #4 DENVER HOMICIDE - #5 SEATTLE HOMICIDE - #6 NEW ORLEANS HOMICIDE - #7 DETECTIVE JASON STRONG SERIES(Clean Crime Fiction) WHERE’S MY SON? – #1 BLOODSTAIN – #2 FOR MY BROTHER – #3 SILENT JUSTICE – #4 TIED TO MURDER – #5 ONE OF THEIR OWN – #6 DEATH STILL - #7 LETHAL INJECTION – #8 CRUEL DECEPTION – #9 LET'S PLAY - #10 HOSTAGE- #11 A CIRCLE OF FEAR - #12 DEADLY OBSESSION - #13 DEAD OF NIGHT - #14 SHADOW OF DOUBT - #15 FATAL AFFAIR - #16 DRIVEN TO KILL - #17 BOUND BY BLOOD - #18 THE CHASER CHRONICLES (Christian Adventure Fiction) CROSSOVER – #1 JOURNEY – #2 DESTINY- #3 INNER DEMONS- #4 DARK DAYS - #5 FAR FROM HOME - #6 KEIKO'S WAR - (Young Romance Historical Fiction)

    He tells us of his prison experiences, with anecdotes about many of the most famous criminals in British history -- the Krays, the Richardsons, the Great Train Robbers, Soviet spies and many more. Told in the same endearing and fascinating voice that readers of LAST SONG OF THE NIGHT TRAM and SOMEWHERE TO LAY MY HEAD first fell in love with, this volume continues the story of Robert's remarkable journey of self-education, introducing us to larger-than-life characters on both sides of the bars, and evoking a strong sense of social change as Britain emerged from the post-War gloom into the bright lights of the Beatles years.

    The day his stepfather dies, however, his world will suddenly turn upside down. Even though Shaun grows increasingly suspicious of his stepfather's death, believing that something treacherous has happened to him, no one wants to listen to his fears.Will Shaun manage to unravel the truth behind the enigmatic and shocking death?While Shaun is still haunted by the mysterious loss of his father, he will soon have to confront another daunting obstacle; his stepbrother Clayton's decision to sell the family ranch. Moreover, Shaun is allowed to keep one horse but must leave the ranch, never to return. With nothing to live for and no place to call home, Shaun crosses paths with a horse enthusiast. Little does he know that together they're about to change the rules of horseracing forever... Will Shaun finally have a chance to make his way in the world, or will his hostility toward his stepbrother destroy a chance at a new life and success?With Shaun's move to Prescott and start in horse racing, his life will finally begin to improve. Moreover, a beautiful and sophisticated woman will soon steal his heart. Nonetheless, ghosts from the past continue to pursue him and lead him down a dark path... Will Shaun be able to overcome the lies and deceit that could undermine his chance for a good future? Or will forces beyond his control rob him of his smile once and for all?An action-packed story, featuring complex and fascinating characters, and twists and turns that will take your breath away. A must-read for fans of Western action and romance.

    Ted was trained in the art of killing. He was good at it, and he enjoyed it. This is the story of one man's mission to assure justice is paid in full and the Detective who must stop him before he achieves his goal of Pure Justice. *Warning: This book contains graphic violence.

     They call her The Warrior Queen of Scotland… She is the most notorious woman of all Scotland: fierce, deadly and an unbeatable archer. At only three and twenty, she had become a legend amongst her people and country. Refusing a husband over her sword, Elisabeth is haunted by a vicious enemy who will stop at nothing to make her his bride. Elisabeth Drummond stands alone as she escapes the midnight massacre of everyone she holds dear in her life. Her beloved brother’s dying wish was to see her flee north towards Castle MacMillan, the elusive lair of Laird Broderick MacMillan- the King of England’s most favored warrior, and ally to Clan Drummond. A man who once held her in his arms and nearly ravished her many years ago, a man who had believed he was seducing someone entirely different. In the middle of a laird who wants to see her suffer, and a laird who refuses to trust her, Elisabeth must battle her injuries and her heart to seek vengeance for her fallen clan. Will the Warrior Queen of Scotland be able to soften the heart of Laird MacMillan? Will destiny bring her and Broderick together once again, or will cruel fate rip them from each other once more? In a time where your enemy could be your closest ally, Elisabeth rises out of the ashes…but will Broderick be the man she needs?

    Penniless and desperate the couple turn to crime as a way to raise the ransom. Hot on their heels is recently bereaved DI Harry Evans and his Major Crimes team. Evans is fighting against enforced retirement and his replacement – DI John Campbell – is foisted upon him along with other cases. If he must leave the police then he wants one last big case before he goes. In a race against time Victoria and Nicholas must evade the police while continuing to add to the ransom fund. If they don’t pay up on time the kidnappers have threatened to amputate their children’s limbs with an oxy-acetylene torch. Can they save their children before time runs out?

    She works in a bookshop and likes the odd glass of Prosecco... oh, and she’s about to be branded The Most Dangerous Woman in Scotland. 
Jen Carter is a failed writer with a rubbish boyfriend, Ed. That is, until she accidentally kills him one night. Now that Ed’s dead, she has to decide what to do with his body, his drugs and a big pile of cash. And, more pressingly, how to escape the hitman who’s been sent to recover Ed’s stash. Soon Jen’s on the run from criminals, corrupt police officers and the prying eyes of the media. Who can she trust? And how can she convince them that the trail of corpses left in her wake are just accidental deaths? 
A modern noir that proves, once and for all, the female of the species really is more deadly than the male.

    But in the season of goodwill to all men, will it take a cat to prove that miracles can still happen?