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Back to topMarch/April Mystery Reviews
These are just a few of the new exciting mysteries coming to your bookshelves and bedside tables soon! Check out the Upcoming Mystery Releases page to plan out your reading for the upcoming month (-;}
Available in Hardcover Now from Harper
We loved the Maisie Dobbs series that Jacqueline Winspear wrote; every spring we looked forward to the further adventures of a truly remarkable woman. This year we got a surprise! She introduced a new character who is truly remarkable: Elinor DeWitt. Set in post World War II Britain in 1947, Elinor is a veteran of two wars who grew up in Belgium, was recruited as a spy, and then trained as a killer for Britain. With the war over, Elinor has been rewarded with a house in rural Kent for her service to the Crown. She keeps to herself until her neighbors and their child are threatened by one of the most dangerous organized crime gangs. It takes all of Elinor's training to uncover the truth behind the powerful Mackie Crime Family's demands, but perhaps it may set her free from her own past as well.Reviewed by Marla Alexander
Available in Hardcover Now from G.P. Putnam's Sons Publishing
Franco Fiorvanti is a lemon grower on the estate of a baron. Although he dreams of owning his own land, the class system will not allow him to better himself. Franco will do anything to prove his loyalty, even kidnap a little boy named Dante. The decision that Franco makes will change his life forever. Gaetano Catalano is a young lawyer whose real passion is investigating crime in Palermo. Gaetano sets his sights on finding the boy and punishing those who are guilty. His mission leads him into places he never imagined. This is the story of ambition, greed, hatred, arrogance, and the rise of the mafia in Sicily.
Reviewed by Marla Alexander
Available in Hardcover Now from Little Brown and Company
I confess, I'm not a regular reader of Patterson, probably because I was creeped out (a very apt description) by the Alex Cross series. However, I usually read him when he is writing with someone. I liked the Clinton collaboration and the David Ellis books just to name two. I'm a fan of the sports writer Mike Lupica and thought my husband would be interested. However when I sat down with House of Wolves, I found myself intrigued with the story right away. The Wolfs are a powerful family in California, owning not only the San Francisco Tribune newspaper but the legendary pro football team, the Wolves. Jenny Wolf, a former high school teacher and coach of the high school football team, is now in charge of both of the Wolfs' holdings. She is also trying to solve her father's murder and stay alive as those around her are being eliminated. House of Wolves is a quick read and totally enjoyable.
Reviewed by Marla Alexander
Available Now from Bantam Books
This mystery really stuck with me after I was finished... Do you remember Defending Jacob- the family thriller from YEARS AGO where the parents suspected their son Jacob killed someone? Well, Bill Landay's new mystery novel is just as chilling and just as addictive as his first novel. When Jane Larkin disappeared in 1975, her three children suffered the most, and of the three, 10-year old Miranda's world was solidly rocked. Robbed of her mother and the only other female in the house, young Miranda's story takes up most of this heart-breaking tale. Her older brother by two years, Jeff, had never gotten along with his larger-than-life-attorney father Dan Larkin, and he was similarly shaken. What everyone has to wonder for the rest of their lives is: did their father/husband kill their mother/wife? The story is narrated by a few different voices: daughter Miranda, father/husband Dan, and present day Philip Solomon, who is the "author" telling the story (he was friends with 12-year old Jeff at the time of the tragedy). Less developed, but still quite an interesting character, is the police detective on the case, Detective Glover, who followed every lead but never quite solved the case. What an unputdownable story, though it may or may not be a murder tale. Was it, or was Jane a smart woman who escaped her life at just the right time?
Reviewed by Alli Gilley
Available in Hardcover Now from Soho Crime
This fabulous spy novel starts with gripping tension on page 1 and doesn’t let up. Following her last failed mission and a devastating personal loss, assassin Kate Rees is in the Scottish Highlands working as a rifle/sniper instructor when she is called back into the field. Night Flight to Paris is an international spy thriller filled with double agents, traitors, and suspense. I have never read a book in this series before and really enjoyed this dark read.
Reviewed by Amy Morrison