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Mystery
Detective Superintendent Frank Shapiro finds himself weaving down a dark and twisted trail of human foibles that begins with his own Sergeant Donovan. When Mikey, the son of a local crime boss is found beaten and then dies, suspicion falls on the hothead Irish sergeant. Shapiro and Inspector Liz Graham are certain of one thing: not only is Donovan's career on the line, but his life, as well. Someone's going to pay for Mikey's death. And Donovan has disappeared....
Defence attorney Andy Carpenter has been successfully avoiding taking on new cases until his sometime friend and newspaper owner, Vince Sanders, calls and asks him for a favour. Andy thinks the case will be a piece of cake, but then the accused is found unconscious next to the killer's latest victim.
Leave it to Claire Malloy, owner of the Book Depot in Farberville, to start out having tea with retired schoolteacher Miss Emily Parchester and end up investigating a murder. An avant-garde artist who moved into a house on Willow Street has the whole neighborhood up in arms. His "interactive art, " complete with a nearly nude model and a coffin in the front yard, is attracting a mob of noisy gawkers. Irate residents are worried about declining property values. The local mystery writer cannot meet her deadlines with the constant clatter. And when the artist's estranged wife rolls up in a limo and announces to one and all that she intends to have him committed to a mental institution, all of Farberville is in a dither. But before the night is out, even stranger things happen: the volatile artist's house goes up in smoke, a dead body is found inside the coffin, the artist is promptly arrested for murder...and Claire Malloy, devoted amateur sleuth that she is, starts snooping where she doesn't belong.
Halloween is coming to Tinker's Cove, Maine, and local reporter Lucy Stone is covering the town's annual Giant Pumpkin Fest for the Pennysaver. There's the pumpkin-boat regatta, the children's Halloween party, the pumpkin weigh-in...even a contest where home-built catapults hurl pumpkins at an old Dodge! But not everything goes quite as planned...
Lucy's getting very annoyed that her husband Bill and his friend Evan have been working seemingly nonstop on their potentially prize-winning pumpkin catapult. But when the day of the big contest arrives, Evan is nowhere to be found...until a catapulted pumpkin busts open the trunk of the Dodge. Amid the pumpkin gore is a very deceased Evan, bashed in the head and placed in the trunk by someone long before the contest started.
Bill is on the hook for the Halloween homicide--he was the last one to see Evan--so Lucy knows she's got some serious sleuthing to do. The crime's trail seems to always circle back to Country Cousins, the town's once-quaint general store that's now become a big Internet player. Though the store's founder, Old Sam Miller, is long gone, his son Tom and grandson Trey now run the hugely successful company. But whispered rumors say things aren't going well, and Lucy finds that this case may have something to do with an unsolved, decades-old Miller family mystery...
With each new lead pointing her in a different direction, Lucy sees that time is quickly running out. If she wants to spook the real killer, she'll have to step into an old ghost story...
Former Florida police officer turned pet-sitting sleuth is once again on the prowl. Dixie Hemingway no relation to you-know-who is helping an elderly gentleman, Mr. Stern, take care of his orange shorthair cat, Cheddar. But it's Stern's infant granddaughter, Opal, who really wins Dixie's heart. Problem is that Opal's mother, Ruby, has some dangerous connections to certain local big-money honchos. Ruby has enough insider information to send them to prison for life and they are willing to do anything, even threaten Opal's life, to shut her up and preserve their ill-gotten gains. Now it's up to Dixie to protect Opal from harm at all costs. And she must do it without letting law-enforcement people know not even Detective Guidry, with whom she happens to be romantically involved. Does Dixie have her claws sunk in too deep to make it out of this one? Or are her nine lives finally up?"
Castlemere is terrorized by a killer who demands a ransom of one million pounds from the town. Superintendent Frank Shapiro and Inspector Liz Graham must reduce the hysteria while Sergeant Cal Donovan is on holiday. When Donovan's abandoned boat is found, the sergeant is is believed to have been killed by the blackmailer. Yet stranger twists are still to come. Martin's Press.
Take one amateur sleuth. Mix in some eccentric Minnesota locals. Add a generous dollop of crackling suspense, and you've got the recipe for this delicious new mystery series featuring Hannah Swensen, the red-haired, cookie-baking heroine whose gingersnaps are almost as tart as her mouth, and whose penchant for solving crime is definitely stirring things up.
Hannah already has her hands full trying to dodge her mother's attempts to marry her off while running The Cookie Jar, Lake Eden's most popular bakery. But once Ron LaSalle, the beloved delivery man from the Cozy Cow Diary, is found murdered behind her bakery with Hannah's famous Chocolate Chip Crunchies scattered around him, her life just can't get any worse. Determined not to let her cookies get a bad reputation, she sets out to track down a killer. But if she doesn't watch her back, Hannah's sweet life may get burned to a crisp!
For Lucy Stone, the best thing about Christmas in Tinker's Cove has always been the annual Cookie Exchange. But the usual generosity and goodwill is missing from this year's event which turns out to be a complete disaster. Petty rivalries and feuds that have long been simmering finally come to a boil, leaving a bad taste in the mouths of many guests, including Lee Cummings who accuses Tucker Whitney of stealing her recipe for low-fat, sugar-free cookies. But the icing on the cake is when Tucker is found strangled in her apartment on the following morning. Who could've wanted Tucker dead badly enough to kill her? Despite all of the ingredients for danger, Lucy sets out on the trail of a murderer and soon uncovers a Christmas secret best left wrapped. "As usual, Meier deftly combines a realistic depiction of Lucy's life as a hard-working mother with a satisfying mystery plot." --Publishers Weekly
In the lightning-paced sequel to "The Icon Thief," Europe's turbulent past and terrifying future are set to collide in the streets and prisons of London--and beyond.
Rachel Wolfe, a gifted FBI agent assigned to a major investigation overseas, discovers that a notorious gun runner has been murdered at his home in London, his body set on fire. When a second victim is found under identical circumstances, the ensuing chase plunges Wolfe and her colleagues into a breathless race across Europe, a secret war between two ruthless intelligence factions, and a hunt for a remorseless killer with a deadly appointment in Helsinki.
At the heart of the mystery lies one of the strangest unsolved incidents in the history of Russia--the unexplained death of nine mountaineers in the Dyatlov Pass five decades before. And at the center of it all stands a figure from Wolfe's own past, the Russian thief and former assassin known in another life as the Scythian...
Rachel Wolfe, a gifted FBI agent assigned to a major investigation overseas, discovers that a notorious gun runner has been murdered at his home in London, his body set on fire. When a second victim is found under identical circumstances, the ensuing chase plunges Wolfe and her colleagues into a breathless race across Europe, a secret war between two ruthless intelligence factions, and a hunt for a remorseless killer with a deadly appointment in Helsinki.
At the heart of the mystery lies one of the strangest unsolved incidents in the history of Russia--the unexplained death of nine mountaineers in the Dyatlov Pass five decades before. And at the center of it all stands a figure from Wolfe's own past, the Russian thief and former assassin known in another life as the Scythian...
When Spenser's closest ally, Hawk, is brutally injured and left for dead while protecting bookie Luther Gillespie, Spenser embarks on an epic journey to rehabilitate his friend in body and soul. Hawk, always proud, has never been dependent on anyone. Now he is forced to make connections: to accept the medical technology that will ensure his physical recovery, and to reinforce the tenuous emotional ties he has to those around him.
Spenser quickly learns that the Ukrainian mob is responsible for the hit, but finding a way into their tightly knit circle is not nearly so simple. Their total control of the town of Marshport, from the bodegas to the police force to the mayor's office, isn't just a sign of rampant corruption-it's a form of arrogance that only serves to ignite Hawk's desire to get even. As the body count rises, Spenser is forced to employ some questionable techniques and even more questionable hired guns while redefining his friendship with Hawk in the name of vengeance.
Spenser quickly learns that the Ukrainian mob is responsible for the hit, but finding a way into their tightly knit circle is not nearly so simple. Their total control of the town of Marshport, from the bodegas to the police force to the mayor's office, isn't just a sign of rampant corruption-it's a form of arrogance that only serves to ignite Hawk's desire to get even. As the body count rises, Spenser is forced to employ some questionable techniques and even more questionable hired guns while redefining his friendship with Hawk in the name of vengeance.
Lorraine Page is a down-on-her-luck ex-LAPD cop, recruited against her will to hunt for a serial killer. Cold Shoulder is the story of a young woman who has everything: a devoted husband, two beautiful daughters, and a successful career as a lieutenant with the Pasadena Homicide Squad. But when her partner is shot and dies in her arms, Lorraine's life starts to unravel. The after-hours drinking that once was social becomes her refuge, and soon she's not waiting until the end of her shift. From there it all comes undone with frightening speed: Drunk, she kills an innocent boy while on duty, is fired from the force, is abandoned by her family, and ends up living on the street as a prostitute. Cold Shoulder is the dramatic, frighteningly explicit account of Lorraine Page's fall and nightmarish recovery while caught between the danger of a serial killer on the loose and the manipulations of the old-boy police force that had ostracized her not so long before. The book reverberates with realism because it is based on a true story, one that has been meticulously researched and crafted by Lynda La Plante, a consummate expert in crime writing.
Julie Garwood triumphed with her phenomenal "For the Roses" and her #1 New York Times bestselling trio of novels, "One Pink Rose, One White Rose" and "One Red Rose". Now, she brings her irresistible and heartwarming wit to a delightful new love story featuring the unforgettable frontier family, the Claybornes of Blue Belle, Montana.
Cole Clayborne had always walked a dark path and flirted with a life of crime. While his three brothers chose to settle into married life, Cole rebelliously refused to be tied down. Now, an elusive stranger draws him into a shadowy chase that will bring unexpected turns to his uncertain future--and may determine which side of the law the restless Cole favors.
A tragic, heartbreaking loss drives U.S. Marshal Daniel Ryan on a quest for vengeance--and leads him to a beautiful young woman, the sole witness to a terrible crime. But the lawman finds that love is the greatest trial of all as he unwittingly draws her into the line of fire. The power and drama of their blossoming passion, entwined with the surprising destiny of the wayward Cole, make "Come the Spring" a superbly entertaining adventure inside the heart of "a family whose love and loyalty will truly inspire" (Romantic Times).
In all his years in the Chicago Fire Department, Lieutenant Reed Solliday ahs never experienced anything like this recent outbreak of house fires - devastating, vicious and in one case, homicidal. He has another problem - his new partner, Detective Mia Mitchell. She's brash, bossy, and taking the case in a direction he never imagined.
Mia's instincts tell her the arsonist is making this personal. And as the infernos become more deadly, one look at the victims' tortured faces convinces her and Reed that they must work closer to catch the killer. With each new blaze, the villain ups the ante, setting firetraps for the people Reed and Mia love. The truth is almost too hot to handle: This monster's desire for death and destruction is unquenchable ... and for Mia he's started the countdown to an early grave.
Mia's instincts tell her the arsonist is making this personal. And as the infernos become more deadly, one look at the victims' tortured faces convinces her and Reed that they must work closer to catch the killer. With each new blaze, the villain ups the ante, setting firetraps for the people Reed and Mia love. The truth is almost too hot to handle: This monster's desire for death and destruction is unquenchable ... and for Mia he's started the countdown to an early grave.
Ayotte delivers heartstopping action, romance, and intrigue in this brilliant sequel to the award-winning thriller Flower of Heaven. Francoise DuPont, now Queen Farah of an oil-rich Middle Eastern country, continues the search for her sons, given up for adoption at birth. Thirty-five years later, their lives now are at risk from ruthless enemies of her husband, the King. A page-turning journey from Paris to Stockholm, to the vineyards of Orvieto, Italy, and to the remote hospital in war-torn Ethiopia, Dangerous Bloodlines will keep you guessing.
Still healing from a past tragedy, ex-Minneapolis cop Claire Watkins is plunged into a shattering murder case. When a widower is murdered at a local dance, Claire senses a desperate relief from his orphaned teenagers. And she becomes more immersed in the crime, she uncovers a startling connection to the victim's wife's accidental death and the secrets that premeditated both incidents.
In a steel-mill town on the verge of an economic comeback, two prominent men are found dead within days of each other. In each case, the known character of the man seems grossly more contradicted by the circumstances of his death. But, as assistant county prosecutor Stella Marz discovers, the victims and their deaths may be connected in ways that no one would ever suspect.
When experienced homicide detective Casey Duncan first moved to the secret town of Rockton, she expected a safe haven for people like her, people running from their past misdeeds and past lives. She knew living in Rockton meant living off-the-grid completely: no cell phones, no Internet, no mail, very little electricity, and no way of getting in or out without the town council's approval. What she didn't expect is that Rockton comes with its own set of secrets and dangers.
Now, in A Darkness Absolute, Casey and her fellow Rockton sheriff's deputy Will chase a cabin-fevered resident into the woods, where they are stranded in a blizzard. Taking shelter in a cave, they discover a former resident who's been held captive for over a year. When the bodies of two other women turn up, Casey and her colleagues must find out if it's an outsider behind the killings or if the answer is more complicated than that...before another victim goes missing.
Casey Duncan returns in another heart-racing thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong.
"A completely untrue, utterly unauthorized, but not thoroughly impossible thriller"--Cover.
dead cat bounce n. Stock market jargon for a small, temporary rise in a stock's trading price after a sharp drop. Since she bought her rambling old fixer-upper of a house, Jacobia Tiptree has gotten used to finding things broken. But her latest problem isn't so easily repaired. Along with the rotting floor joists and sagging support beams, there's the little matter of the dead man in Jake's storeroom, an ice pick firmly planted in his cranium. Not much happens in her tiny Maine town, but that's about to change. Jake's unknown guest turns out to be a world-famous corporate raider, local boy turned billionaire Threnody McIlwaine. When Jake's best friend, quiet and dependable Ellie White, readily confesses to the murder, cops and journalists swarm into snowbound Eastport. Jake smells a cover-up, and begins poking into past history between McIlwaine and Ellie's family. But someone doesn't like nosy neighbors...and Jake's rustic refuge may become her final resting place.
Does the past ever really leave us? Not in Amy Lynch's world. What starts out to be a well-deserved vacation for Amy - volunteering at an archaeological dig on the outskirts of Paris - turns ugly when the head archaeologist is found dead at the dig-site. A recently uncovered relic from World War II threatens to expose treachery and betrayal from the time of the German Occupation. It endangers the life of anybody bold enough to delve into its significance. New England Casualty and Indemnity, the insurance company where Amy works as a claims investigator, is insuring the dig. Amy's world turns upside-down as she reverts from vacation mode to conduct a full-blown investigation. She meets with obstacles, resistance and threats to her own safety - as well as an adorable Frech detective - in her quest to unmask a traitor.
At 69, Sheriff Bill Gastner knows his Posadas, New Mexico, territory as well as he understands trusting his instincts. So when a man is crushed to death by a backhoe, Gastner feels there's more to this accident. Adding to his problems are charges of dirty politics--during an election year, no less--and anonymous letters charging his best deputy with hustling Mexican nationals. Martin's Press.
Shirley McClintock is vacationing in New Mexico with her friend J.Q., her daughter Allison, and Allison's schoolmate April. While exploring a mesa on muleback, a sharpshooter wings Shirley's mule, sending her into the hospital with a crushed knee, and kills April. Down but far from out, Shirley wrestles with a mystery that's as deadly as a rattlesnake . . .
Television viewers are invited to delight in Darina Lisle's next episode of her top-rated food series Table for Four. Death isn't on the menu until Darina's charming costar Bruce Bennet drops dead on camera. With equal flair for detection as for cooking Darina finds two more murders adding spice to the crime. And unless she unmasks a killer before the plot thickens, she may become the final ingredient in a recipe for how to create the perfect murder.
New York Times bestselling author Linda Fairstein takes readers behind the scenes of New York City's theater world -- from Lincoln Center to the lights of Broadway -- in a riveting novel, rich with her trademark blend of cutting-edge legal issues, skillful detective work, and heart-stopping suspense. Teaming up with longtime friends -- NYPD's Mike Chapman and Mercer Wallace -- Assistant DA Alex Cooper investigates the disappearance of world-famous dancer Natalya Galinova, who has suddenly vanished backstage at Lincoln Center's Metropolitan Opera House -- during a performance. The three colleagues are soon drawn into the machinations of New York City's secretive theatrical community, where ambition takes many forms, including those most deadly. Among Galinova's lovers is Joe Berk, the colorful, strong-willed boss of the Berk Organization, one of four family companies that own all the legitimate theaters on Broadway. The aging ballerina was using Berk to help revive her career at the time of her disappearance. Cooper, Chapman, and Wallace go underground and backstage at the Met, explore Berk's unusual apartment on top of the Belasco Theatre with its rumored ghostly resident, and then discover bizarre circumstances at City Center, which has a peculiar history not one of them knew about until now. Within the glamorous but sordid inner sanctums of the Broadway elite, the team confronts the ruthless power brokers who control both the stars and the stages where they appear. They meet Joe's niece Mona Berk, who is mounting a vicious campaign to extract her share of the family fortune, and stunning starlet Lucy DeVore, whose beauty may be her fatal undoing. Chet Dobbis is the artistic director of the Metropolitan Opera, and therefore privy to the most scandalous exploits among its famous inhabitants. He also knows every inch of the labyrinthine building into which the ballerina disappeared... Meanwhile, Alex is working on a very different case, using a creative technique to nab a physician who has been drugging women in order to assault them. As Dr. Selim Sengor eludes capture, Alex must navigate the new investigative world of DFSA -- drug-facilitated sexual assault -- intent on proving him guilty. Complicating her quest is the explosive legal and ethical dilemma of using the existing DNA databank to solve new cases. Can Alex convince a judge to let her prosecute a man for a violent crime using DNA that was collected for a prior case in which he was never charged? Or do the suspect's civil rights prevent law enforcement from keeping his DNA on file to be used against him at any future time? Death Dance is a spellbinding thriller combining a former prosecutor's fresh insight into hot-button legal issues with the unique history and spectacle of New York theater, and its shocking twists make this novel Linda Fairstein's most chilling adventure yet.
The bestselling author of Entombed goes behind the scenes of New York City's theater world--from Broadway to Lincoln Center--in this riveting Alexandra Cooper thriller rich with authenticity, history, and suspense.
When Tobi Tobias decided to open her own ad agency, having to moonlight in a pet shop wasn't part of her vision . . . of course, neither was murder.
Sometimes when opportunity knocks, the door you open leads to a closet. That's certainly the case for Tobi, whose weekends spent cleaning cages in her best friend's pet shop may soon be over. She's just landed her first big break-Zander Closet Company needs a catchy campaign slogan ASAP, and Tobi thinks she's got the right hook to knock 'em dead: "When we're done, even your skeletons will have a place."
But when a real dead body topples out of a showcase closet, she's about to discover there is such a thing as bad publicity. To save her fledgling business and not get killed by the competition, Tobi takes on a new pet project: solving the murder. But with a stressed-out parrot as the only witness to the crime, Tobi will really have to wing it to put the cagey killer behind bars.
Trading post owner Texana Jones is once again immersed in a mystery, as she is drawn in the case of a murdered Mexican photographer and its connection to the shooting death of a myth maker, a confidence trickster who had been wooing once of the sisters of the powerful Seven Sisters Ranch. Martin's Press.
Texana Jones and her husband live on the vast, hot Rio Grande, between Texas and Mexico. Though usually peaceful, strange things happen--like the death of an itinerant wood carver affectionately known as the saint maker. The pit bull found standing over the body is blamed for the death, but Texana has a feeling that someone intentionally sent her quiet neighbor to meet his own maker. Martin's Press.
When trading post owner Texana Jones finds a dead man in a taxi, she barely escapes becoming a scapegoat from corrupt federales. The innocent cab driver is left to take the fall. Then the body of an American missionary is found, leading Texana deeper into the kind of secrets the desert hides well. Martin's Press.
Introducing a murder mystery that really delivers! After caring for her dying aunt and being dumped by her fiancé, Cassie Miller decides to return to her small hometown in the Berkshires to lick her wounds and live in the house where she was raised. Leaving behind her managerial position in the Boston main postal office, Cassie trades in her tailored suits and high heels for the comfortable blue shirt and red, white, and blue striped scarf of the Postmaster for North Ashcot, Massachusetts. Everything is business as usual until Cassie arrives at work one day to find that someone has broken into the post office building. The only items stolen: stacks of telephone books. Who steals phone books? Two days later, the body of an unidentified man is found in the woods. And when the handsome antiques dealer she just had lunch with is taken into custody, Cassie is suddenly drawn into the case. With a crime enveloped in mystery, she needs to track the killer--before another victim's fate is sealed in the dead letter office...
When an old friend of her ex-husband develops the world's first botanically decaffeinated coffee bean and smuggles it into the country, Clare Cosi, manager of Village Blend, believes it's a business opportunity she needs to investigate...at least until the first dead body shows up.
"Sure to revolutionize the traditional British cozy and win the hearts of fans everywhere."--Publishers Weekly, starred review, for Posted to Death (the first Simon Kirby-Jones Mystery). What happens when you take a classic British cozy and mix in a sophisticated man who also happens to be a vampire? You get Dean James's critically acclaimed and delightful series featuring everybody's favorite sleuth, Simon Kirby-Jones. In this third book in the series, the quiet and quaint town of Bedfordshire Village of Snupperton Mumsley is playing host to television decorating sensation, Hezekia "Zeke" Harwood. The flamboyant, outspoken Harwood has become famous in England for his weekly decorating program, "Tres Zeke," and he's on the verge of signing a lucrative deal with one of the American television networks for an American version. Autocratic, obnoxious, and rude, Harwood brings with him an entourage of family and staff, all of whom fear and resent him. Harwood has come to town at the invitation of Lady Prunella Bliterington to redecorate the drawing room at Blitherington Hall. But after a melodramatic fight between Lady Prunella and Harwood over decorating ideas--which was filmed by Harwood's TV crew unbeknownst to Lady Prunella--Harwood is soon found dead, and it's up to Simon to prove that Lady Prunella didn't do it....
Dead men tell no tales. Is that why Tom Griffin is lying near death in a Cape Cod hospital? Because of what he could reveal about Waltower-a top secret government project underway at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute?That's what Amy Lynch aims to learn. As an investigator for New England Casualty and Indemnity, Amy's job is to look into the supposed accident that put Tom into a coma. Amy has a personal stake as well. Tom Griffin is an old friend. Her first love. She struggles to keep her emotions in check as she seeks to discover what really happened to Tom. And why.Amy fights her way through the sand-bagging she receives from WHOI. They say the project is need-to-know. Well, Amy needs to know. And the clearer the situation becomes to her, the greater the threat to her safety. Will she uncover the truth in time to save herself from the same fate as Tom?
It's springtime in Savannah, Georgia, in the newest Consignment Shop Mystery from the national bestselling author of Pearls and Poison. The azaleas and magnolias are in bloom--and Walker Boone is on the run. . . When Reagan Summerside turned the first floor of her old Victorian home into a consignment shop, she never imagined she'd be harboring a fugitive in her attic. But after a dead man is found in a bathtub and local lawyer Walker Boone is accused of doing the dirty deed, she suddenly has a new houseguest. Having the lawyer who took her to the cleaners in her divorce settlement--and who has been getting under her skin ever since--in close proximity is enough to drive Reagan to distraction. For the sake of her sanity--and Walker's freedom--they need to put their heads together to find out who is trying to get the lawyer out of the picture . . .
Desperate Journeys by Betty Webb\Terence Faherty\Nancy Baker Jacobs\Jonathan Harrington released on Apr 23, 2004 is available now for purchase.
Crime reporter and mystery novelist Paige Turner is looking into the murder of a young secretary whose naked body was found in Central Park?with the understanding between herself and the police that Paige keeps her exclusive investigation off the record and out of the pages of "Daring Detective."
"A lighthearted, pleasantly entertaining read for fans of the British cozy." --Emily Melton, Booklist
WITSEC, the witness protection program run by the U.S. Marshals Service, has been in existence for forty-six years. In all that time, WITSEC has never lost a witness who remained in the program, a total of 8500 witnesses in that time. What if, suddenly, two witnesses were murdered, execution-style, and an attempt was made to assassinate a third witness but barely failed...all in a span of two weeks? There is a leak in the U.S. Marshals witness protection unit, or a massive breach in their computer system. Paul O'Malley, the director of WITSEC, must stop the killings before many witnesses lose faith in the program, and seek new sanctuaries on their own. O'Malley, with the keen help of a long-time ally and friend, retired FBI agent Harry Esten, team up to identify the leak and stop further killings. Esten's years of investigations significantly contribute to unfolding the assassin and the former marshal who is providing him with the names of victims who have continued to commit crimes while in WITSEC. The trail of both villains becomes clearer to the bumbling O'Malley, while Esten's thorough research gets O'Malley back in the chase more often than not. There is non-stop action throughout, leading to a climactic confrontation between the two villains, and an ending that will surprise everyone.
Bone-crushing impact, set in a milieu that clogs your lungs and stings your eyes, "Down Here" is the penetrating and remarkable new thriller from the master of American noir.
For many years, Burke has carried a torch for Wolfe, the beautiful, driven former sex crimes prosecutor who was fired for refusing to "go along to get along." They share a marrow-deep hatred of predators but walk different sides of the street when it comes to justice. So when Burke hears that Wolfe has been arrested for attempted murder, he knows something is double-wrong-and deals himself in.
Putting together a distrustful alliance between his "family of choice," Wolfe's outlaw network, and an informant inside the police department, Burke starts with the alleged victim, a brutal serial rapist Wolfe had personally prosecuted. He's back on the street because his conviction was reversed, and any of his long list of victims has plenty of motive to kill him. The deeper Burke gets into the investigation, the more holes he finds in the case against Wolfe. Yet the DA's office continues to press forward, and Burke has to find out what their game is. No stranger to devil's bargains, Burke reopens the rape investigations-his way-and discovers an artist whose violent work in progress is a whole city's nightmare.
For many years, Burke has carried a torch for Wolfe, the beautiful, driven former sex crimes prosecutor who was fired for refusing to "go along to get along." They share a marrow-deep hatred of predators but walk different sides of the street when it comes to justice. So when Burke hears that Wolfe has been arrested for attempted murder, he knows something is double-wrong-and deals himself in.
Putting together a distrustful alliance between his "family of choice," Wolfe's outlaw network, and an informant inside the police department, Burke starts with the alleged victim, a brutal serial rapist Wolfe had personally prosecuted. He's back on the street because his conviction was reversed, and any of his long list of victims has plenty of motive to kill him. The deeper Burke gets into the investigation, the more holes he finds in the case against Wolfe. Yet the DA's office continues to press forward, and Burke has to find out what their game is. No stranger to devil's bargains, Burke reopens the rape investigations-his way-and discovers an artist whose violent work in progress is a whole city's nightmare.
It takes two to tango-but only one to murder.Lead-footed single mom, Laurel McKay, agrees to learn a foxtrot routine for her best friend's wedding. After she trips her instructor, crashes into a pair of dancers and breaks the heel of her new shoes, she thinks her evening can't possibly get any worse. Then she stumbles over another dancer. A dead one. With her broken stiletto heel stuffed in his mouth.The action moves from the California Gold Country to Lake Tahoe as Laurel searches for the killer amid the sequins and flying feathers of a ballroom competition. Can she samba her way into the heart of the handsome detective who has once again entered her life? Or will dancing and detecting prove to be a lethal combination?One, two, three, four. Too many suspects on this dance floor.Five, six, seven, eight. Find the murderer before it's too late.
When her dating service turns deadly, Laurel must race to find the killer before she becomes the next victim... Not sure if she is looking for Mr. Right, or Mr. Every Other Saturday Night, recently divorced Laurel McKay reluctantly joins THE LOVE CLUB, a matchmaking agency advertised as the safe alternative to on-line dating. After Bachelor one decides he wants her for dessert, Laurel dispatches him with her cell phone. The next day she discovers her drop dead gorgeous date has literally dropped dead. When Bachelor two disappears during dinner, Laurel's only alibi is a friendly bottle of Dom Perignon. The investigating detective has to decide if the sassy soccer mom is a killer, or the next target. Her boss at Hangtown Bank threatens to fire her when he learns the latest victim was an important client. Fortunately he needs her expertise to investigate some questionable loans. Laurel and her mother, who insists her daughter is innocent because she is too disorganized to plan a murder, set out to save her reputation, her job, and her life.
Nobody knows better than Matthew Scudder how far down a person can sink in this city. A young prostitute named Kim knew it also--and she wanted out. Maybe Kim didn't deserve the life fate had dealt her. She surely didn't deserve her death. The alcoholic ex-cop turned p.i. was supposed to protect her, but someone slashed her to ribbons on a crumbling New York City waterfront pier. Now finding Kim's killer will be Scudder's penance. But there are lethal secrets hiding in the slain hooker's past that are far dirtier than her trade. And there are many ways of dying in this cruel and dangerous town--some quick and brutal ... and some agonizingly slow.