Adult Mystery
Whiskey Island
By Les Roberts
(Adult Mystery)
An oversized appetite for fine dining, flashy suits, and Las Vegas call girls has made Cleveland councilman Bert Loftus the target of an FBI investigation that may end his career. Now he says someone is trying to kill him. Eager to identify his attacker but not so eager to work with the cops, Loftus turns to private investigator Milan Jacovich for help. A working P.I. can't afford to be too choosy about his clients, so Milan takes the job -- At least it will be an opportunity to break in his new employee, young powder-keg Kevin "K.O." O'Bannion. Milan and K.O. quickly notice that something smells fishy, though. And it isn’t just the Whiskey Island Marina, where local power brokers down pricey drinks in front of Lake Erie sunsets. Loftus and several Cleveland landlords appear to be involved in something much darker than a typical cash-for-favors trade. After a kinky call girl is found dead near the Cleveland Zoo and secret sex tapes are discovered in her downtown high-rise, Milan and K.O. must follow a trail of bribes, bullet casings, and debauchery to find the killer and discover the real menace amid the muck of local government corruption. # 16 in the Milan Jacovich series….
Secret of the White Rose
by Stefanie Pintoff
(Adult mystery)
Who murdered Judge Hugo Jackson? The judge was presiding over the very high-profile case of an anarchist who set off a bomb, killing passersby (including a young child.) The case has captured the attention of 1906 New York City. Detective Simon Ziele is part of the investigation, not because he wanted to be, but because his criminologist friend has enlisted his assistance. It’s the third book in the series featuring Detective Ziele.
Chihuahua of the Baskervilles
by Esri Allbritten
(Adult mystery)
Here’s a nifty little mystery that begins with Charlotte Baskerville having a ghostly visitation from her beloved dead Chihuahua Petey. This news brings a crew from Tripping magazine to Manitou Springs, Colorado to verify the sighting. Tripping is aimed at paranormal enthusiasts who like to visit haunted places. Charlotte wants the three-person magazine team in town, but her husband doesn’t. There’s much more going on here than just tiny glow-in the-dark paw prints! Is it truly a supernatural apparition or is there a more earthly explanation?
In Search of the Rose Notes
by Emily Arsenault
(Adult mystery)
This book will keep you up all night until you finish it! It’s a very compelling mystery, as subtle as a whisper, but with characters so real you’ll wonder what they’re doing when you aren’t reading the book! As an eleven-year-old, Nora spent a lot of time at her best friend Charlotte’s house and with Rose, Charlotte’s babysitter. Rose vanished one day, causing much speculation. Years later, her remains are discovered. Nora returns to her hometown and Charlotte to make sense of Rose’s disappearance, since Nora was the last one to see Rose alive.
Heat Wave
by Richard Castle
(Adult mystery)
Tough and sexy New York police detective Nikki Heat leads the investigation into the death of a New York real estate tycoon who plunged to his death on a Manhattan sidewalk. She's hit with an unexpected challenge when the commissioner assigns superstar magazine journalist Jameson Rook to ride along with her to research an article on New York's Finest.
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie
by Alan Bradley
(Adult mystery)
Eleven-year-old Flavia de Luce is an aspiring chemist with a passion for poisons. She must clear her father of murder even thought she's not entirely certain he's innocent. Armed with more than enough knowledge to tie two distant deaths together and consider new suspects, she begins a search that will lead her into danger. Will Flavia's quick mind allow her to solve the crime or is she simply too clever for her own good? This book was the winner of the Crime Writers' Association Debut Dagger Award in 2009.
Cruel Intent
by J. A. Jance
(Adult mystery)
We often hear of the dangers from predators lurking on the Internet. This one uses a web site, singleatheart.com, to attract married women looking for sex with someone besides their husband. Ex-TV journalist Ali Reynolds becomes interested when the wife of the building contractor restoring her house is brutally murdered. Naturally, the husband is suspected, but Ali does not believe it. She starts snooping, finds the web site, and innocently draws the attention of the psychopath. The murderer decides that Ali is a threat, and he must find her and kill her.
The Language of Bees
by Laurie R. King
(Adult mystery)
This novel of suspense is one in a series featuring Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes. Mary and Sherlock are now man and wife – she is no slouch in the sleuthing department and assists Holmes in his investigations. Upon their return from a trip abroad, several mysteries present themselves. One has to do with Holmes’ bees. The other has to do with a painful part of Holmes’ past that has come back in a very real way, involving him in a personal and desperate search. Religious fanatics, ancient monuments, bohemian lifestyles and more abound in this engaging novel.
Dust and Shadow: An Account of the Ripper Killings by Dr. John H. Watson
by Lyndsay Faye
(Adult mystery)
This is author Faye’s first novel. It puts Sherlock Holmes and his biographer and assistant Dr. John Watson into the middle of the Jack the Ripper murders in 19th century London. This exciting, fast-paced book pits a murderous madman against the finest criminal investigator of the Victorian Age. But as the tables slowly turn, could it be that Holmes himself is committing these ghastly murders? Readers will be anxious for more from this entertaining author.
Aunt Dimity: Vampire Hunter
by Nancy Atherton
(Adult mystery)
Atherton writes in the “cozy” mystery style: these offer nothing gory or explicit and are usually set in a small picturesque village. This is the 13th in the Aunt Dimity series, and it’s every bit as good as the others. Lori Shepherd is worried about her twins starting school. So worried that she’s obsessing about them, and is now convinced a vampire lurks in the wooded English hills – because the twins said so! And Lori’s children don’t lie. The usual cast of characters is back as they rally their forces to unravel clues to family secrets and strange desires. This series is highly recommended.
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