Affairs of Steak by Julie Hyzy (Berkley)

Ollie is up to more than menus and cooking as White House executive chef. The First Lady has assigned Ollie and her arch nemesis, Peter Everett Sargeant, to plan an event for the secretary of state's birthday. Peter, the prissy sensitivity director, has made it his mission to have Ollie ousted from her position as chef, which makes for an uncomfortable partnership.

They arrive at the site chosen to host the affair, only to discover the murdered bodies of two White House employees.
The press are quick to hint at an affair between the dead colleagues. This case becomes even more personal when a blotched attempt is made on Ollie's and Peter's lives. She remembered a rude man who had rushed past them on the sidewalk before they reached the crime scene. Could he be the killer? Was he out to silence them forever?

Now, with their lives in danger, Ollie and Peter must work together to find the killer—before they end up being his next victims!

--Karen Sayre

FTC Disclosure: This book was provided by the publisher.

Free Carolyn Haines Download - HURRY!

Tyrus Books is giving a free download of Carolyn Haines' Fever Moon through March 25.

Here's a bit about the book:

Set in New Iberia, Louisiana, during World War II, Fever Moon begins when Deputy Raymond Thibodeaux discovers Adele Hebert covered in blood and hovering over the brutally eviscerated body of Henri Bastion, a wealthy plantation owner. In the aftermath of the murder, Adele claims to be the loup-garou, a legendary Cajun shape-shifter that traditionally takes the shape of a wolf, and panic ensues in this small town that already has been living under the pressures of wartime rationing and poverty. Raymond is determined to restore order, but to do so he’ll have to prove that Adele isn’t a murderer or a monster.

In this dark and swirling literary thriller, Carolyn Haines tells the story of a town that is caught up in the frenzy of a murder and a killer who feeds its terror to suit his own purposes.

Free downloads are available from Amazon and B&N.

Damaged by Alex Kava (Anchor Books)

This eighth book in the Maggie O' Dell series kept me awake till I finished it! Damaged is really two stories. First a cooler, containing body parts, is found floating in the Gulf of Mexico off Pensacola Beach. Next, returning war veterans who have lost limbs are dying from an unidentified viral infection. O'Dell, sent to investigate the body parts, soon finds herself in circumstances that require her to confront not only a serial killer but her own fears. To add more tension a Category 5 hurricane is about to hit Pensacola. As the hurricane approaches, the danger from the storm and the killer creates so much tension I really could not stop reading!

The characters are very well developed, easy to love or hate, and the story is very believable. I'm looking forward to reading Kava's latest, Hotwire!


--Helen Jones

FTC Disclaimer: This book was provided by the publisher.

THE HAUNTING OF MADDY CLARE by Simone St. James (NAL Trade)

I didn't expect to like this book all that well. The ghost stories I've read are more or less the same. They tend to be superficial and obvious in their attempt to scare you.
I didn't expect anything different from this one. (You can hear the "But" coming, right?......). Well, here it is—BUT—this book was creepily enjoyable or enjoyably creepy and I found myself hooked without having to read pages and pages. It is a book set in the 1920's and I usually don't like these historical types. Here's another "BUT"—
BUT, this book was historically but definitely not dusty.

About halfway through the book, I wondered what in the world could possibly happen that would require pages and pages of writing. I felt that it had to end very soon, but the twists and turns continued to capture my attention, and by the end of the book, I had even more serious thoughts and "what if's" roiling around in my head.

I liked this book immensely. It was well-written and well-crafted. I look forward now to her next book, also, I believe, about ghosts. To me, this story creates many questions about consciousness, about life, about death, about the universe and everything, to coin a phrase.

I heartily recommend this book, even to those who don't normally tend to read "woo-woo" stuff. It isn't a book that takes you so far out that you feel you're in the outer reaches of the lunatic fringe. There is something very real that the author says in this deliciously scary novel. If you don't believe in ghosts, but still have lingering
questions, read this book. It is fast-paced and believable.

The heroine is led to a life very different from her threadbare, dismal existence in 1920's London by saying "yes" to Alistair, a ghost hunter. Maddy Clare is a 19-year-old ghost who has haunted an old barn ever since she hung herself there. Alistair is an experienced ghost hunter and realizes that she is authentic. His side-kick, Matthew, is enigmatic and has War scars that are internal and external, but Sarah, the heroine, and Matthew are drawn to each other; theirs is a torrid romance. Together they work to discover Maddy's secrets—who she was, where she came from, and what is driving her to downright terrifying revenge. They are running out of time and know that Maddy could destroy
them all.

I like this book. It's riveting, suspenseful, and real. Don't believe in ghosts? Read this.

—Diane Esterly

FTC DIsclaimer - This book was provided by the publisher.

THE REAL MACAW by by Donna Andrews (Minotaur)

Meg Langslow hits the floor running. She's not letting the birth of twins nor the lack of sleep slow her down. It's the middle of the night and strange sounds are drifting up the stairs of her farmhouse. In the living room she is greeted by numerous dogs, cats, guinea pigs, rabbits and assorted other creatures. She knew the answers to this circus would certainly involve her father and grandfather!

Meg begins the task of ridding her home of the animal kingdom by seeking out the man who was a no show in picking up these critters. Her discovery of his body definitely put an end to any transport!

Meg has a slew of suspects to question including a cursing macaw. This bird knows more than he's telling. A cast of characters provide hilarious interruptions in Meg's dangerous quest for a killer!

Dive into the pages of The Real Macaw as Donna Andrews once again takes us on a exciting ride.

-- Karen Sayre

FTC Disclaimer - This book was provided by the publisher.

Cat Sitter’s Pajamas by Blaize Clement (Minotaur)

The Dixie Hemingway series is one of my favorites. Its covers or titles are quite misleading causing the reader to expect very light and fluffy cozy mysteries.

When I read Curiosity Killed the Cat Sitter, I discovered the first book in a very complex, skillfully written and at times heart-wrenching series. These books are brimming with sensitively portrayed characters who deal courageously with trauma and adversity. The Cat Sitter’s Pajamas is Clement’s most recent book in this series.

Living on the tropical barrier island of Siesta Key, located off the coast of Sarasota Florida, pet sitter Dixie Hemingway has a propensity for stumbling across bodies. Entering the home of famous football star Cupcake Trillin to care for his pampered cats, Dixie unexpectedly encounters a beautiful semi-dressed woman claiming to be Cupcake’s wife. There’s a problem with that assertion because Dixie knows Cupcake is vacationing in Italy with his wife Jancey.

When the police arrive to arrest the intruder, they discover the body of a woman; however, it’s not the body of the woman claiming to be Cupcake’s wife. So begins the tale of past secrets, deception, and people not being who they seem or claim to be.

Cat Sitter’s Pajamas can be read as a stand-alone mystery; however, I strongly recommend you read the series in order. Doing so will help you better appreciate Clement’s characters’ development and the back story of the family relationships that have shaped Dixie. You’ll have more opportunities to feel the soft breezes of Florida, hear the gulls squawking as parakeets fly by and smell the salty air of Siesta Key which is a character and place you will want to embrace and return to again and again.

Sadly, Blaize Clement passed away in July 2011. Her eighth book is about half completed, with an extensive outline, according to her son John Clement.

--Karen Kiley

Live Book Chat - M. J. Rose

You are cordially invited to take part in a LIVE BookTrib author chat with M.J. Rose on Tuesday, March 6th at 3 p.m. as she discusses THE BOOK OF LOST FRAGRANCES and her other bestselling novels. Here's a chance to chat and win a copy of the book—as well as the fragrance it inspired.

Mark your calendar!

Mystery Give Away

Occasionally my to-be-read (TBR) pile simply overwhelms me. This time, I've decided to pass along a debut novel that interests me, but I simply don't have time to read. Fortunately, Viking/Penguin has agreed to send it directly to a Meritorious Mysteries reader. Here's a little about it:

In Keith McCafferty’s debut novel, THE ROYAL WULFF MURDERS (Viking; On-sale: February 20, 2012; ISBN: 978-0-670-02326-4; $26.95) the dead body of a young man is reeled-in on the Madison, the king of Montana fly fishing rivers, with a Royal Wulff fly stuck through his lip and a stick jammed in one eye. It’s an unusual, but easily explained drowning. Or so some would like to think. The local sheriff, Martha Ettinger, suspects foul play, but has to tread lightly since fly fishing is the top money maker in town. As she follows her instincts, she soon finds herself crossing paths with a Montana newcomer and one-time small beat private detective Sean Stranahan.

If you'd be willing to do a short review of THE ROYAL WULFF MURDERS, just email me a note with your mailing address. (Just click on "About Me" to find my email address.) I'll pick a name from the virtual hat and send it along to the publisher. Please don't put your info in the comments section.

Contest for Joan Hess's Latest

Criminal Element is offering a contest to win the newest Claire Malloy mystery, Deader Homes and Gardens. I thoroughly enjoy this series and recommend it often. Here's a brief encapsulation from Criminal Element that's much better than I could do:

Enter for a chance to win the latest mystery by Joan Hess! As soon as Claire Malloy returns from her honeymoon, it’s obvious that she, teen daughter Caron, and new husband, police chief Peter Rosen, don’t fit in the apartment. Of course, when Claire goes house-shopping—and worse, falls in love with a place—the agent disappears, people get litigious, and once-accidental deaths become mysterious. Fans of this funny series wouldn’t have it any other way! Here's your chance to win a copy of Deader Homes and Gardens now!

Mystery Losses

It's always sad when we lose favorite mystery writers. Our latest is Dorothy Gilman, author of the "Mrs. Pollifax" novels, who died February 2. Gilman was named Mystery Writers of America's Grand Master in 2010.

Today, Karen Kiley of the Cary Public Library told me that Blaize Clement who wrote the popular Dixie Hemingway pet sitter series had died in July. Clement's latest, The Cat Sitter's Pajamas, was just out in January. Karen promises a review of that one soon.

Contest for Deborah Crombie's NO MARK UPON HER

Harper Collins is running a fun contest on Killer Instincts this week for a signed copy of No Mark Upon Her and a stuffed pink hippo in advance of the new book coming out next week. Two additional winners will receive a Deborah Crombie starter kit.

I'm a big fan of Deborah's Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James British police procedurals and I can't wait to read their latest adventure.

Deborah's on the left beside her good buddy Marcia Talley.