THE DIRTY SECRETS CLUB by Meg Gardiner (Dutton)

During a San Francisco earthquake two members of a secret club enact a stunt that becomes the beginning of disaster. Soon afterwards, police lieutenant Amy Tang calls forensic psychiatrist Jo Beckett to a wreck to determine whether it was accident or suicide. Tang's concern is that similar events have ben recurring in 48-hour increments. The two women work frantically to determine who, why—and who's next. Jo's work is intensified when she becomes personally involved, both physically and emotionally.

Gardiner plays totally fair with the reader—the clues are there—but the twists are hidden. Fortunately, I began this one on Sunday afternoon, with plenty of time to reach the riveting climax before bedtime.

HOW TO WRITE KILLER HISTORICAL MYSTERIES by Kathy Lynn Emerson (Perseverance Press)

I knew Kathy was writing this book and I knew it would be good; but, I didn't know it would be THIS good! Kathy Emerson writes cracker-jack historical mysteries (two series), and she's sharing all her secrets in this short primer. Just glancing through the table of contents would help a novice writer avoid dangerous pitfalls—but the glancer would miss wonderful tidbits of information from some of the most widely-read historical mystery writers. Emerson doesn't limit her suggestions to her own; she's solicited input from writers, booksellers, reviewers, and readers. Her points are valid from multiple views.

I'd recommend this book to anyone who is considering writing mysteries (whether historical or not) or historicals (whether mysteries or not).

COUNT TO TEN by Karen Rose (Grand Central Publishing)

I don't usually review books by bestselling authors--I figure they're too easy to find, but Rose's publicist did a good job of follow-up with me, so I promised to read this one and give it a chance. Boy, I'm glad I did!

Arson investigator Lt. Reed Solliday isn't too happy with being teamed with brash, bossy Det. Mia Mitchell, but the rash of house fires has just accelerated into homicide. There's an obvious thread among the crimes, and Sully and Mia must define it before they can identify the perp. Even as the two make headway on their investigations (and their relationship) the crimes become more violent—and personal.

Rose really knows how to plot a page-turner! You'll find yourself looking over your shoulder as you read by the midnight oil.

THE MERCY OAK by Kathryn Wall (St. Martin's Minotaur)

I knew my cousin Ann Schafran was a big fan of Kathryn Wall, so I asked her to review this one for you. Here's her assessment:

Spring is my favorite time of the year. I love it because the long dark days of winter are gone, trees and flowers begin to bloom and leaf, and Kathryn Wall publishes another Bay Tanner mystery. Since reading her first book, I have become addicted. I love the thrill of the mystery and the way she weaves two or more into her books. I also lover Hilton Head Island, so I thoroughly enjoy reading about places I know and enjoy visiting.

In this outing, Bay is faced with a mystery that has touched very close to home—her very much loved housekeeper and her family are involved. While trying to find out what happened in a hit and run, Bay deals with an immigration problem, several holdups, the disappearance of her housekeeper and her family and even finds herself in danger along with her father’s longtime housekeeper Lavinia.

She has also found a stronger liking for Red, the deputy sheriff and the brother of her deceased husband. By the end of the book, all problems have been solved to the satisfaction of the reader; and, Bay, along with the Sheriff’s Department has solved the crimes.

EVEN CAT SITTERS GET THE BLUES by Blaize Clement (Thomas Dunne)

Don't let the turquoise cover with the cute cat picture scare you off reading this! Dixie Hemingway IS a pet sitter, and she does get around her barrier island home on a bicycle. BUT when the first sentence in a book is "Christmas was coming, and I had killed a man," you can put your money down that it's not going to be a light-weight cozy. It's a cozy, but it's got real murder, real drama, and an imaginative story line.

An ex-homicide cop, Dixie is burned out on dealing with dead bodies and crime, so she neglects to report the body of a dead man while she's out on her pet-sitting rounds. Naturally, she's seen and tied to the crime. Did I mention that the body was at the home of her newest client or that the client has a mystery of his own?

I look forward to my next visit to Florida to spend time with Dixie!

EASY INNOCENCE by Libby Fischer Hellmann (Bleak House)

There's a new female PI in Chicago! Suspended cop Georgia Davis isn't afraid of a challenge. When a mentally retarded man is about to be railroaded for the murder of a beautiful high school girl, Georgia signs on to help, even though his attorney is ready to accept a plea bargain. There's plenty rotten in the case—and it's not just the fish guts that make two cameo appearances. From dirty politics to lazy cops to teenage hazing, this case is bad from beginning to end. Georgia Davis, however, is one tough cookie, and she's not about to let a little personal danger (well, a lot of personal danger) deter her from following her leads. Welcome, Georgia Davis, to the world of crime fiction!

THE ANATONISTS by Hal McDonald (Harper)

McDonald pays homage to the great one and his chronicler in this tale of two medical students in Victorian London. Forced to apply to a "ressurectionist" for a body to complete their anatomy studies, Edward Montague (Watson) and Jean-Claude Legard (Holmes) find themselves compelled to solve a crime before they can perform an autopsy—and before their medical school is brought down for sanctioning grave-robbing. Sit back and enjoy the game!

McDonald is the winner of the truTV "Search for the Next Great Crime Writer" and a professor of English at Mars Hill College in North Carolina. I was delighted that McDonald bestowed encomium without writing a pastiche.

DEATH WILL GET YOU SOBER by Elizabeth Zelvin (Thomas Dunne)

You guessed it! The protagonist in this book is drying out in rehab. There's a lot of death going on--first Bruce stumbles on a body in the laundry room and then his new friend dies in front of him. And they're just the first two! Fortunately, Bruce has a strong support team--Jimmy, his best friend from childhood (also a recovering alcoholic) and Jimmy's girlfriend Barbara who's a counselor. There are plenty of deaths for the team to investigate, and Bruce quickly realizes that he will have to stay sober to keep hold of all the threads.

This first Zelvin outing is filled with compelling characters and a solid story line even if a bit overladen with twelve-step rules. I look forward to future adventures with Bruce, Jimmy, and Barbara.

SLEEPING DOGS by Ed Gorman (Thomas Dunne Books)

What could be more appropriate at this time than a political whodunnit? Dev Conrad is a political consultant who admires the policies of his candidate while abhorring the man. Dev was hired to run Sen. Warren Nichols' reelection campaign after the former manager's suicide. All of Dev's resources are called to the front when Warren collapses at a televised debate. Gorman skillfully weaves reality into his fast-paced story filled with warm fuzzy and truly sleezy characters. This one could be, almost literally, "ripped from the headlines."

SLEIGHT OF HAND by Robin Hathaway (Thomas Dunne Books)

This Agatha winner just gets better and better! In her third outing, Dr. Jo Banks interrupts a country bike ride to investigate a sound from her childhood: the hum of an old printing press. The printer is surprised by her visit and catches his hand in the press. He refuses to go to the hospital and insists that Jo treat him in his home. Guilt overwhelms her, so she also provides follow-up treatment. She soon becomes entangled with the printer, his child-like daughter, and the woman who mysteriously abandoned them.

The story is engrossing, the characters compelling, and the read delightful.

THE KILLING ROOM by Peter May (Thomas Dunne)

Autopsies are considered gruesome for most of us, but 18 bodies in a mass grave in Shanghai chill even the professionals—these bodies appear to have been autopsied while alive. The grisly murders appear tied to an unsolved case in Beijing, so the whole mess becomes the responsibility of Beijing Detective Li Yan. He calls for the help of his estranged lover, American pathologist Margaret Campbell and the hunt is on. If the case were not difficult enough, the young deputy head of Shanghai's serious crime squad sets her eyes on Li, Margaret is just back from burying her father, and Li's young niece is kidnapped.

This was my first Peter May read, but it certainly won't be my last! I enjoyed the portrayal of China and its customs and being with characters who, while flawed, are good people performing badly under pressure.

GUN SHY by Donna Ball (Signet)

If you like dogs, mysteries, and stories set in the North Carolina mountains, you'll like this one. Raine Stockton has many parts: kennel owner, consultant for the Forest Service, dog trainer for search and rescue operations, wife, and full-time dog lover. Her two-time marriage with Deputy Sheriff Buck is loose, but ardent during on-again times, and that relationship is one reason she is called into emergencies for search and rescue operations. She is now called to resuce a trapped and wild-with-terror dog who's ferociously barking in a remote and unused cabin. If she can't help this Labrador Retriever, he will need to be shot. He's frantic because the body of his murdered mistress is in the bedroom of the cabin and the dog has been in there for several days. Dog lovers will understand the depth of this dog's pain and suffering.

The plot in this mystery is good with a surprise ending that couldn't be imagined. The labyrinthine trail to owner's identity is interesting. While superbly trained, the dog is understandably gun shy. The cast of characters in this small town is interesting, the plot is good, and the descriptions of the mountains during peak leaf season is great. This is a quick, satisfying read-especially on a cold North Carolina day.

--Diane Esterly

FRIEND OF THE DEVIL by Peter Robinson (William Morrow)

Although DCI Alan Banks and DI Annie Cabbot are no longer a couple, they're still tied together through their work, even when Annie is out on loan to another area. Annie's challenge is the murder of a quadriplegic in a wheelchair. Banks is faced with the brutal rape and murder of a teenager. Normally these cases wouldn't overlap, based on type of crime and divergent locations; however, Robinson is a master at intertwining story lines, so even without the jacket copy, the reader knows to pay attention.

I particularly like the way Robinson uses different formats in his writing. No one can ever accuse him of writing the same book over and over. This one had me finding excuses to eat alone in order to read!

STATE OF THE ONION by Julie Hyzy (Berkley)

Ok, it IS another culinary mystery—but this one is something more. Olivia "Ollie" Paras is an assistant chef at the White House, and in the running for executive chef. Along with Ollie, the reader meets the president and first lady, members of the Secret Service, and international terrorists. The story is current, edgy, and laden with calories—the kitchen staff is preparing for a state dinner. Did I mention that Ollie's competition for the new position is a cooking show star? Onion is a worthy entry to the ranks of engrossing cozies.

CONSEQUENCES OF SIN by Clare Langley-Hawthorne (Penguin)

All modern women need to be reminded now and again of the women who came before us--those who lobbied for women's rights. Ursula Marlow is a daughter of privilege in 1910 London, but she's also Oxford educated and a member of the Women's Social and Political Union. When she gets a middle-of-the-night phone call from a WSPU friend, she knows it's trouble. Finding the naked body of one's lover in one's bed is indeed trouble. Ursula does the only thing she can think of that will help Freddie--she calls in her father's business advisor and King's Counsel Lord Oliver Wrotham. Just getting an attorney doesn't help Freddie because Ursula is the only one who believes her friend is innocent. Ursula's fight to free Freddie takes her on an arduous adventure which brings to light wrongs from long ago and twisted relationships that continue over time. Overlaying the contorted mystery is the enormous struggle for women's rights.

Readers who enjoyed Miriam Grace Monfredo's series tracing the US women's rights movement from the Senecca Falls conference will relish Langley-Hawthorne's work.

PEPPERMINT TWISTED by Sammi Carter (Berkley Prime Crime)

Of all people, I should know better than to judge a book by its cover. Sometimes, though, I have to be reminded. Seeing a wagon made of candy, filled with candy, and the words "recipes inclulded" on the front, I thought this one would be mostly fluff. Instead I found a solid cozy mystery that was well written and thoroughly enjoyable.

Anyone who's ever been involved with a volunteer event will empathize with Paradise, Colorado's local artist guild when wealthy Felicity Asbury manages to get herself named director of the annual arts festival, replacing a dedicated, well-organized volunteer. As expected, Felicity throws her weight around and chaos ensues, followed by murder. Candy shop owner Abby Shaw finds herself not only more involved with the festival than she'd planned, but also a prime murder suspect.

Bonus: The recipes appear to be simple and tasty.

MURDER IN GOTHAM by Isidore Haiblum

This fun, fast-paced PI mystery is a throwback to the hardboilded thrillers I devoured from the 1950s.Haiblum puts in his own twists--Weiss, his likeable PI is Jewish, and his characters' speech patterns are straight from Damon Runyon. The mystery is clever, the people likeable, and the chapter headings from "The Casebooks of Morris Weiss" are not to be skipped. I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to Gotham!

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES by Maggie Barbieri (St. Martin's Minataur)

For a small Catholic college English professor, Alison Bergon has a lot of murder and mayhem in her life. In her first outing(Murder 101), she was suspected of murder. This time, she finds a victim in her kitchen, another in her neighbor's yard, and there's a mob boss popping up all over the place. Her boyfriend is not-quite divorced; her best friend, the priest, is trying to fix her up with his brother; and her next-door neighbor had an affair with Alison's husband. Did I mention the elderly deli owner who's got a crush on her?

Barbieri is writing mysterious chick lit at its best. You'll see why I sat up 'way too late finishing this one.

DYING TO BE THIN by kathryn Lilley (Obsidian Mystery)

In the first "Fat City" mystery, young Kate Gallagher comes to Durham NC to change her life. She's just out of a job (even having won an award as a TV producer; she's without a boyfriend; and she's up 50 pounds. She's investing part of her severance pay into a live-in diet program, and she's convinced a local TV station to let her do an ongoing segment about her progress on the air. Her plans change almost as soon as she checks in--not only does she find the director's body, but she realizes that there are many inconsistencies within the program. I thoroughly enjoyed this fast-paced romp through the world of weight loss and local TV programming.

STRING OF LIES by Mary Ellen Hughes (Berkley Prime Crime)

The second in the "Craft Corner" mysteries was just as enjoyable as the first (Wreath of Deception). When local developer Parker Holt begins buying up small businesses on her street, craft store owner Jo McAllister has reason to be concerned. Her worries escalate when her dear friend and husband of her best friend is the prime suspect in Parker's murder. Once again Jo galvanizes her customer-friends in her beading class to ferret out clues which will clear Dan's name.

I like Jo and her friends.The mystery is reasonable, with fair clues, and the tips on beading add color to the pages. I'd recommend this series to any cozy-reading crafter.