Culinary Mystery List

A discussion on Dorothy-L about culinary mysteries prompted me to offer to share the handout sheet I gave to folks who attended my "Cooking Up Murder" lecture at a local library. As promised, here's the link to the PDF. I hope you find some new authors.


Download PDF here

BRUSH WITH DEATH by Hailey Lind (Signet Mystery)

This delightful "Art Lover's Mystery" series will have a wide audience even beyond the art world. Annie Kincaid is a talented artist who's outside the realm of respectibility--partly because of her own talent and partly because her grandfather is a world famous forger. Annie's trying to stay on the straight and narrow, but her faux finishing business just doesn't bring in enough capital. When an opportunity for a profitable job arises, she has to take it, even if it is in a columbarium adjacent to a graveyard. Grave robbers, suspicious suicides, and a missing Old Master provide the framework for a crackerjack mystery. A hunky art thief, a drop-dead goodlooking security expert, and an unscrupulous developer add romance and suspense. Quirky sidekicks and genuinely likeable cameo characters "kick things up a notch." Finally, there's Annie, a hard worker who frequently finds herself between a rock and a hard place. BRUSH WITH DEATH not only escapes the dreaded third book curse, it is surely the best yet! Hailey Lind is a must read.

DEATH AT THE OLD HOTEL by Con Lehane (Thomas Dunne Books)

Serendipitity plays a big part in my life. On the same day I received an early copy of DEATH AT THE OLD HOTEL by Con Lehane, I got an email from Rene Martin at Quail Ridge Books asking if I'd like to introduce him when he came to the store. I'm so glad of this opportunity. Con will be at the store on Tuesday, June 19, at 7:00.

Con's protagonist is Brian McNulty, a bartender in NYC. The hotel where Brian works is old, and the workers are not adequately represented by their union. After a strike begins, murders ensue, a baby is kidnapped, mobsters intervene, and the IRA extends its reach.

Lehane knows his characters well, and so will his readers. This third book in the series will have you begging for more.

OLD WOUNDS by Vicki Lane (Dell Mystery)

Vicki Lane doesn't churn out four books a year; rather, she writes carefully worded Southern sagas that pull the reader into the lives of her characters in the manner of Lee Smith. In this outing, Elizabeth Goodweather is about to put widowhood in her past; she's ready to begin a new relationship. Her daughter Rosemary changes that when she is compelled to investigate the sudden disappearance of her childhood friend more than 20 years ago. Once again Lane explores the lives of people who keep their own council--Cherokee and Appalachian mountain folk. OLD WOUNDS is not just a cracking good mystery; it's a worthy piece of Southern literature. If you can't visit the North Carolina mountains in person, enjoy this literary journey.

FORESTS OF THE NIGHT by David Stuart Davies (Thomas Dunne Books)

When London policeman John Hawke volunteered for duty during World War II, he dreamed of serving his country. He never considered the possibility of being wounded during training, losing an eye, and, consequently losing his ability both to serve his country and to return to his profession. Chosing to make virtual lemonade from life's lemons, he sets up as a private investigator. A job investigating the disappearance of a young woman offers an opportunity to prove his skills in his chosen profession. A chance meeting with a runaway boy awakens him to his humanity. More Johnny Hawke, please!

THE STAR by David Skibbins (Thomas Dunne Books)

What's an aging hippie to do? After being underground since 1970, Warren Ritter is still trying to keep a low profile in Berkeley. But when the daughter he never knew he had until this year asks for help, he knows he has to be there for her. After all, her underlying problem, bipolar disorder, is his problem too. Fran's marriage to a police officer is going down the tubes, and Orrin is trying to get custody of six-month-old Justin. Warren pulls out all the stops in his efforts to help Fran—including allowing his therapist to drive his prized Aprilia motorcycle. When I saw "A Tarot Card Mystery" on the front cover, I was skeptical. Once I met Warren, I was in for the ride. Now I'm going back to the bookstore to find EIGHT OF SWORDS and HIGH PRIESTESS.

So many books, so little time!

THE BLIGHT WAY & AVALANCHE by Patrick McManus (Simon & Schuster)

Stuck in a doctor's waiting room about 20 years ago, I idly leafed through a "Field and Stream" magazine trying to find something to fill the time. An article's title struck me as vaguely funny, so I began reading. In that few moments, I was hooked. I wrote the name Patrick F. McManus in my Palm Pilot and began searching for anything he had written. I devoured every book of outdoor essays and read them aloud to anyone who would listen.

Later, I drove an hour to hear him speak at a booksigning. The store was packed. He was an hour late but nobody left. We knew, from reading his books, that he'd probably gotten lost.

When I learned he'd moved on to write mysteries, I immediately ordered them from Quail Ridge Books in Raleigh. Meeting Sheriff Bo Tully was much like being introduced to an old friend. Once again, I reveled in being in the wild Rocky Mountains with a competent yet self-deprecating guide. Even as I laughed aloud, I appreciated the strength of the story-telling and the skill of dropping clues and placing red herrings. Welcome to the mystery world, Mr. McManus!

TRIAL AND ERROR by Paul Levine (Bantam)

When a new Soloman and Lord novel appears in my mailbox, I clear my docket for the rest of the day. Their cases are always wacky, always clever, and always endearing. Steve Soloman will try almost anything to win acquital for his clients; Victoria Lord will follow the law to the letter. When they're together, pandemonium is always waiting in the wings. What elevates this series, for me, is the overriding love they both have for Steve's brilliant nephew who has autism. This time, Bobby brings the case to his uncle—somebody has freed the dolphins from Cetacean Park. Of course, it's not that easy, and there's much more to it than appears on the surface.

Drag out your hammock, pour yourself a cool one, and kick back and relax with Florida's most loveable law team.

JIGSAW by Jerry Kennealy (Thomas Dunne Books)

Imagine Drew Carey as the entertainment critic for a San Francisco newspaper. Give him a zany mother, a dashing father, and a set of emails from someone giving clues to Alfred Hitchcock movies. Then watch as the clues foretell the murder of an industry friend. Imagine Drew's, er— Carroll Quint's, consternation as he investigates, only to find indicators that point him to his mother as the killer, while the police think they point to him. JIGSAW is a wonderfully plotted, charming look at murder. I hope to see more of Quinn.

BEADS OF DOUBT by Barbara Burnett Smith & Karen MacInerney (Berkley Prime Crime)

Family name and old money don't necessarily isolate one from trouble. Just ask Kitzi Camden, former Texas state senator and daughter and granddaughter of Texas governors. On the first day of a huge weekend fundraiser that she will host at her 8000 square foot mansion, she learns her cousin is trying to evict her from the family home and that a body was found in a nearby dumpster. Throw in a handsome man, a terminally ill friend, and an aging mother, and Kitzi has just about all she can handle.

Barbara Burnett Smith was nominated for an Agatha for the first in this series, BEAD ON TROUBLE, as she was for her first cozy several years ago. Sadly, she was killed in an accident before finishing this entry. Kaaren MacInerney did a fine job of completing the manuscript.

Barbara's sister died with ovarian cancer months before Barbara's accident. BEADS OF DOUBT was an attempt to raise awareness of the disease and, at the same time, to pay tribute to her sister. I miss my email correspondence with Barbara and miss seeing her at conferences. Still, this book brought back warm memories of my friend.

Highly Recommended

THE FINISHING SCHOOL by Michele Martinez (William Morrow)
Federal prosecutor Melanie Vargas has a tough new case: Two dead teenaged girls in a Park Avenue penthouse. Melanie also has a tough home life. She's not quite divorced and her baby daughter is sick. This one is a nail biter--don't start it at bedtime!

PIECE OF MY HEART by Peter Robinson (William Morrow)
Robinson frequently pairs an old crime with a contemporary one. In this outing, a young woman is murdered at a 1969 rock music festival and DCI Alan Banks and DI Annie Cabbot investigate the murder of a freelance journalist who's writing a story about one of the bands that played the weekend of the festival. As always, Robinson ties the stories together beautifully, revealing that the 60's weren't all peace and flower power--and that the past is always with us.

THE SPELLMAN FILES by Lisa Lutz (Simon and Schuster)
This quirky novel isn't really a mystery, but it is about a family-run detective agency in San Francisco. Family members follow each other, pick locks on bedroom doors, and leave the house through windows, but they rally round when one of their own is in peril. If you'd be embarrassed by laughing aloud, don't read this in public.

MURDER AMONG THE OWLS by Bill Crider (St. Martin's Minotaur)

Don't you hate it when you have to start work before you even get there? Sheriff Dan Rhodes' day began when a cat slipped into his back door. When he tried to return it to his elderly neighbor, he found--well, you know what he found. Who on earth would want to kill a member of the Older Women's Literary Society? Rhodes soon found that like in academia, the battles in clubs are often extremely bitter because the stakes are so low. Rhodes learns a lot about his town and the people who populate it when he investigates this murder. Dan Rhodes is my number two favorite sheriff of all time--right behind Andy Taylor!

DAMSELS IN DISTRESS by Joan Hess (St. Martin's)

I've read all of the Claire Malloy series, and I honestly think this was the best. Claire is beset on both sides when a high school history teacher requires next year's students (including Caron, who's prone to speaking in capital letters) to participate in a renaissance fair and the fair's jester wants to stage performances in front of the bookstore. Somehow Claire can't get too enthusiastic about the sponsoring organization--Association for Renaissance Scholarship & Enlightenment (ARSE), but once compelled to comply, she realizes the acronym is extremely accurate. In such a setting, murder is inevitiable.

Satire drips from the pages like honey from a comb, reminding us that when we take ourselves too seriously we usually provide others a good laugh.

Mardi Gras Murder & Louisiana Too!

While the Eva Perry Library is closed for renovation, we've moved the monthly ""Molly on Mysteries" programs to the Apex Community Center. Last month's program was on mysteries set at Mardi Gras and/or in Louisiana. I didn't get the reading list done in time to take with me, so I'm posting it here. I hope you find some new authors to try.


Download PDF here

Virginia Festival of the Book

Whew--I've been too busy reading to post reviews! I was fortunate to be asked to moderate two panels (which totaled 10 great mystery writers) at the venerable Virginia festival. Fortunately, for the time involvement, I was familiar with all the works of the writers on the "Small Towns Are Murder" panel and several on the "Stop: You're Killing Me with Laughter" panel. Two members of the humor panel were brand new to me, and I was glad to find new authors to read even though I was forced to go into marathon reading mode. (Tough job, huh?)

The small town panel included Marcia Talley, Sharon Short, Heather Webber, Denise Swanson, and JB Stanley. I've known everybody but JB for several years--in fact all of them have visited me for mini NC tours--and JB's publicist has done a good job of ensuring that I knew her series.

The humor panel folks were Donna Andrews, Elaine Viets, JD "Dusty" Rhoades, Bob Morris, and Linwood Barclay. Even though Dusty is an NC neighbor, I hadn't seen his books, and I hadn't come across Linwood's either. Fortunately, both of them have very responsive publicists, and I was fully caught up on everyone's writing by the time of the conference last month.

I'll be sharing reviews of everybody's books in the coming days. Claim your easy chair now. You're in for some great reading.

RED CAT by Peter Spiegelman (Alfred A. Knopf)

Shamus-Award-winner Spiegelman brings back private detective John March in a gritty New York novel. Even though John's brother (who followed the family business path) still openly despises him, he needs him. David is being harassed by a young woman whom he met online and subsequently had a seedy affair. Soon after John takes the case, a body washes up in the East River and David becomes the chief suspect. Family secrets unfold about not only the victim, but about David, and even John. The stark white New York winter provides a fitting backdrop for red hot crime.

SNIPPED IN THE BUD by Kate Collins (Signet)

It seems that my favorite florist isn't everybody's favorite! When Abby Knight delivers a special order to an old law school professor with whom she's had a recent altercation, he is murdered—and she's the chief suspect. Somebody's seeing to that. Abby's troubles don't end with the police. Her air-headed cousin Jill has moved in temporarily, crowding Abby and her roommate beyond endurance. Plus, Jill's started a home fashion business, with her entire inventory in the apartment. When Abby has to go undercover to find other suspects, Jill proves her worth. SNIPPED has plenty of action, nice touches of romance, and enough red herrings to confuse us all. I enjoy this refreshing series.

BERMUDA SCHWARTZ by Bob Morris (St. Martin's Minotaur)

It's not just an invitation to a seventieth birthday party that draws Zack Chasteen to Bermuda. It's not even the opportunity to sell the birthday gal eight palm trees at an exhorbitant price. Mostly, it's the opportunity to drink rum on the island with Barbara Pickering. Zack ignores the old adage, "if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is." Before he even unpacks his suitcase, he's discovered a body. Soon he's tangled up with not only a local treasure-finding legend but the local mafia. Bob Morris proves that writing about brutal murder can be done with a light hand. I'm going back and reading this series from the beginning!

"Baby, It's Cold Outside"

For once, the North Carolina weather cooperated with the topic for a program. Everybody was shivering as we came into the Eva Perry Library in Apex Sunday afternoon. It wasn't quite snowing, but the rain was COLD--especially since we'd been in the 70's four days earlier. I'm posting a pdf file of the handouts for the program here:


Cold.pdf


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THE CHEMISTRY OF DEATH by Simon Beckett (Delacorte Press)

Nobody in the rural English village asked David Hunter about his past. Most of him accepted him as their physician when the couldn't see his employer. When two young brothers discover a young woman's remains, Hunter is forced to reveal some of his former skills. He was, in fact, one of London's leaders in forensics. As more murder follow, Hunter is drawn more closely into the investigation, first as a suspect, later as a target. CHEMISTRY provides a chilling look at village life and a grisly look at human remains.