Mysteries for Summer Reading
by Larry Cox on Jun. 12, 2011, under UncategorizedA Conflict of Interest by Adam Mitzner (Gallery Books, $25)
Adam Mitzner is a practicing attorney in New York City which gives his debut novel both authenticity and insight.
Thirty-five-year-old Alex Miller is a criminal defense attorney and the youngest partner in one of the most powerful law firms in New York City. While attending his father’s funeral, Alex is approached by Michael Ohlig, a mysterious man with connections to the Miller family. He asks Alex for help in a high profile criminal investigation involving an alleged brokerage scam and the loss of millions of dollars by investors. Even though Ohlig insists that he has done nothing wrong, can Miller believe him?
In this multi-layered story of suspense, unexpected plot twists, and characters that seem to leap from the printed pages, Mitzner has written a thriller that is vivid and intelligently executed.
Fallen by Karin Slaughter (Delacorte Press, $26)
Georgia Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Faith Mitchell finds a bloody footprint on the door of her childhood home. Her anxiety increases when she goes to pick up her four-year-old daughter at her mother’s and discovers the child alone in a tool shed. A hostage standoff in her mother’s bedroom and the fact that her mom has vanished forces Mitchell to request help from her partner, Will Trent, and Sara Linton, a trauma doctor.
As the case begins to unfold, Mitchell finds herself confronting police corruption, bribery, murder, and even the people she respects in a desperate effort to find her mother and uncover the truth.
Karin Slaughter has written a novel that is complex, unsettling, and with one of the meatiest suspense plots of the summer.
The Inspector and Science: An Inspector Van Veeteren Mystery by Hakan Nesser and translated from the Swedish by Laurie Thompson (Pantheon, $24.95)
Swedish-based writer Hakan Nesser won the European Crime Fiction Award for this book, and for good reason. His fourth book in the Inspector Van Veeteren series, finds the crime investigator long overdue for a holiday. When an anonymous caller reports the body of a young woman found dead in a forest near a camp run by a religious group, Van Veeteren springs to action. The victim, who has been brutally raped and strangled, calls attention to a secretive religious sect, the Pure Life.
Oscar Yellinek, the group’s leader, directs his flock to remain silent and not cooperate with the investigators which, of course, causes Van Veeteren to get even more involved. Help comes from a mysterious tipster which uncovers even more horrifying crimes causing the investigation to take an unexpected new turn.
Nesser has built a reputation for being one of the top crime novelists in Scandinavia. Much like two of his previous books, “The Return,” and “Woman with Birthmark,” this is suspense writing at its very best. Inspector Van Veeteren is quickly becoming one of Europe’s most popular literary crime detectives.
Mystery: An Alex Delaware Novel by Jonathan Kellerman (Ballantine, $28)
Clinical psychologist Jonathan Kellerman attracted international attention with the publication of his first novel, “When the Bough Breaks,” a work which seemed to break all of the rules. For starters, the book introduced two colorful characters, child psychologist Alex Delaware and Milo Sturgis, a LAPD Homicide Detective who just happened to be the first openly gay cop in mainstream mystery fiction.
In his latest novel in the Alex Delaware series, Alex and Milo find themselves on a twisted case involving love and revenge, all set against the explosive backdrop of Los Angeles’s hottest online dating community. The case centers around the mutilation of a young woman dumped on a lonely stretch of road. Adding to the complexity of the case is the fact that the victim is a woman Alex recognizes from a recent visit to a trendy restaurant. The time of her death reveals that she was murdered shortly after Alex and his girlfriend, Robin, left the restaurant, adding even more intrigue to the mystery.
Kellerman’s books have sold an astonishing 70 million copies, due in no small part to his use of the memorable neighborhoods of Los Angeles, his use of cutting-edge science, and characters and plots that make for spectacular reading.
Eve by Iris Johansen (St. Martin’s Press, $27.99)
In the first of a planned trilogy, Eve Duncan, a forensic sculptor, is haunted by the disappearance of her daughter, Bonnie, who was taken some years ago. When a name from her past resurfaces, Eve wonders if this man, John Gallo, could be the key to finding out where Bonnie is and if she is still alive.
What gives this novel its brisk pace is an intelligent narrative that is laced with a brilliantly executed plot which grabs readers and holds them until the very last page. As Eve explores Gallo and his possible involvement, she must confront her early life and her long-guarded secrets.
The Fallen Angel by David Hewson (Delacorte, $25)
The Fallen Angel, the ninth novel in the widely acclaimed Nic Costa series, is a modern-day crime story set in Rome that runs parallel to the 16th Century real-life tragedy of Beatrice Cenci, a young, abused Italian noblewoman, was beheaded by the Vatican in 1599 for conspiring with other members of her family to murder their incestuous patriarch. This blend of ancient history and the modern world make for a multi-layered tale that is smart, brilliantly written, and compelling.
When Nic Costa and his police detectives are confronted with a murder that has been staged to look like an accident, he investigative skills of observation begin to kick in. Adding to the mystery surrounding the murder of Mina are her angry and silent mother, a brother who has vanished, and her family’s bizarre and checkered history in England, the United States, and Italy. Costa is disturbed by what he sees as a parallel between the Cenci case and the more recent murder of Mina.
The Medusa Amulet by Robert Masello (Bantam, $26)
The plot of this inventive novel revolves around a priceless amulet, originally crafted by Benvenuto Cellini, a master artisan of Renaissance of Italy. Once owned by popes, conquerors, and members of royalty, it has become the ultimate treasure and an answer to a riddle that has puzzled mankind since the beginning of time.
David Franco, a young scholar at Chicago’s world-renowned Newberry Library, begins a wild adventure that unfolds from the gritty streets of Chicago to the chateaux of France, from the ramparts of the French Revolution to the palazzos of Rome.
What begins as a simple investigation of the Medusa Amulet quickly becomes a twisted tale of danger, suspense, and intrigue. As Franco crosses continents and the turbulent history of several centuries, he is aided by a beautiful young Florentine who has the mind of a conspirator and dark secrets. Pursued by assassins, Franco must confront and defeat an evil greater than his most frightening nightmares.
Among the Missing by Morag Joss (Delacorte, $25)
Morag Joss, a native of Scotland, has published three major mysteries. “Half Broken Things” was a bestseller and winner of the Silver Dagger Award of the Crime Writer’s Association. Her latest novel, “Among the Missing,” is, I think, her best and an exceptional piece of writing.
When a bridge collapses in the Highlands of Scotland, dozens of commuters fall into the freezing river below and vanish beneath the surging waters heading toward the sea. The horrible tragedy is captured by an amateur videographer as well as the bridge’s security camera.
A woman tourist, whose car was filmed pulling onto the bridge just as it fell, is assumed to be among the missing. In an unexpected plot twist, it is revealed that the woman, in desperate need of money, had sold her car just hours before and the horrifying event will allow her to begin a new life. She rents a cabin, renames herself Annabel, and begins a friendship with an illegal immigrant who has lost her husband and their child.
This is a marvelously executed narrative that underscores the invisible ties that bind us to our identities, to our histories, and to one another. Joss has been compared to such writers as Ruth Rendell and P.D. James and her latest book showcases her talent masterfully.
Trader of Secrets by Steve Martini (William Morrow, $26.99)
Defense Attorney Paul Madriani finds himself pursuing an angry killer who will stop at nothing short of vengeance involving two missing NASA scientists who are holding secrets that a hostile government wants to purchase in any way possible. Added to the dangerous mix is Adariana’s daughter, Sarah, who is being tracked by a man known as Liquida, a contract killer. For her own safety, Sarah is being kept under armed guard on a small farm in Ohio. Early one morning, Sarah goes for a predawn run not realizing that at that same moment her assailant is waiting outside, patiently in the dark.
Paul Madriani heads to Paris in search of a man whose name was found among papers left in Liquida’s safe but shortly after arriving, he learns that this man, a former NASA employee, has been killed. Stolen NASA technology, a nuclear weapon that until recently has only been on the drawing board, danger at every turn and a desperate race against time that stretches from California to Washington, DC, Bangkok to Paris, the jungles of Mexico to Europe becomes both horrific and destructive as Madriani races against time to find Liquida and the scientist who is the “trader of secrets.”
White Shotgun: An FBI Special Agent Ana Grey Novel by April Smith (Knopf, $25.95)
While Ana Grey witnesses a drive-by shooting at an Italian restaurant in London, she helps the injured and even gives a sworn statement even though she is on vacation. Shortly after, the FBI contacts her, not because they want her to pursue the investigation of the London shooting but rather to look into a half sister she never knew she had. Cecilia, who lives in Siena, is married to a coffee mogul with suspicious connections. As Ana begins to dig, she soon realizes she will have to make an almost impossible choice between duty and family.
Smith, who lives in Santa Monica, California, has written several previous books including “Judas Horse” and “North of Montana.”
