SYKM Book Giveaways

Book Giveaways

May 15th Giveaway

Peter Lovesey Cop to Corpse PC Harry Trasker is the third policeman in the Bath area to be shot dead in less than twelve weeks. The assassinations are the work of a sniper no one has been able to pin down. The younger detectives are no match for this murderer and his merciless agenda. This is a job for Chief Superintendent Peter Diamond, and it might be the most dangerous investigation of his life. We are giving away an advance uncopyedited edition of this 12th in the series, due June 12th. To enter the drawing, us with the following subject line: Win Lovesey. Please include your mailing address in your message. (Entries from US and Canada only, please.) The deadline for entries is midnight May 22, 2012. Finnegan will select the winner using the Random Number Generator. Good luck!
David Housewright Curse of the Jade Lily (Minotaur 2012) is the story of a stolen gem with a tragic history, a curse, and a million dollar ransom. Several years ago, Rushmore McKenzie became an unexpected millionaire and set about doing not much of anything. Now, showing up at his doorstep is the insurance company that paid the settlement that made him rich — and they want a favor. Someone has stolen a very expensive gem from a local art museum and is willing to ransom it back. The only condition is that McKenzie has to be the go between. And this is no ordinary gem — it is a jade with a history going back to the Qing Dynasty and a reputed curse that has ruined or killed everyone who has ever owned it. McKenzie agrees to help but what starts out as a simple ransom quickly becomes complicated. Suddenly other parties — including the State Department and a mysterious woman named Heavenly — start showing up, wanting McKenzie to turn over the gem to them. When the murdered body of one of the thieves turns up in a snow drift, it looks like the cursed Jade Lily has claimed its latest victim. (Giveaway ended 5/8/12. Our lucky winner was Wayne D. from Georgia.)
Lisa Brackmann Getaway (Soho 2012) is the story of Michelle Mason, who takes a brief vacation to the Mexican resort town of Puerto Vallarta while trying to figure out her next move after the unexpected death of her banker husband, who’s left behind a scandal and a pile of debt. The trip was already paid for, and it beats crashing in her sister’s spare room. When a good-looking man named Daniel approaches her on the beach, the margaritas have kicked in and she decides: why not? But the date doesn’t go as either of them planned. An assault on Daniel in her hotel room, switched cell phones, and an encounter with a “friend” of Daniel’s named Gary enmesh Michelle in a covert operation involving drug runners, goons, and venture capitalists. Michelle already knows she’s caught in a dangerous trap. But she quickly finds that running is not an option. If she’s not careful, she’ll end up buried in the town dump with the rest of the trash. Now she needs to fight smart if she wants to survive her vacation. (Giveaway ended 4/22/12. Our lucky winner was Cynthia B. from Massachusetts.)
James Lilliefors Viral (Soho 2012) is the story of a deadly virus that is quietly sweeping through impoverished Third World farming villages and shanty towns with frightening speed and potency. Meanwhile, in Washington DC, a three-word message left in a safe-deposit box may be the key to stopping the crisis—if Charles Mallory, a private intelligence contractor and former CIA operative, can decipher the puzzle before time runs out. Mallory discovers the traces of a secret war, with a bold objective—to create a new, technologically advanced society. With the help of his brother Jon, an investigative reporter, Mallory works to break the story to the world before it is too late—before a planned “humane depopulation” takes place. As the stakes and strategies of this secret war become more evident, the Mallory brothers find themselves in a complex game of wits with an enemy they can’t see: a new sort of superpower led by a brilliant, elusive tactician who believes that ends justify means. (Giveaway ended 4/8/12. Our lucky winner was Carl S. from Arizona.)
Jassy Mackenzie The Fallen (Soho 2012) begins with when private investigator Jade de Jong invites Superintendent David Patel on a scuba diving holiday in St. Lucia, she hopes the time away will rebuild their conflicted relationship. Jade’s dreams are soon shattered when David calls off their affair, pushing her into the arms of environmentalist Craig Niewoudt. But the next morning, romantic issues are put aside when a scuba diving instructor, Amanda Bolton, is found brutally stabbed to death. Amanda is a most unlikely candidate for murder—a quiet and intelligent woman who until a few months ago pursued a high-powered career as an air traffic controller. She had few acquaintances and no lovers. The only loose end is a postcard in her room from Jo’burg-based Themba Msamaya, asking how she is doing “after 813 and The Fallen.” Jade and David put their differences aside and start the deadly hunt. (Giveaway ended 3/31/12. Our lucky winner was Joyce P. from Colorado.)
Mike Cooper Clawback (Viking 2012) is the story of black ops vet Silas Cade, who becomes an “accountant” — the go-to for financiers who need things done quickly, quietly, and by any means necessary. Silas is hired by a major player to pay a visit to a hedge fund manager to demand clawback: the mandatory return of compensation paid on a deal that goes bad. But before Cade can tell his client that he got his ten million back, the guy turns up dead. And he’s not the first. Someone’s killing investment bankers whose funds have gone south. Silas’s scrubbed identity, and his insider’s perspective, makes him the ideal shadow man to track down whoever’s murdering some of the most hated managers on Wall Street. With the aid of a beautiful financial blogger looking to break her first big story, Silas tracks a violent security crew who may be the key to the executions. But as paranoia and panic spread, he begins to wonder: is the threat coming from inside the game — or out? (Giveaway ended 3/7/12. Our thanks to Langan Kingsley of Viking for providing the book for our lucky winner, Bob H. from British Columbia.)
Dana Stabenow Restless in the Grave (Minotaur 2012) teams up Aleut private investigator Kate Shugak and Alaska state trooper Liam Campbell for the first time. Alaska aviation entrepreneur Finn Grant died in the fiery crash of his Piper Super Cub. Someone sabotaged his engine, and virtually everyone in southwestern Alaska has a motive, including his betrayed wife, his bullied children, and Liam’s wife, bush pilot Wyanet Chouinard. With few places to turn, Liam asks his former mentor Niniltna post commander Sergeant Jim Chopin, for help, and Jim quickly brings Kate into the case. Working undercover as a waitress at Bill’s Bar and Grill, Kate learns over beer and burgers that Grant’s business had greatly expanded over the last two years. After buying the closed Air Force base south of town from the federal government at a bargain-basement price, Grant became a fixed-base operator running his fishing, hunting, and flight-seeing business, servicing planes flying through the area, and most interestingly and lucratively, getting into the air freight business. But what kind of freight was he moving, and where? (Giveaway ended 2/21/12. Thanks to Laura Clark of Minotaur, we had ten lucky winners: Anderew L. from Wisconsin, B.D. G. from British Columbia, Don H. from Washington, Jan J. from Ontario, Joan R. from Washington, Josette N. from Nebraska, Loretta H. from Virginia, Norm O. from California, Roxane F. from California, and Steven S.C. from Québec.)
Deborah Crombie No Mark Upon Her (William Morrow 2012) finds Scotland Yard superintendent Duncan Kincaid heading an investigation that begins when a K9 search-and-rescue team discovers a woman's body tangled up with debris in the river. The victim, Rebecca Meredith, was a talented but difficult woman with many admirers, and just as many enemies. An Olympic contender on the verge of a controversial comeback, she was also a high-ranking detective with the Met, a fact that raises a host of political and ethical issues in an already sensitive case. To further complicate the situation, a separate investigation, led by Detective Inspector Gemma James, Kincaid's wife, soon reveals a disturbing—and possibly related—series of crimes, widening the field of suspects. But when someone tries to kill the search-and-rescue team member who found Rebecca's body, the case becomes even more complex and dangerous, involving powerful interests with tentacles that reach deep into the heart of the Met itself. Surrounded by enemies with friendly faces, pressured to find answers quickly while protecting the Yard at all costs, his career and reputation on the line, Kincaid must race to catch the killer before more innocent lives are lost—including his own. (Giveaway ended 2/7/12. Our lucky winner was Tricia J. from California.)
Erin Kelly The Dark Rose (Pamela Dorman Books/Viking 2012) is a story of secrets and guilt set among the ruins of a sixteenth-century English garden. Paul was led into a life of crime by his boyhood protector, a bully named Daniel. Now, at nineteen, Paul must bear witness against his friend to avoid prison. Louisa’s own dark secrets led her to flee a desperate infatuation gone wrong many years before. Now she spends her days steeped in history, renovating the grounds of a crumbling Elizabethan garden. But her fragile peace is shattered when she meets Paul; he’s the spitting image of the one person she never thought she’d see again. These two, scarred and solitary, begin a secret affair, and Louisa starts to believe she can again find the happiness she had given up on. The Poison Tree (Penguin reissue 2012) begins when Karen and her nine-year-old daughter, Alice, pick up Rex from a ten-year stint in prison for murder. A flash back takes us to the sultry summer in 1990s London when Karen, an excellent student on the verge of college graduation, first meets the exotic, flamboyant Biba and joins her casual life in a crumbling mansion in Highgate. Karen begins a relationship with Biba’s enigmatic and protective older brother, Rex, and falls into a blissful rhythm of sex, alcohol, and endless summer nights. Naïvely, Karen assumes her newfound happiness will last forever. But Biba and Rex have a complicated family history—one of abandonment, suicide, and crippling guilt—and Karen’s summer of freedom ends badly. (Giveaway ended 1/22/12. Thanks to Sonya Cheuse, Publicity Manager at Viking/Penguin, we had three lucky winners: Cecilia H. from Kansas, Patty D. from Ohio, and Sylvie N. from Minnesota.)
Louise Penny A Trick of the Light (Macmillan Audio 2011), finds Armand Gamache, Chief Inspector of the Sûreté du Québec, attending the opening of Clara Morrow’s solo show at the Museé d’Art Contemporain in Montréal. Gamache falls into a conversation with François Marois, a powerful art dealer, who wonders if one of Clara’s portraits, Still Life, is truly great art, or if it’s just a trick of the light. Still feeling awkward about arresting Three Pines bistro owner Olivier for a murder he didn’t commit, Gamache doesn’t attend the party afterwards at Clara and Peter’s home in Three Pines. The next morning Clara finds the body of a murdered woman in her garden, and Gamache and his team move back into their usual headquarters in the old train station. The woman is identified as Lillian Dyson, a childhood friend of Clara’s who cruelly betrayed her when they attended art college. Lillian went on to become an art critic, known for her keen eye and occasional devastatingly brutal reviews: “He’s a natural, producing art like it’s a bodily function.” And since most of the art world attended Clara’s party, Gamache has plenty of motives, like envy and revenge, and plenty of suspects, with Clara and Peter at the top of the list. Penny’s books just keep getting better, as she continues to explore threads from earlier books: the residents of Three Pines struggle to forgive Olivier for his greed and dishonesty, Jean-Guy Beauvoir and Gamache try to cope with the after effects of their wounds and the deaths in the abandoned factory, Ruth waits for Rosa to return, and Clara and Peter finally face the reality of their disintegrating marriage. We are giving away the unabridged audio edition of this engrossing 7th in the series, beautifully narrated by Ralph Cosham, whose use of accented English and flawless French bring Penny’s characters and setting to life. (Giveaway ended 1/8/12. Our lucky winner was Pat J. from Oklahoma.)
Mignon F. Ballard Miss Dimple Disappears (Minotaur 2010) introduces Miss Dimple Kilpatrick, a beloved first-grade teacher for almost 40 years in Elderberry, Georgia. For young teacher Charlie Carr, life and love aren’t going exactly as planned—her head dictates loyalty to the handsome corpsman, Hugh, but whenever she thinks of her best friend’s beau, Will, her heart does the Jersey Bounce. When Miss Dimple disappears one frosty November morning in 1942, Charlie is doubly troubled. She is positive Miss Dimple would never just skip town in the middle of the school year, and determines to find the truth. Miss Dimple Rallies to the Cause (Minotaur 2011) finds Miss Dimple Kilpatrick and the town of Elderberry planning for the Bond Rally to support the troops fighting the war abroad. Miss Dimple’s friend, Virginia Balliew, has agreed to chair the big event, with the help of Buddy Oglesby. But when children discover a skeleton at the edge of a field, and Buddy disappears along with the war bond money, it’s clear that something is amiss in the little town. Miss Dimple, with the help of her fellow teachers, is soon on the case. (Giveaway ended 12/22/11. Thanks to publicist Tooraj Kavoussi and Bridget Hartzler from Minotaur we had three lucky winners: Cathi S. from Maryland, Carol H. from British Columbia, Nonie H. from Nevada.)
Colin Cotterill Slash and Burn (Soho 2011) finds Dr. Siri hoping to finally be allowed to retire (again). Although he loves his two morgue assistants, he’s tired of being Laos’s national coroner, a job he never wanted in the first place. Plus, he’s pushing eighty, and wants to spend some time with his wife before his untimely death (which has been predicted by the local transvestite fortune teller). But retirement is not in the cards for Dr. Siri after all. He’s dragged into one last job for the Lao government: supervising an excavation for the remains of U.S. fighter pilot who went down in the remote northern Lao jungle ten years earlier. The presence of American soldiers in Laos is a hot-button issue for both the Americans and the Lao involved, and the search party includes high-level politicians and scientists. But one member of the party is found dead, setting off a chain of accidents Dr. Siri suspects are not completely accidental. Everyone is trapped in a cabin in the jungle, and the bodies are starting to pile up. Can Dr. Siri get to the bottom of the MIA pilot’s mysterious story before the fortune teller’s prediction comes true? Thanks to Michelle Rafferty of Soho Press, we have a hardcover copy of the 8th in this quirky series to give away. (Giveaway ended 12/8/11. Our lucky winner was Sally B. from New Jersey.)
Denise Hamilton Damage Control (Scribner 2011), by critically acclaimed author Denise Hamilton, weaves an engrossing story of teenage friendship and adult betrayal, featuring a high-powered crisis consultant who gets swept up in murder and scandal involving a wealthy political family. Maggie Silver is solidly middle class, with a mortgage to pay and an ill mother to support. She is doing her best to scramble up the ladder at an elite PR firm in Southern California whose clients include movie stars and famous athletes. Now, Maggie tackles her toughest client yet: Senator Henry Paxton, a distinguished statesman who also happens to be the father of Anabelle, Maggie’s estranged best friend from high school. Senator Paxton’s young female aide has been found murdered, and Maggie must run damage control to prevent the scandal from growing. Thrown back into the Paxtons’ glamorous world, Maggie is unexpectedly flooded with memories from the stormy years in high school when her friendship with Anabelle was dramatically severed after a tragedy that neither of them has been able to forget. As Maggie gets further embroiled in the lives of the Paxtons, she realizes that the ties of her old friendship are stronger than she thinks. Riveting and suspense-filled, Damage Control examines our craving for celebrity and spectacle, and how far the bonds of friendship can stretch before they break forever. (Giveaway ended 11/22/11. Thanks to Darlene Chan we had three lucky winners: Ellen B. from New Jersey, Jan G. from Texas, and Judy F. from South Carolina.)
Tim Dorsey When Elves Attack: A Joyous Christmas Greeting from the Criminal Nutbars of the Sunshine State Just imagine Santa’s big belly protruding over a neon Speedo and you’re already picturing Christmas in Florida — Tim Dorsey-style! Yes, for this year’s holiday season, that lovable psycho-killer Serge Storms, and his doped-up side kick Coleman, are bringing their trademark mayhem to your local shopping mall in this short, hilarious novel that takes everything about Christmas in Florida for a wild ride. If Serge has his way, the office Christmas party will never be the same and there has to be some reward for sitting on Santa’s lap. So grab a six-pack, spike the egg nog, and hit the dunes of South Beach on a sleigh ride with Serge and Coleman. Even the reindeer are getting out of the way! (Giveaway ended 11/8/11. Thanks to Chelsey Emmelhainz of William Morrow we had 10 lucky winners: Barbara G. from North Carolina, Claudia W. from California, Christopher W. from California, Gale M. from Texas, James M. from Alabama, Jim E. from California, Leanna C. from Arizona, Mike G. from Colorado, Nancy S. from Ohio, and William H. from Hawaii.)
Sue Grafton V Is for Vengeance (Putnam 2011) finds private detective Kinsey Millhone shopping for underwear when she spots an older woman dropping some expensive lingerie into an oversized handbag. Kinsey reports the shoplifter to store security, and watches as the woman is detained. Later, Kinsey runs into the security guard later, and learns that the woman, who was identified as Audrey Vance, broke down in tears when she was taken away by the police. When a death notice appears in the paper a few days later, Kinsey is startled to see that Audrey’s body was found under a bridge, an apparent suicide. Coerced by a funeral-addict friend into attending the service, Kinsey meets Marvin Striker, Audrey’s fiancé, who hires her to find Audrey’s family and maybe even figure out why Audrey would want to commit suicide. Unfortunately Kinsey discovers that Audrey was a professional shoplifter, perhaps connected with a ring responsible for millions of dollars of stolen goods, not what Marvin was hoping to learn. But by the time he fires Kinsey, she is too immersed in the investigation to let go, despite the dangerous connection with organized crime. All of which results in Kinsey celebrating her 38th birthday with two black eyes and a broken nose. We are giving away a paperback advance uncorrected proof of this 22nd in the series. (Giveaway ended 10/22/11. Our lucky winner was Nerissa H. from Texas.)
Lene Kaaberbøl and Agnete Friis The Boy in the Suitcase Nina Borg, a Red Cross nurse, wife, and mother of two, is a compulsive do-gooder who can’t say no when someone asks for help, even when she knows better. When her estranged friend Karin leaves her a key to a public locker in the Copenhagen train station, Nina gets suckered into her most dangerous project yet. Inside the locker is a suitcase, and inside the suitcase is a three-year-old boy: naked and drugged, but alive. Is the boy a victim of child trafficking? Can he be turned over to authorities, or will they only return him to whoever sold him? When Karin is discovered brutally murdered, Nina realizes that her life and the boy’s are in jeopardy, too. In an increasingly desperate trek across Denmark, Nina tries to figure out who the boy is, where he belongs, and who exactly is trying to hunt him down. We are giving away a paperback advance uncopyedited edition, signed by the authors at Bouchercon in St. Louis; this thriller is due for US release on November 8th. (Giveaway ended 10/8/11. Our lucky winner was Robert C. from California.)
Judi McCoy Hounding the Pavement (Obsidian 2009) introduces Ellie Engleman, who wants a fresh start after her divorce. She adopts a Yorkie mix named Rudy and discovers she can communicate telepathically with dogs, the perfect qualification for her new dog-walking business on Manhattan’s posh Upper East Side. When Ellie arrives to walk Buddy, a prize-winning Bichon, she discovers his owner murdered in the entryway. Buddy is missing, but no one except Ellie seems to care about a mere dog. NYPD detective Sam Ryder at first views Ellie as the prime suspect, but she continues her search for the dog, hoping the trail will also lead her to the real murderer. The author donates all royalties earned on sales of this book to Best Friends Animal Society. Heir of the Dog (Obsidian 2009) finds Ellie walking Rudy in Central Park. After finding the body of a troubled but harmless park dweller, Ellie again finds herself the prime suspect in a murder, since Rudy is the sole beneficiary of the murder victim’s inheritance. With Detective Sam Ryder’s help, Ellie follows a trail of clues to a safety deposit box that might point to the real killer. Thanks to author Judi McCoy we have a signed copy of each book to give away this week. (Giveaway ended 9/22/11. Our lucky winners were Jean F. from Ohio, and Monica C. from Florida.)
Charles Todd A Bitter Truth (William Morrow 2011) Already deservedly lauded for the superb historical crime novels featuring shell-shocked Scotland Yard inspector Ian Rutledge (A Lonely Death, A Pale Horse, etc.), acclaimed author Charles Todd upped the ante by introducing readers to a wonderful new series protagonist, World War One battlefield nurse Bess Crawford. Featured for a third time in A Bitter Truth, Bess reaches out to help an abused and frightened young woman, only to discover that no good deed ever goes unpunished when the good Samaritan nurse finds herself falsely accused of murder. (Giveaway ended 9/8/11. Thanks to Chelsey Emmelhainz of William Morrow we had 10 lucky winners: Becky T. from Delaware, Brenda M. from Georgia, Diana B. from Georgia, Elizabeth K. from Oregon, Janice G. from Wisconsin, Joyce N. from New Jersey, Kay R. from Illinois, Nancy C. from Massachusetts, Randi D. from Wisconsin, and Toni G. from Connecticut.)

	Emily Arsenault In Search of the Rose Notes (William Morrow 2011) is the story of Nora and Charlotte, two 11-year old girls who are best friends until their baby sitter Rose disappears under mysterious circumstances. They decide to investigate, but their lack of success leaves the girls frustrated and angry with each other. When Rose’s bones are found nearly 20 years later, Nora and Charlotte are drawn back together by their need to figure out what really happened. It seems that Rose was probably murdered, and Nora, the last known person to see Rose alive, is forced to reexamine her memories of that fateful day. (Giveaway ended 8/22/11. Our lucky winners were Johanna A. from California, and Pat W. from New Mexico.)
	Laura Lippman Every Secret Thing (William Morrow 2011) is a reissue of the 2003 stand-alone novel. Alice and Ronnie are two little girls who find an infant in an abandoned stroller after being banished from a neighborhood birthday party. What happens next nearly destroys three families. Seven years later, the two girls, now 18, are released from juvenile detention, still haunted by the secrets surrounding the crime. Then another child disappears under similar circumstances, causing everyone to relive that terrible time. (Giveaway ended 8/22/11. Our lucky winners were Megan H. from Florida, and Sol T. from Virginia.)
	Jess McConkey (aka Shirley Damsgaard) Love Lies Bleeding (William Morrow 2011) is the story of Samantha Moore, whose perfect life is destroyed by a random act of violence resulting in a three-month coma. When Samantha awakes, she is bitter and in terrible pain, and fears that the inhabitants of the small town she is recovering in have a deadly secret. (Giveaway ended 8/22/11. Our lucky winners were Bob M. from Colorado, and Anita N. from New York.)

Cassandra Clark
The Red Velvet Turnshoe (Minotaur 2009) finds Sister Hildegard on her way to Italy on a secret mission in search of a precious relic, the cross of Constantine, which is believed to hold great power. Disguised as a pilgrim, Hildegard begins her journey with a guarded shipment of wool from Yorkshire. When the ship docks in Flanders, the decomposing body of a clerk is found hidden in a bale of wool. Pierrekyn, the clerk’s protegée and the last person seen in his company, is suspected of the murder, and Hildegard takes him with her to escape the mob clamoring for his head. Protected by a tournament knight, who works as a body guard in the off season, Hildegard and Pierrekyn begin an arduous trek across the Alps in the dead of winter in search of the cross. It’s dangerous in 1383: murderous thieves prey on travelers, England is in the middle of the Hundred Years’ War, Europe is divided between rival popes, and the Black Death is claiming new victims every day. The political intrigue leaves Hildegard unsure whom she can trust, especially after someone tries to kill her, but she is determined to complete her quest and clear Pierrekyn’s name. We are giving away a hardcover copy of this compelling historical mystery, the 2nd in the series. (Giveaway ended 8/8/11. Our lucky winner was Dorothea B. from Colorado.)

Michael Robertson
The Baker Street Letters (Minotaur 2009) introduces Reggie Heath, a high-powered London solicitor whose new suite of rooms includes 221B Baker Street. A clause in the lease requires the tenant to answer all letters addressed to Sherlock Holmes with a form response. Reggie’s younger brother Nigel, recently released from a “health and recreation center” is given the task of responding to the letters while waiting for a hearing about restoring his solicitor’s license. In the process, Nigel discovers a letter written 20 years earlier by 8-year-old Mara Ramiriz from Los Angeles, asking Sherlock Holmes to find her missing father. Two recent letters, supposedly from the same author, request the return of documents enclosed with the original letter. Nigel, using his burgeoning Sherlockian powers of observation, notices that the signature is exactly the same as the first letter, strangely missing the normal changes two decades makes in a signature. When Nigel doesn’t show up for his hearing as expected, Reggie discovers that Nigel has departed for Los Angeles, leaving a dead body in his ransacked office. The file of letters to Sherlock Holmes is also missing. Reggie follows Nigel to California, and discovers that a series of current crimes may be linked to the letter Mara wrote to Sherlock Holmes 20 years before. We are giving away a tradepaperback copy of this light-hearted debut novel. (Giveaway ended 7/21/11. Our lucky winner was Susan B. from Massachusetts.)

Karin Slaughter
Fallen (Delacorte Press 2011) includes both Will Trent, an agent with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation in Atlanta, and Dr. Sara Linton, a pediatrician and coroner in Grant County, Georgia. There’s no police training stronger than a cop’s instinct. Faith Mitchell’s mother isn’t answering her phone. Her front door is open. There’s a bloodstain above the knob. Her infant daughter is hidden in a shed behind the house. All that the Georgia Bureau of Investigations taught Faith Mitchell goes out the window when she charges into her mother’s house, gun drawn. She sees a man dead in the laundry room. She sees a hostage situation in the bedroom. What she doesn’t see is her mother. When the hostage situation turns deadly, Faith is left with too many questions, and not enough answers. To find her mother, she’ll need the help of her partner, Will Trent, and they’ll both need the help of Dr. Sara Linton. But Faith isn’t just a cop anymore—she’s a witness. She’s also a suspect. The thin blue line hides police corruption, bribery, even murder. Faith will have to go up against the people she respects the most in order to find her mother and bring the truth to light—or bury it forever. Thanks to Wiley Saichek of AuthorsOnTheWeb, we have two hardcover copies of this thriller to give away. (Giveaway ended 7/8/11. Our lucky winners were Frances D. from Massachusetts, and Marie P. from Manitoba, Canada.)

Les Roberts
The Cleveland Creep (Gray & Company, Publishers 2011) is the 15th book in a series featuring Slovenian American private investigator Milan Jacovich, a former Kent State University football player and ex-cop with a taste for klobasa sandwiches and Stroh’s beer — and a knack for finding trouble on the streets of Cleveland. A simple missing-person case gets complicated when Milan investigates the disappearance of 28-year-old Earl Dacey who left behind a strange collection of voyeuristic videos in his mother’s West Side Cleveland house. Was Earl just a pervert shadowing Catholic schoolgirls in Northeast Ohio shopping malls with his hidden camera? Or had he become entangled with unsavory characters in the local adult film business? Thanks to Jane Lassar of Gray & Company, Publishers, we are giving away a hardback copy of this mystery. (Giveaway ended 6/22/11. Our lucky winner was Jim F. from Ohio.)

Lis Wiehl and April Henry
Heart of Ice (Thomas Nelson 2011) is the third in the series featuring federal prosecutor Allison Pierce, FBI special agent Nicole Hedges, and TV crime reporter Cassidy Shaw. At the Portland Fitness Center, Cassidy joins the boot camp class run by the beautiful instructor Elizabeth Avery, a beautiful, charismatic, and twisted killer. At the age of 13, when she was known as Sissy Hewsom, Elizabeth committed two horrific crimes and served time in a juvenile facility. When Elizabeth ruthlessly disposes of a young reporter, Allison, Nicole, and Cassidy know they are after a cold blooded killer. What they don’t know is that they’ve already met her. We are giving away a hardcover copy of this Triple Threat thriller. (Giveaway ended 6/8/11. Our lucky winner was Barbara L. from California.)

Mary Jane Clark
To Have and To Kill (William Morrow 2011) introduces Piper Donovan, a struggling actress who returns home to live with her parents in Hillwood, NJ. Piper’s father is obsessed with preparing for disaster, and her mother, who owns a bakery, has just discovered that her failing eyesight is caused by macular degeneration. Piper volunteers to make and decorate a wedding cake for her friend Glenna, the star of a soap opera Piper worked for. When Glenna’s fiancé is arrested for murder, Piper, with the help of her former neighbor Jack, an FBI agent, sets out to uncover the real killer. We are giving away a hardback copy of this cozy mystery, the first in a new series: The Wedding Cake Mysteries. (Giveaway ended 5/22/11. Our lucky winner was Doris L. from Illinois.)

James W. Hall
Silencer (2010) finds Thorn, an eco-avenger private investigator, working with Earl Hammond, who is about to donate his Coquina Ranch to the state to preserve the land. Hammond is shot, and Thorn is kidnapped and imprisoned in a sinkhole from which there is no escape. Frisco Hammond, the dark sheep of the family, suspects that the murder of his father and the disappearance of Thorn are connected, and begins an investigation with his brother’s wife, Clare. The two uncover a sinster cabal of rich and powerful men whose evil deeds stretch back to the 1930s. We are giving away a trade paperback of this 11th in the series. (Giveaway ended 4/22/11. Our lucky winner was Lee G. from Indiana.)

Julia Spencer-Fleming
Once Was a Soldier (Minotaur 2011) finds Reverend Clare Fergusson making the difficult adjustment back to civilian life after a tour flying helicopters in Iraq. Clare returns to her duties as priest of St. Alban’s Episcopal Church while struggling to cut down on her drinking and reliance on a mixture of pills left from her Army medical kit. Clare joins a community support group for veterans, and is shocked when a young member of the group dies, an apparent suicide. Clare doesn’t believe Tally killed herself, and pressures police chief Russ Van Alstyne to investigate her death as a murder. We are giving away a paperback advance readers’ copy of this powerful 7th in the series. (Giveaway ended 4/22/11. Our lucky winner was Carolyn N. from Kentucky.)

F.J. Lennon
Soul Trapper (Atria 2011) is the story of Kane Pryce, a Hollywood slacker who also hunts ghosts using a soul trap, a powerful supernatural treasure that allows him to hunt down, capture, and send ghosts from the earthly realm to the afterlife. A priest’s request to rid his church of a ghost leads Kane to the ghost of six-year old Ollie Lonzi, who was killed with Kane's mother in a car crash 50 years earlier. We are giving away a hardback copy of this debut thriller by computer game designer Lennon, the first novel to be adapted from an iPhone app. (Giveaway ended 4/8/11. Our lucky winner was Jeri S. from Kansas.)

Joy Fielding
Now You See Her (Atria 2011) is the story of Marcy Taggart, who lost her 21-year-old daughter Devon in a canoeing accident two years earlier. Her husband and sister are convinced that Devon, who suffered from bipolar disorder, committed suicide. But Devon’s body was never found, and Marcy is haunted by the idea that her daughter may have run away to start a new life. Now in Ireland, on a trip that was to be a celebration of their 26th wedding anniversary, Marcy struggles to accept the end of her marriage after her husband left her for another woman while seeing her daughter’s face in that of strangers in the street. We are giving away a hardback copy of this suspense thriller. (Giveaway ended 3/22/11. Our lucky winner was Kathryn W. from Michigan.)

Don Bruns
Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff (Oceanview 2010) finds Skip Moore and James Lessor working their first official private investigator gig at a traveling carnival show, whose owner suspects someone is sabotaging the rides. The process by which More and Less Investigators became licensed won’t hold up to close scrutiny, but James is sure that they are on their way to fame and fortune despite their less than stellar first day on the job. The carnies are unfriendly, the attractions are scary, and Skip worries that they may not be cut out to be investigators after all. We are giving away a hardback copy in this 4th in the series featuring two bumbling best friends since grade school. (Giveaway ended 3/8/11. Our lucky winner was John M. from Florida.)

Margaret Coel
The Eagle Catcher (1995) introduces John Aloysius O’Malley, a Jesuit missionary and recovering alcoholic exiled to the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming. When tribal chairman Harvey Castle is found murdered in his tent at a Arapaho ceremony, and his nephew Anthony is charged with the crime, Father O’Malley is sure that Anthony is being framed and works with Arapaho lawyer Vicky Holden to clear his name. We are giving away a paperback copy of this first in a long-running series that features interesting characters and fascinating insights into the Arapaho culture. The Spider’s Web, 15th in the series, is a finalist for the Hillerman Sky Award for the mystery that best captures the landscape of the Southwest. Margaret Coel will be one of the Guests of Honor at Left Coast Crime 2011: The Big Chile, held in Santa Fe, New Mexico, March 24–27, 2011. (Giveaway ended 2/21/11. Our lucky winner was Kitty W. from Louisiana.)

The Talented Miss Highsmith: The Secret Life and Serious Art of Patricia Highsmith (St. Martin’s Press 2009, Picador 2010), by Joan Schenkar, is the compelling story of a woman who once said perversion was her guiding principle. Patricia Highsmith, one of the great writers of the 20th century, lived a bizarre life rivaling that of her best-known creation, Tom Ripley. This nearly 700 page biography includes 16 pages of black and white photographs. We are giving away a trade paperback copy of this finalist for the 2010 Edgar Award for Best Critical/Biographical Work. (Giveaway ended 2/8/11. Our lucky winner was John S. from Maryland.)

Luiz Alfredo Garcia-Roza
Alone in the Crowd (Brazil 2007, Picador 2010) is the 7th mystery featuring Inspector Espinosa of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. An elderly woman collects her pension from the bank and then travels to the police station, asking to speak to Chief Espinosa. Espinosa is unavailable and she becomes tired of waiting and leaves. Two hours later she is killed by a bus, but the witnesses can’t agree if she fell or was pushed. Espinosa suspects Hugo Breno, a bank clerk who has been secretly following Espinosa around the city. Then Espinosa discovers a past connection between himself and Breno and tries to bring his childhood memories of a murder to the surface in this complex psychological thriller. (Giveaway ended 1/22/11. Our lucky winner was Marsha C. from New York.)

Jeri Westerson
The Demon’s Parchment (Minotaur 2010) finds disgraced knight Crispin Guest in debt and desperate for a client in the cold of winter in 1384 London. The Sheriff of London promises Crispin a reward if he can help track down whoever is strangling, sodomizing, and eviscerating young boys. Then Jacob of Provencal, a court physician, offers Crispin a hefty purse for the recovery of some stolen documents. The Jews were expelled from England a century earlier, but Jacob and his son have special dispensation to provide medical care for the Queen. Crispin advises Jacob to go to the authorities for help, but when Jacob hints that the stolen parchments may have something to do with the murders, Crispin overcomes his distrust of Jews and foreigners to take the case. Crispin suspects that the missing documents may have been used to create a Golem, a demon with a taste for blood molded from clay. The news that the Guest ancestral home has finally been sold intensifies Crispin's sense of loss and despair, and he vacillates between bouts of drunkenness and throwing himself headlong into the investigation. Determined to find the serial killer before he can strike again, Crispin reluctantly accepts the help of his apprentice Jack Tucker and John Rykener, a cross-dressing male prostitute. Unbelievable as it seems, both John Rykener, who used the name Eleanor while dressed as a woman, and the blood-thirsty serial killer are based on historical characters, adding an extra dimension to this intense historical mystery. We are giving away a signed hardcover copy. (Giveaway ended 1/8/11. Our lucky winner was Eileen M. from Virginia.)

David Dickinson
Death on the Holy Mountain takes place in 1905, when Lord Francis Powerscourt sets off to Ireland to investigate a series of art thefts from country houses. The puzzling thing about the thefts is that old family portraits of the Protestant gentry were stolen while valuable Old Masters were left behind. Then people begin to vanish and Powerscourt’s own life is threatened. Powerscourt’s aristocratic English family was originally from Ireland, and he spent much of his youth there, so the local people trust him, but not quite enough to share their secrets. This deft portrayal of the unrest in Ireland at the time is populated with vivid characters. We are giving away a trade paperback copy of this book, the 7th in the series. (Giveaway ended 12/22/10. Our lucky winner was Kathy K. from New York.)

Deborah Grabien
While My Guitar Gently Weeps (Minotaur 2009) finds JP Kincaid, guitarist for a legendary British rock group, at home in San Francisco, California, playing with a local group who are scrambling to fulfill a CD contract after their founder died suddenly. The rehearsals are going well except for the egotistic and abrasive vocalist Vinny Fabiano, who seems to thrive on conflict. JP doesn’t care much for Vinny’s vocal style, but he does covet his pearl-top Zemaitis guitar, similar to one stolen from Ron Wood of the Rolling Stones. Vinny has also commissioned a new custom-made guitar from local luthier Bruno Baines. When Vinny is found dead, with his head bashed in by his new guitar, Bruno is charged with his murder since he delivered the guitar that evening. But JP can’t believe that Bruno would use his incredible creation as a murder weapon. The murder investigation at times takes a back seat to the details about guitars and their creation and the tensions and triumphs of session recording, but that doesn’t detract from the appeal of the book, ably narrated by the charming JP, still battling the symptoms of multiple sclerosis while trying to cope with the cancer diagnosis of long-time live-in girlfriend Bree. We are giving away a hardover copy of this book. (Giveaway ended 12/7/10. Our lucky winner was Leah H. from California.)

Steve Hockensmith
The Black Dove (2008), the third in the Holmes on the Range series, features cowboy brothers Otto “Big Red” Gustav “Old Red” Amlingmeyer. Finding themselves down on their luck and out of a job in 1893 San Francisco, the Sherlock Holmes-loving pair join forces with Diane Corvus to investigate the death of Dr. Chan, whose luggage was thrown from the train the brothers were patrolling. Chinatown tongs, Barbary Coast thugs, and shady San Francisco police give the brothers more than enough to worry about as they try their hand at “deducifying” in the big city. We are giving away a signed trade paperback of this funny historical mystery. (Giveaway ended 11/21/10. Our lucky winner was Collette B. from Washington.)

Margaret Grace
Monster in Miniature (Berkley Prime Crime 2010) is the 4th in the series featuring Geraldine Porter, a retired high school English teacher in a small northern California town, whose hobby is building dollhouses and miniature scenes. To celebrate Halloween, Geraldine and her granddaughter Maddie are busy creating a multi-storied dollhouse haunted by witches, ghosts, and ghouls. While taking a break to admire the decorated neighborhood houses, they discover that a scarecrow is actually the body of Oliver Halbert, who was investigating city officials and builders he suspected of taking bribes and shortcuts. This cozy mystery has just the right amount of scary elements for the season. (Giveaway ended 11/8/10. Our lucky winner was Meredith V. from Michigan.)

Gerald Elias
Devil’s Trill (Minotaur 2009) introduces Daniel Jacobus, a blind, reclusive, crotchety violin teacher living in self-imposed exile in rural New England. Jacobus emerges from his seclusion to attend the Grimsley Competition at Carnegie Hall in New York City, held every 13 years to select the best violinist age 13 or younger. The violinist chosen by the Grimsley Competition wins the honor of performing a concert on the Piccolino Stradivarius, a 3/4 size violin with a long and unfortunate history. Jacobus, a former competitor, firmly believes that the Grimsley Competition is destructive to young violinists, harmful to both their development as artists and to their mental well-being. When the Piccolino Stradivarius is stolen during the competition, Jacobus, who made no secret of his distaste for the competition, is the prime suspect. With the help of friend Nathaniel Williams and student Yumi Shinagawa, Jacobus begins a search for the missing violin through a maze of self-serving philanthropists, shady musical instrument dealers, competitive music teachers, ruthless parents, and fragile students. Fascinating insights into the world of violin players and the destructive industry of producing child prodigies enliven this debut mystery. Danse Macabre, the second in the series, was just released. (Giveaway ended 10/22/10. Our lucky winner was Joyce T. from Colorado.)

Jeri Westerson
Serpent in the Thorns (Minotaur 2009) is the 2nd in the series featuring Crispin Guest, a disgraced knight in 1384 London, now known as Tracker for his ability to find the truth. A simple-minded girl working at a tavern comes to Crispin confessing to a murder of an unknown man. In her room Crispin discovers the body of a man killed with a crossbow, but the confused girl insists she must have killed him since no one else was there. With the body Crispin finds a golden box containing a crown of thorns, a holy relic sent to King Richard from the French king as a peace offering. Sure that returning the relic along with the identity of the assassin will convince the king to restore his lands and title, Crispin hides it in his room and sets out in search of the killer. Unfortunately Crispin’s prime suspect is Miles Aleyn, the king’s Captain of the Archers, a powerful man above the reach of a disgraced knight without definite proof. Assisting Crispin is young Jack, a thief Crispin has rescued from the streets. Jack can’t quite leave his thieving ways behind, but he is determined to help his master find the truth. Crispin’s struggle to adapt to his new circumstances is enhanced by his developing relationships with lower class people like Jack and friends who own a tavern, people below the notice of a titled knight, people who like him for the person he is rather than what he owns. We are giving away a trade paperback of this action-packed mystery, a finalist for the 2010 Bruce Alexander Award for Best Historical Mystery. (Giveaway ended 10/8/10. Our lucky winner was Tina B. from Indiana.)

David Ellis
The Hidden Man (Putnam 2009) introduces Jason Kolarich, a grief-stricken lawyer in Chicago, Illinois. Jason is struggling to get his life back on track after losing his wife and baby daughter in a car accident four months ago, when a man who calls himself “Mr. Smith” presents him with a briefcase full of cash to take on the defense of Sam Cutler. Jason and Sammy were best friends as children and through high school, when football and a college scholarship for Jason separated them. Sam is now in jail, accused of killing Griffin Perlini, the pedophile suspected of kidnapping Sam’s two-year old sister Audrey nearly 30 years earlier. While searching for someone else with a motive against Perlini, Jason uncovers new evidence of Perlini’s crimes against children, but nothing to tie him to Audrey’s disappearance. Mr. Smith provides a witness who is willing to testify he saw someone else fleeing the murder scene, and pushes Jason to expedite the trial as much as possible, making Jason wonder if it is possible that Sammy didn’t murder Perlini after all. Jason is an engaging protagonist, desperately trying to pull himself out of his emotional coma in order to help his boyhood friend. Layers of the past are slowly stripped away, revealing uncomfortable truths in this compelling and complex legal thriller, a finalist for the 2010 Barry Award for Best Novel. We are giving away a paperback Advance Readers copy of this book. (Giveaway ended 9/22/10. Our lucky winner was Donna H. from Arizona.)

Laura Lippman
I’d Know You Anywhere (William Morrow 2010) examines the life of a woman who was kidnapped in 1985 at age 15 (then Elizabeth Lerner), and held for nearly six weeks by Walter Bowman, now on death row in Virginia for the rape and murder of Holly, his final victim. Now Eliza Benedict has fashioned a comfortable, relatively trouble-free life as a homemaker in Maryland, with her supportive husband Peter, challenging 13-year-old daughter Iso (NOT Isobel!), and endearing 8-year-old son Albie. Walter’s execution date is drawing near, after 22 years on death row, and with some outside help he has tracked Eliza down and wants her help. This is most unwelcome to Eliza, but reminiscent of her behavior when she was kidnapped, she seems almost unable to resist communicating with Walter. Why didn’t she escape? And could she have saved Holly? The story alternates between 1985 and the present, and we see things from Eliza’s and Walter’s perspectives, as well as other characters. Lippman tells a compelling story, building unrelentingly step by step. As one would expect, the writing is superb, and even though we’ve grown tired of serial killer books, this one is an exception and not to be missed. Thanks to Megan Traynor of HarperCollins we have a paperback Advance Reader Copy of this book to give away. (Giveaway ended 9/8/10. Our lucky winner was Kathy L. from Maryland.)

Gwen Freeman
Murder… Suicide… Whatever… (2007) introduces Fifi Cutter, a feisty, bi-racial, unemployed, twenty-something who is surprised when her free-loading half-brother, Bosco, appears on her front porch moaning that Uncle Ted has just been murdered. Though unsure she even had an Uncle Ted, Fifi is soon partnered with Bosco pretending to be private investigators disguised as grief counselors. They stumble over bodies, but all the violence happens off screen in this goofy thriller. Fifi and Bosco have real personalities and the minor characters are classic Los Angeles. We have two copies of this book plus one copy of Crazy Fool Kills Five, the next book in the series, to give away. (Giveaway ended 8/21/10. Our lucky winners were Stephanie C. from Nevada, Caryn S. from Illinois, and Catherine P. from Iowa.)

Ralph M. McInerny
Stained Glass (Minotaur 2009), is the 28th Father Downling mystery. St. Hilary’s is threatened with closure because of shrinking numbers and tough economic times. Father Dowling tries to drum up support from church officials and parishioners, including the Deveres, a wealthy family who wants to protect the beautiful stained glass windows they donated to St. Hilary’s years ago. But then members of the Deveres family start turning up dead and Father Dowling finds himself embroiled in both church politics and long-hidden family secrets. We are giving away a hardback copy of what is probably the final book in this series, published just before Ralph McInery’s death earlier this year. (Giveaway ended 8/8/10. Our lucky winner was Lester S. from Illinois.)

Peter Steiner
The Terrorist (2010), the third book in the Louis Morgon series, is a continuation of the tight, introspective, and wonderfully brief and thoughtful writing in the first two titles. Here, we focus on the start of the series, because they need to be read in order: Le Crime (2008) [originally published as A French Country Murder (2003)] opens with Louis Morgon finding a dead body on the doorstep of his refuge in a rural French village. He quickly determines it is a message telling him it will be harder to escape his past than he’d thought. Morgon was a brilliant and rising young thinker in the US State Department, eventually liaison with the CIA, and an operative in the Middle East. Two decades before, when his rapid rise was terminated mysteriously and without good cause, and as his marriage and family fell apart, Morgon headed to France to sort things out. While following an old pilgrimage route, he stumbles on the small village whose environment and people captivate him: among them, neighbors Solesmne, a graceful, intriguing woman with a spinal deformity, and Renard, the local gendarme, and his family. As events develop, Morgon’s past sweeps his new friends into his former world of intrigue, lies, and death. Steiner’s writing is careful and concise, with unexpected philosophical ruminations and complex character development. Travelogue is balanced with spy stuff, and Morgon, the gentle, philosophical, amateur painter, shows he still has the skills of a master CIA operative. L’Assassin (2008) continues the story of Morgon’s attempts to find peace in rural France, followed by The Terrorist, which was released in late May. Thanks to Rita Marcus and Hector DeJean at Minotaur, we have three signed hardcover copies to give away. (Giveaway ended 7/22/10. Our lucky winners were Susan D. from Texas, Judy E. from California, and Rita S. from Pennsylvania.)

Jacqueline Winspear
Among the Mad (Henry Holt 2009) begins on Christmas Eve 1931 when Masie Dobbs, a private investigator and psychologist in London, walks by an ex-soldier missing a leg. Sensing the man is desperate, Masie reaches out to him, but he detonates a grenade and kills himself. The next day the Prime Minister receives a letter threatening violence unless the government does something to help the impoverished, especially unemployed veterans. Since the letter mentions Masie by name, Inspector Stratton of Scotland Yard request her help with the investigation. Masie suspects that the threat comes from a man haunted by experiences in the war, who feels abandoned rather than supported by society upon his return home. A former war nurse, Masie has great sympathy for the veterans suffering emotional damage who are ineligible for the pensions, services, and benefits provided for physically injured veterans. Some of the darkest images in this historical mystery come from Masie’s visits to insane asylums, as she learns about the uncertain outcomes of the treatments provided to patients. Contrasting Masie’s exploration of the psychological trauma of war is the story of her assistant Billy’s wife, who is unable to escape the melancholia that overcame her at the death of their youngest child. Masie continues to confront her own war ghosts in this mesmerizing 6th in the series, a finalist for the 2010 Macavity Award for Best Historical Novel. (Giveaway ended 7/7/10. Our lucky winner was Susi P. from California.)

Robert Fate
Baby Shark (2006) introduces Kristin Van Dijk, a teenager who travels around with her father hustling pool in 1950s Texas. Dad is killed in the first few pages, and Baby Shark is raped, beaten, and left barely alive. But she comes back with a vengeance that could fuel a spaghetti Western. This is a fast-paced read, with a good feel for the time and place, and a regular dose of violence. Kristin returns a few years later as a PI in the next two in the series: Baby Shark’s Beaumont Blues and Baby Shark’s High Plains Redemption. We are giving away a set of trade paperbacks of all three books. (Giveaway ended 6/22/10. Our lucky winner was Dick M. from Wisconsin.)

Lis Wiehl with April Henry
Face of Betrayal (Thomas Nelson 2009) introduces crime reporter Cassidy Shaw, federal prosecutor Allison Pierce, and FBI special agent Nicole Hedges, nicknamed The Triple Threat after a favorite dessert they often share at their frequent lunch meetings. Each of the three women struggles with a personal issue — trying to get pregnant, coping with life as a single mother, an inability to sustain a lasting relationship — but all three are passionate about their jobs. When Katie Converse, a 17-year-old Senate page, disappears while home in Portland, Oregon for Christmas break, Nicole is assigned to the case. Katie’s parents present their missing daughter as an innocent who doesn’t date yet, but Katie’s blog reveals that she was involved with an older man, perhaps a senator. Allison begins to unravel the threads of Katie’s life with the help of Nicole, and Cassidy, who sees the investigation as a career-maker. (Giveaway ended 6/8/10. Our lucky winner was Melanie B. from South Dakota.)

Paul Tremblay
The Little Sleep (Henry Holt 2009) introduces Mark Genevich, a severely narcoleptic private investigator in South Boston, Massachusetts. Not only does he fall asleep in mid-conversation, but he also has serious hallucination problems, making it difficult to run a detective business properly. Jennifer Times hires him to find her stolen fingers — or did she? Mark isn’t too sure, and Jennifer denies it. He finds compromising pictures of her in an envelope on his desk, so it must be true, but her father, the Suffolk County District Attorney, denies that the pictures are Jennifer. With Mark as the protagonist, the story can go about anywhere. He wants to be a tough, wise-cracking PI, but with his tenuous grip on reality, it is a hard act. Mark also finds he has to depend on his mother Ellen, if for no other reason than she owns his apartment and his office. Readers prone to nervous anxiety probably shouldn’t read this one — Mark insists on smoking (being a hard-boiled kind of guy), but tends to fall asleep with burning cigarets, and of course, he shouldn’t drive! But you have to give him credit for trying, and he is somehow endearing. (Giveaway ended 5/22/10. Our lucky winner was Barbara H. from South Carolina.)

Phyllis Smallman
Margarita Nights (Canada 2008, US: McArthur & Company 2010) introduces Sherri Travis, self-proclaimed "white trash" and a bartender in the small beach town of Jacaranda, Florida. Sherri is separated from her well connected but unreliable husband Jimmy, but hasn’t gotten around to divorcing him. When she is informed by the police that Jimmy’s boat exploded with him on it, Sherri is convinced that Jimmy is running a scam to escape yet another gambling debt. Unfortunately Sherri is the recipient of Jimmy’s life insurance, and thus the prime suspect when evidence of foul play is discovered. Sherri is a bit too inclined to suspect everyone she knows of playing a part in Jimmy’s disappearance/murder, but the self-deprecating wry humor of her narration makes this light mystery an enjoyable read. A finalist for the 2009 Arthur Ellis Award for Best First Novel, the Florida setting is lovingly portrayed by this Canadian writer. (Giveaway ended 5/5/10. Our lucky winner was Lois R. from Pennsylvania.)

Lee Child
Gone Tomorrow (Delacorte 2009) is the 13th book in the Jack Reacher series. Reacher is riding the Manhattan subway very early one morning when his suspicions are aroused by a woman he suspects might be a suicide bomber. Confronting the woman leads Reacher into an investigation that takes him on a wild ride from the war in Afganistan in the 1980s to the current war on terrorism. We are offering two paperback copies of this book. (Giveaway ended 4/21/10. Our lucky winners were Don S. from Illinois and Michelle S. from Alberta, Canada.)

Leigh Russell
Cut Short (No Exit Press 2009) introduces Geraldine Steel, a detective inspector who relocates from London to the small town of Woolsmarsh, England, after the unhappy end of a long-term relationship. Hoping for a fresh start, Geraldine buys a flat and settles into her new job and her first case: the brutal murder of a young woman in the local park. A second murder of another young girl in the same park ups the ante as everyone confronts the realization that there may be a serial killer preying on young blond women. Geraldine’s investigative strengths are her instinct and her ability to remember all the facts, so she throws herself into long hours of poring over all the evidence. Meanwhile, the disturbed killer, growing increasingly less balanced and more violent, prowls the park. Geraldine is a complex and compelling protagonist, totally devoted to her job yet wanting more out of life. This well written debut psychological thriller maintains the suspense to the final chapter. (Giveaway ended 4/6/10. Our lucky winner was Pat L. from Arkansas.)

Kelli Stanley
City of Dragons (Minotaur 2010) introduces Miranda Corbie, a former Spanish Civil War nurse, ex-escort, and now private investigator in San Francisco. During the 1940 Rice Bowl Party in Chinatown to raise money to send to China for war relief, Miranda stumbles over young Eddie Takahashi, dying of a gunshot wound. When Eddie dies in her arms, Miranda feels compelled to find his killer but everyone else seems to want to sweep the whole thing under the rug. Meanwhile, a well-paying client hires Miranda to investigate the death of her husband, presumed dead of a heart attack while enjoying the favors of a prostitute. The wife is sure her husband was murdered, and that his death has something to do with the disappearance of her drug-addicted step-daughter. Living mainly on whiskey and Chesterfields, Miranda juggles both investigations while trying to cope with her loneliness after the death of her lover in Spain. Syncopated prose echoes the jazz lyrics that punctuate Miranda’s journey from nightclub to tenement to bordello in this intense series opener. (Giveaway ended 3/22/10. Our lucky winner was Shirley N. from Ohio.)

Rebecca Cantrell
A Trace of Smoke (Forge Books 2009) introduces Hannah Vogel, a 32-year old crime reporter in 1931 Berlin. As part of her weekly routine, Hannah is examining the new photographs in the Hall of the Unnamed Dead in the Alexanderplatz police station when she is horrified to see the face of her beloved younger brother, Ernst. But Hannah is trapped in silence — she can’t identify her brother since Hannah has lent both her own and Ernst’s identity papers so that her Zionist friend Sarah and her son could flee Germany. So Hannah begins to investigate on her own by visiting the club where Ernst, a cross-dressing cabaret singer, worked. Here she meets both Ernst’s much older lover and his young Nazi boyfriend, who tells Hannah Ernst also had a secret lover high in the Nazi power structure. When a small boy named Anton, who claims she is his mother, is abandoned on her doorstep, Hannah’s life grows even more complicated and dangerous. The endearing Anton, clutching his stuffed bear for comfort, imagines himself an Indian brave from the western tales of Karl May in order to deal with his reality of hunger and pain. The portrait of Berlin’s gay community, valiantly maintaining a carefree facade while on the verge of Nazi persecution, is vivid and painful. This well-researched and unforgettable debut mystery melds an intricate plot with complex characters, and just won the Bruce Alexander Award for Best Historical Mystery. (Giveaway ended 3/7/10. Our lucky winner was Judy W. from Pennsylvania.)

Chris Knopf
Short Squeeze (Minotaur 2010), the 5th in the Sam Acquillo series, focuses on Sam’s friend Jackie Swaitkowski, a real estate lawyer in the Hamptons. When a new client turns up dead, things take a sudden and dangerous turn for Jackie. In the client’s pocket is an envelope that contains a shocking piece of evidence that suggests that the death was anything but an accident. Jackie has bigger fish to fry—like her old flame Harry’s surprise return to town—until a late-night car chase changes her priorities. Now she has every reason to believe that the next name on the killer’s list is her own. (Giveaway ended 3/7/10. Our lucky winner was Mary P. from Ohio.)

Lori Armstrong
No Mercy (Touchstone 2010) introduces Mercy Gunderson, a former Army sniper who is one-quarter Minneconjou Sioux, returning home to South Dakota on medical leave. While Mercy is dealing with the death of her father and the responsibility of her younger sister, the body of a Sioux boy is discovered on her ranch. Mercy is pulled into the investigation of a killing spree targeting local Native American teens, and realizes that South Dakota may not be any safer than Iraq. Thanks to Kelly Bowen and Stacy Lasner of Touchstone Books and Simon and Schuster, we have two hardcover copies of this first in a new series to give away. (Giveaway ended 2/21/10. Our lucky winners were David F. from Pennsylvania and Barbara S. from Florida.)

Brent Ghelfi
Shadow of the Wolf (Picador 2010) is the 2nd in the Alekei “Volk” Volkovoy series. Volk, an ex-army colonel with a prosthetic leg, a covert agent for the Russian army, and a major player in the Moscow underworld, is lured back to the mountains of Chechnya by an international cabal. The assignment seems simple, find a missing Fabergé egg, but nothing is simple in this complex and often violent thriller that revels in the dark side of contemporary Russia. We are offering a trade paperback of this novel, originally published by Henry Holt in 2008 as Volk’s Shadow. (Giveaway ended 2/7/10. Our lucky winner was Julie S. from California.)

Barbara Levenson
Fatal February (Oceanview 2009) introduces Mary Magruder Katz, a half Jewish, half Southern Baptist criminal defense attorney, in Miami, Florida. A fender bender at the carwash results in a new romance with the charismatic and mysterious Carlos Martin that inspires Mary to break her engagement, leave her ex-fiancé’s law firm, and open her own practice. Her first client is Lillian Yarmouth, the prime suspect in the Miami high society murder of the year. While looking for proof that Lillian is innocent, Mary also has to defend herself from an ethics claim brought by her former fiancé. We are offering a hardback copy of this debut mystery. (Giveaway ended 2/7/10. Our lucky winner was Deanna S. from Massachusetts.)

Roger Smith
Mixed Blood (Picador 2009) follows the travails of Jack Burn, an American whose gambling addiction and some serious crimes start him on a slippery slope to Cape Town, South Africa, where he hides out with his wife and young son. Not a good choice, in Jack’s case, because a chance home invasion by some local drugged-out gangsters draws him and his family ever deeper into a sea of inescapable violence. The poverty, hopelessness, and turmoil of Cape Town is portrayed frankly and unapologetically, and also with sympathy, but in this brutal noir world, almost no characters can escape. Smith creates memorable characters, including “Gatsby” Barnard, a vicious lone-wolf Afrikaaner cop, Disaster Zondi, a neat-freak Zulu detective from the new order, Benny Mongrel, an ex-con gang killer trying to turn things around, and Carmen Fortune, a crack addict surviving day to day with her damaged son and her Uncle Fatty. Smith’s writing is direct, clear, and compelling; the book is highly recommended for those who can stomach the violence. (Giveaway ended 1/22/10. Our lucky winner was Val V. from Texas.)

Jeri Westerson
Veil of Lies (Minotaur 2008) introduces Crispin Guest, a disgraced knight reduced to living by his wits on the mean streets of 1384 London. Now known as “Tracker,” Crispin is hired by a wealthy London cloth merchant who suspects his wife is unfaithful. Crispin is reluctant to take that sort of case, but a severe shortage of funds persuades him to go against his principles. The next day the merchant is found murdered in a room locked from the inside, and the wife hires Crispin to find the killer and a missing religious relic. Crispin is soon caught up in a mesh of conflicting interests: the sheriff who wants the relic for the king, a mysterious Saracen working for an equally mysterious cartel, and a gang of ruthless Italians. Crispin falls for the girl, uses his knightly skills to fight for his life, and relentlessly pursues justice in this thoroughly enjoyable Medieval Noir. (Giveaway ended 1/22/10. Our lucky winner was Robert H. from Alberta, Canada.)

J.A. Jance
Trial by Fire (Touchstone 2009) is the 5th in the Ali Jennings series. A former television journalist, Ali has joined the Yavapai County Police Department as a media relations specialist. When an unfinished new Arizona subdivision goes up in flames, a naked and nearly dead woman is rescued from the fire. She is burned beyond recognition, and when she awakens from a coma months later has no memory of who she is or who might want to kill her. Sister Anselm, the hospital’s advocate for unidentified patients, asks Ali for help and the two soon realize that searching for the woman’s identity may expose her to danger once more. (Giveaway ended 1/8/10. Our lucky winners were Mary M from Nevada and Mary Jo A from Tennessee.)

Selçuk Altun
Many and Many a Year Ago (2008) [Telegram Books 2009; trans. from Turkish by Ruth Christi & Selcuk Berilgen] is more of a mysterious literary quest for answers, than a mystery, not that there’s anything wrong with that. Kemal Kuray has vaulted to high rank in the Turkish Air Force, but his life changes dramatically when he crashes his F-16 in a test flight. Things take a strange turn when we receives a $5,000 monthly allowance from a friend who has disappeared. His friend was obsessed by Edgar Allen Poe, and Kemal is launched on an international search, following ephemeral clues, that eventually takes him to the Poe Museum in Baltimore. The book’s title is taken from Poe’s poem “Annabel Lee”, and the Poe element provides some sidelight interest as we wind down the bi-centennial of Poe’s birth. This is an intriguing, well-written, if off-beat book, full of literary references, but not overwhelmingly so. It is also refreshing to read of modern day Istanbul from the perspective of a native Turk. (Giveaway ended 12/22/09. Our lucky winner was Deb T from Idaho.)

Donna Andrews
Swan for the Money (Minotaur 2009) is the 9th in the Meg Langslow series. Meg’s parents have become fanatic rose growers and have coerced Meg into organizing the Caerphilly Garden Club’s First Annual Rose Show, hosted by Philomena Winkleson at her ritzy estate farm. Everything on the Winkleston estate is monochromatic including the livestock: black and white Belted Galloway cows, black Frisian horses (kept inside during daylight to prevent reddening), fierce black swans, and a hilarious herd of Tennessee belted fainting goats that do exactly that when surprised or excited. Mrs. Winkleson is sponsoring a special prize for the blackest rose, and Meg’s father has thrown himself wholeheartedly into rose hybridization while her mother grooms the entries with tiny tools. When a friend of Mrs. Winkleson is found dead near the security fence surrounding the Winkleson rose garden, everyone asumes it is the eccentric and nasty hostess herself because of the monochromatic outfit, and Meg finds herself in the middle of another murder investigation. The mystery is not as interesting as Meg’s family and friends, but the quirky humor is more than enough to carry this amusing book. (Giveaway ended 12/22/09. Our lucky winner was Ellen M from New Jersey.)

A.C. Baantjer
DeKok and the Mask of Death (Dutch 1987, Speck Press 2009] is the 27th title in the long-running Dutch police detective series featuring Inspector Jurriaan DeKok (in English translations) and his loyal sidekick Inspector Dick Vledder, homicide detectives at Amsterdam’s Warmoes Street station. Women are going to Slotervaart Hospital and disappearing, their existence later denied by the hospital staff. There are enough suspicions surrounding the women’s lovers and associates to completely confuse investigators, but with DeKok and Vledder on the case, it is only a matter of time. This book is quite entertaining, with a compelling story and enjoyable characters. (Giveaway ended 12/6/09. Our lucky winner was Nick K from Texas.)

Connie Shelton
Our second offering is a signed trade paperback of the novella Holidays Can Be Murder (anthology 2002, book 2009) . Charlie Parker, accountant and partner in a private investigation firm, is worried when her husband invites his mother to spend Christmas week with them in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Charlie doesn't know her mother-in-law well, but she is relieved to discover that she is nothing like Paula, the mother-in-law from hell who is visiting her neighbor. When Paula is found dead and her neighbor is charged with the crime, Charlie steps in to investigate. Lots of details about celebrating Christmas in New Mexico plus two very tasty regional recipes. (Giveaway ended 12/6/09. Our lucky winner was Rose Alice H from New Jersey.)

Hank Phillippi Ryan
Prime Time (2007) introduces Charlotte “Charlie” McNally, a TV investigative reporter, in Boston, Massachusetts. At age 46, workaholic Charlie, whose strongest relationship seems to be with her Emmy Award, worries that her news director is about to replace her with a younger model. Charlie is sent to interview the wife of a man killed in an auto accident and learns that the dead man recently emailed her about some mysterious papers. While searching through her SPAM, Charlie finds some intriguing messages that she hopes will result in a block buster news story just in time for Sweeps Week. Charlie meets the first man who has interested her in ages, but her instinct to investigate everything causes her to suspect he may not be one of the good guys. This debut novel won the Agatha Award for Best First Novel. The next books in the series are Face Time and Air Time. Drive Time, the 4th in the series, will come out in February 2010. (Giveaway ended 11/21/09. Our lucky winners were Sylvia M from Alaska, Bruce B from North Carolina, and LeAnne C from Texas.)

Bryan Gruley
Starvation Lake (Touchstone 2009) introduces reporter Gus Carpenter who has returned to his hometown of Starvation Lake, Michigan, after leaving the Detroit Times in disgrace. On top of that failure, everyone in town remembers that he was the goalie who gave up the winning goal to lose the town’s only chance at the state hockey championship ten years earlier. After that season, beloved hockey coach Jack Blackburn died in a snowmobile accident and the town’s economic health took a turn for the worse. Now working as editor for the Pilot, whose motto is “Michigan’s Finest Bluegill Wrapper,” Gus plays hockey with his boyhood teammates, rehashing aggressions and alliances on the ice. When the remains of a snowmobile emerge from a different lake with a bullet hole in the hood, the police and the press wonder if Blackburn was murdered. Most of the town, including the owner of the paper, would prefer that the past stay buried, but Gus and cub reporter Joanie McCarthy sink their teeth into the investigation and can’t let go. Gruley’s depiction of small town life is pitch perfect: the long group memory, the importance of hockey in a small northern town, and the difficulty of becoming an adult in a town who knew you as a kid. (Giveaway ended 11/8/09. Our lucky winners were Tena W from Texas and Ed F from North Carolina.)

Jane K. Cleland
Deadly Appraisal (2007), the 2nd in the series, finds Josie Prescott, an antiques dealer in a small town in coastal New Hampshire, feeling good about the growth of her new business. Then a woman is poisoned at the gala Prescott Antiques is sponsoring to raise money for the local Women’s Guild. Everyone who had access to the poisoned wine is under suspicion, but the police suspect that Josie may have been the intended victim. The theft of a valuable antique that was one of the fundraising auction items adds to the confusion as Josie and Wes, an untrustworthy yet talented investigative reporter, try to figure out what is really going on. Cleland is chair of the Wolfe Pack’s literary awards, and spotting references to Nero Wolfe (Saul Panzer and Fred Durkin appear on a list of car owners) adds to the fun, as does the inclusion of interesting information about antiques. (Giveaway ended 10/22/09. Our lucky winner was Danielle W from Michigan.)

Marcus Sakey
The Amateurs (Dutton 2009) is Sakey’s fourth non-series thriller, this time following the spiraling fates of four 30-something friends who have gravitated together seemingly through a shared sense of failure: Jenn, a travel agent who can only dream of taking a vacation like the ones she arranges; Mitch, a hotel doorman, with major insecurity issues; Ian, a cokehead financial trader waiting to repeat his big score, who also has a gambling problem; and Alex, a divorced bartender with child support and custody problems, who once wanted to be a lawyer. Meeting as the Thursday Night Drinking Club where Alex tends bar, one night the sleazy owner, Johnny Love, puts the moves on Jenn, insults Mitch, and threatens Alex, who learns that Johnny has a large pile of money as middleman in some nefarious deal. The group finds a common purpose fantasizing about robbing Johnny’s safe. After all, they are smart and above suspicion. The plan takes on a life of its own, and the amateur crooks predictably find themselves involved in murder, pursued by scary professional killers, and with a lot more than money to worry about. The protagonists will resonate with some readers more than others, but the writing is compelling as the four losers struggle to cope with their unraveling lives and plans, with some ennobling theatrics to round out the plot. (Giveaway ended 10/7/09. Our lucky winner was Norm O from California.)

Jeffrey Cohen
Some Like It Hot-Buttered (2007) introduces Elliot Freed, a recently divorced writer who has just re-opened an old movie theater in New Jersey. Elliot shows nightly double features at Comedy Tonight: a classic comedy followed by a new one. When a patron is killed with a box of poisoned popcorn during Young Frankenstein, and the young projectionist/film student disappears, Elliot decides to help investigate. The characters are unique and presented with sympathetic humor. Elliot, who prefers wit over jokes, is continually working on his snappy comebacks, and Sophie the snack/ticket girl tries to be Goth but can’t quite pull it off. Loaded with classic movie references, this clever and funny book is a winner. (Giveaway ended 9/17/09. Thanks to Jeffrey Cohen who generously donated two extra books we had three winners: Radine N from Arkansas, Rose M from Wisconsin, and Joyce K from Illinois.)

Note: All email entries will be deleted immediately after the drawing deadline. Only the winner’s address will be used, to send the book. We will not use any other name, email address, or mailing address for any purpose.