All Cry Chaos-Leonard Rosen

All Cry Chaos

Leonard Rosen

Permanent Press, Sep 1 2011, $29.00

ISBN: 9781579622220

 

Thirty years old American mathematician James Fenster is in Amsterdam to give a talk on his mathematical economics formula to at the World Trade Organization conference.  However, instead of the speech, he dies in a terrorist explosion at his hotel; the killer used a smart bomb military-grade rocket fuel.

 

Although his health is poor and he grieves the deaths of his loved ones at the hands of a vicious Serbian war criminal, Interpol agent Henri Poincare leads the investigation.  He starts with those close to Fenster like the victim’s former fiancée and his grad assistant; as both are missing.  However, the inquiry leads away from the females to a militant Christian Rapture group, but Poincare cannot rule out others interested in the late professor’s models.

 

This super cerebral police procedural is a terrific whodunit with a mathematical formula as the key to the homicide.  The story line focuses on chaos theory as Poincare quickly learns while dealing with the mathematician’s fractured personal life, religious fanatics and rival economists, and his own chaotic brain.  Readers who enjoy something different in their puzzlers will appreciate the aptly titled All Cry Chaos.

 

Harriet Klausner

Naughty in Nice-Rhys Bowen

Naughty in Nice

Rhys Bowen

Berkley, Sep 6 2011, $24.95

ISBN 9780425243497

 

In 1933 in spite of being 34^th in the queue to the throne, Lady Georgiana Rannoch is impoverished.  She works in a London soup kitchen where she can save money an get some free meals. 

 

The Queen temporarily saves her from more terrible tasting food by assigning her an all expense paid trip to the French Riviera.  Her mission is to retrieve a snuff box stolen by nasty Sir Toby Groper.  In France, while riding the rails, Rannoch meets the legend Coco Chanel, who shocks the pauper when she asks her to model a new line of clothing when they arrive in Nice.  While doing her royal assignment and modeling for Coco Chanel, Georgina investigates whether her lover Darcy O’Mara is cheating on her.  However, her efforts merge when she is caught in the middle of a homicide and the royal necklace is lifted.

 

The latest endearing jocular Royal Spyness amateur sleuth (see Royal Blood) is a delightful Depression Era French Riviera romp.  The heroine is a charmer as she fumbles and bungles her investigation while strutting on the catwalk.  Coco Chanel adds to the fun as number 34 using the Queen’s money (she hopes) acts Naughty in Nice.

 

Harriet Klausner

Back of Beyond-C. J. Box

Back of Beyond

C. J. Box

Minotaur, Aug 2 2011, $25.99

ISBN: 9780312365745

 

In Montana, Lewis and Clark County Sheriff’s Department Investigator Cody Hoyt has a problem with the evidence in the house fire death of Hank Winters.  Apparently, Hank was intoxicated based on the flask near the corpse, but Cody knew the deceased personally when it came to alcohol; as Hank was Cody’s AA sponsor who saved him several times from going on binges.

 

Though removed from the case due to his connection, Cody believes his sponsor was murdered and due to his friend on the force Larry Olson he helps with the inquiry.  Cody finds a frightening series of links of cross country murders with the same modus operandi as the Winters’ death.  He also concludes the serial killer is heading to Yellowstone Park where Cody’s teenage son Justin, accompanied by Walt Franck the wealthy developer and fiancé to the investigator’s ex wife (and Justin’s mom).  Big city Cody goes to the Back of Beyond Yellowstone wilderness.

 

Joe Pickett gets a respite as C.J. Box introduces readers to a new law enforcement official who has personal and professional issues due to his drinking problem.  The investigation is deftly handled while the suspense is stratospheric.  Although some of the spins seem over the top of Granite Peak, fans will enjoy this tense thriller starring a flawed cop whose son is the stake in a cat and mouse game with a psychopath.

 

Harriet Klausner

Blood Rules-Christine Cody

Blood Rules

Christine Cody

Ace, Aug 30 2011, $7.99

ISBN 9780441020768

 

Her werewolf has increasingly tried to take control of Mariah Lysander.  At the same her vampire bond mate Gabriel loathes Mariah for killing his beloved Abby though the latter challenged the former for her place in the secret werewolf community hierarchy.  So fearing she is becoming out of control and knowing how her mate feels about her, Mariah leaves the safe were-species habitat. 

 

Mariah hopes to control the beast.  She travels the American wasteland where water is the most precious commodity.  At the same time she enters a dead zone necropolis of the diseased and meets 562, a former government Shredder Johnson Stamp who stalks the Were and Vamps with one mission: kill them.

 

This exhilarating return to the post-apocalyptic American Bloodlands is a super action-packed entry as readers will ponder just who the monsters are.  Angst-laden with Mariah feeling guilty for some of her deeds and Subject 562 seeking redemption of sorts, fans will enjoy this exciting thriller.  Rotating perspective mostly between Mariah, Gabriel and Stamp, readers will see how the trio agree that Christine Cody’s color of choice is a gory landscape from sea to bloody sea.

 

Harriet Klausner

Stand in Wife-Karina Bliss

Stand in Wife

Karina Bliss

Harlequin SuperRomance, Aug 2 2011, $5.50

ISBN: 9780373717224

 

While interviewing on a job out of town, Merry Coltrane breaks her leg.  She pleads with her twin sister Vivienne Jansen to pretend to be her like they did as kids so her estranged husband Charlie who walked out on her and their three kids will not know as he sues for visitation rights.  Flying in from New York, the theater costume designer arrives in Auckland, New Zealand to temporarily masquerade as Merry when the latter’s mother-in-law Linda dies with the former in the house in Hamilton.

 

Vivi as Merry helps arrange the funeral while caring for her sister’s children and keeping her brother-in-law at a distance as Merry’s husband seeks a reconciliation.  Although overwhelmed Vivi handles all this with aplomb until Charlie’s brother Ross (support role in Here Comes the Groom), the injured Special Forces operative, comes home.  Ross finds himself inexplicably attracted to his sister-in-law; while Vivi reciprocates but as Merry has to hide her feelings.

 

Twins switching is an old theme, but Karina Bliss makes it refreshing with a zany madcap romance.  The support cast is a delight as they add madness to the wild comedic New Zealander comedy.  Still the bottom line is the romantic subplot as Ross and Vivi fall in love in a wonderful example of chaos theory at work.

 

Harriet Klausner

The Texan’s Secret-Linda Warren

The Texan’s Secret

Linda Warren

Harlequin SuperRomance, Aug 2 2011, $5.50

ISBN: 9780373717231

 

Southern Cross ranch manager Chance Hardin considers joining his two brothers (Cadde and Cisco “Kid”) as partners in an oil company.  However, he knows if he does he no longer can hide his secret from them.  As Chance debates quitting his ranch job to join his siblings, Shay Dumont breaks into the Calhoun family home to take from a safe her mother Blanche’s wedding rings; her nasty mom was once married to Jack Calhoun whose son owns Southern Cross.

 

Chance decides to help Shay learn who her father was.  As they team up and fall in love encouraged by her feisty eight year old daughter Darcy, Chance wonders if it is time to tell his brothers the secret about their cherished late father he has concealed from them.

 

The key to this engaging contemporary romance is the parents of the lead couple as they have left both emotionally fractured with doubts about relationships.  With a strong support cast and entertaining character driven the story line, the first Hardin Boys tale is an enjoyable opening act.

 

Harriet Klausner

One Good Reason-Sarah Mayberry

One Good Reason

Sarah Mayberry

Harlequin SuperRomance, Aug 2 2011, $5.50

ISBN: 9780373717248

 

Almost a year ago after his abusive father died, Jon Adamson arrived in Melbourne from Canada to settle the estate and spend time with his brother Tyler (see The Last Goodbye).  However, he remains aloof from his sibling as he “renovates” their dad’s home.  Tyler and his wife Ally force Jon to move past his demons though the latter has no plans to remain in the area beyond settling their dad’s estate.  However, he is also attracted to his sibling’s office manager Gabby Wade, who was Tyler’s former girlfriend.

 

Gabby reciprocates Jon’s feelings, but is reluctant to do anything outside the office with another Adamson who unintentionally broke her heart.  However, neither can resist the other as they fall in love, but she fears another broken heart when he leaves.

 

This is a deep family drama with a strong romantic subplot.  Jon is a wounded warrior as he wants to flee back to Canada and alcohol, but his family and Gabby will not let him even with her trepidations of having her heart busted up again.  This is a terrific Australian romance.

 

Harriet Klausner

The Bad Always Die Twice-Cheryl Crane

The Bad Always Die Twice

Cheryl Crane

Kensington, $25.00

ISBN 9780758258861

 

1950s TV star Rex March is found dead in the bed of realtor Jessica Martin.  Known for her sexual proclivity with living hunks, Jessica is stunned to have a corpse of her former lover in her bed. Rex was reported dead six months ago.  The police name her the prime suspect.

 

Jessica’s partner Nikki Harper, daughter of movie legend Victoria Bordeaux, investigates the case as she knows her friend would not kill anyone.  Nikki is extremely nice to those she interviews as she drops her mom the siren’s name on start struck Hollywood and charms information out of those she feels might have a motive to see Rex dead twice in under a year.

 

This is a fun entertaining amateur sleuth as Nikki tosses her DNA as the opener to meet suspects and then deploys her considerable charm (more DNA) to obtain info.  The mother-daughter relationship brings jocularity and warmth to the well written story line.  However, this is Nikki’ tale as she makes the murder mystery fun to read with her gutsy ballsy feminist inquiries.

 

Harriet Klausner

Flowering Judas-Jane Haddam

Flowering Judas

Jane Haddam

Minotaur, Aug 2 2011, $25.99

ISBN: 9780312644338

 

In Mattatuck, New York, the corpse of long missing college student Chester Morton is found hanging from a billboard that had been asking for information from anyone who had seen him for a dozen years.  The Local Police Chief Howard Androcoelho asks private investigator Gregor Demarkian to help investigate whether Morton was murdered or committed suicide as he was missing for a dozen years.

 

After taking his friend ninety-nine years old George Tekemanian to the hospital in Philadelphia, Gregor goes to Mattatuck.  Although concerned about his friend’s health that interferes with his case focus, Gregor still finds oddities that lead him to conclude Morton did not die on the billboard but was placed there after he was dead.  He soon finds a back pack near where the body was found; inside is the skeleton of an infant, which may have belonged to Chester.  While Gregor ponders why Chester vanished years ago, the deceased’s shrilling mother demands the cops arrest her son’s former girlfriend while also wanting odd information about her son.

 

The latest Gregor Demarkian private investigative thriller is an exciting tale that deftly contains a different type of inquiry compared to the last case (see Wanting Sheila Dead).  The protagonist works on the mystery of Chester Morton as he seeks answers to several whys that he believes will lead to the culprit; at the same time he is worried that his friend back home will not make it to celebrate his upcoming birthday.  Flowering Judas is a strong entry as Demarkian shows both his hard and soft boiled sides.

 

Harriet Klausner

Home Improvement: Undead Edition-Edited by Charlaine Harris and Toni L.P. Kelner

Home Improvement: Undead Edition

Edited by Charlaine Harris and Toni L.P. Kelner

Ace, Aug 2 2011, $26.95

ISBN: 9780441020355

 

This fourteen urban fantasy anthology are tongue in cheek tales that humorously lampoons the sub-genre and self help guides.  All the entries are lighthearted fun as the readers leans the true meaning of bump in the night.  The editors book end the collection as Charlaine Harris opens with Sookie greeted by a newcomer when a wall comes down in “If I Had a Hammer”; while Toni L.P. Kelner finishes the book with “In Brightest Day” in which raising the dead Gorrfried proves difficult as he keeps getting dead.  Elyna “Gray ” (Patricia Brigg’s learns you can’t go home to renovate in Chicago.  Broahm calls “Wizard Home Security” (by Victor Gichler) when someone broke into his home.  In New Orleans, Defeo goes home to find pig’s “Blood on the Walls” of the family tombs by Heather Graham.  The European knows he needs to change his GPS now that he is in the American Midwest’s Switzerland Wisconsin learning first hand about “Woolsey’s Kitchen Nightmare” by E. E. Knight.   All the entries are enjoyable humorous Home Improvement tales that Tim Taylor would appreciate the paranormal power tools.

 

Harriet Klausner