Cat burglar Junior Bender, the private detective for Los Angeles crooks, hates Christmas, and his Scrooge-like attitude gets worse when a Russian mobster forces him take on a case just three days before the holiday. After Junior is told that his teenage daughter will be killed unless he cooperates, he has no choice but to…
I have a new favorite private detective, and his name is Easy Rawlins. Ezekiel “Easy’’ Rawlins has been around for a long time, solving crimes in post-World War II Los Angeles, largely during the turbulent 1960s. Walter Mosley’s first Easy Rawlins book, Devil in a Blue Dress, was published in 1990, and made into a…
Renowned mystery author Steve Hamilton’s riveting new novel, The Second Life of Nick Mason, introduces a flawed but fascinating character faced with constant moral dilemmas. Nick Mason is a small-time Chicago thief who cleans up his life and goes straight for the sake of his family. But when a friend asks him to come back…
If you enjoy a well-crafted mystery with a cast of colorful characters, I have just the book for you. Seasoned mystery author Reed Farrel Coleman is known among mystery readers for his hard-boiled detective series featuring private investigator Moe Prager. In 2014, he also took over the late Robert B. Parker’s Jesse Stone series. Coleman’s…
It is always a treat revisiting the serene village of Three Pines, which serves as the backdrop for Louise Penny’s 11th exceptional mystery, The Nature of the Beast. Armand Gamache, retired head of homicide for the Sûreté du Québec, is at a crossroads in his life. He is enjoying a quiet existence with his wife…
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