Vera Wong's Guide to Snooping (on a Dead Man)

JESSE SUTANTO

Prolific and talented novelist Jesse Sutanto has done it again with her next installment in the Vera Wong series. As the book opens, Vera's son is dating a police officer, and of course, Vera hopes that a wedding is on the horizon. Unfortunately, like all action addicts, Vera is bored and starts looking for trouble. As it happens, a young woman presents herself to Vera, discussing finding a missing person. As the novel progresses, Vera surrounds herself with suspects who may or may not know where the missing person is.

The writer's strength is embellishing and establishing interesting and realistic characters. The book will appeal to fans of cozies, and some components will engender thoughts about the nature of people and what they are capable of.

While the second installment of this series can be read as a standalone, I recommend checking out the first, Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers.

WHEN SHE WAS GONE

SARA FOSTER

Veteran thriller rider Sarah Foster continues to capture the hearts and minds of her readers, this time with her new book, When She Was Gone. The beauty of this book is that it only takes 10 or 15 pages before the reader is completely hooked on the characters and the premise.

Rose has a daughter who has gone missing in Australia. And to make matters worse, she's the nanny of wealthy Australians whose children have also disappeared while under Rose's supervision. The high-ranking police suspect Rose of abandoning her child but also want her expertise to help find the other children, as she was a former London cop. Of course, the detective assigned to the case intends to work the case his way, which means that he does not appreciate or desire help from Rose.

When She Was Gone is a terrific combination of procedural and psychological drama that captures the best elements. Readers will find themselves drawn to Fosters' backlist, and I recommend that they read this book first and then the rest of her enticing novels.

THE OTHER PEOPLE

C.B. EVERETT

The Other People by writer C. B. Everett is a new look at an old trope. That is the locked room mystery. What makes this unique is that the writer adds a great dollop of horror, which makes the novel a hybrid mystery/horror story. As the book progresses, the reader is treated to a description of all ten guests who have somehow arrived in an old, creepy home; they have no idea how they arrived. Only that they have to find a missing person who is going to be murdered; each guest meets their death in a grizzly way, and the reader becomes more involved as the story progresses. C. B. Everett has written an engaging and clever book that keeps the reader involved to the very end. This thriller/horror story will give the reader something to remember for weeks to come.

DELIVERY VEHICLES

MILTON C. JOHNS

Delivery Vehicles by rookie writer Milton C. Johns reads like a well-polished legal procedural. The protagonist is a well-meaning alcoholic criminal lawyer who has been placed under supervision by the Commonwealth of Virginia State Bar for minor and significant transgressions. Throughout this highly entertaining and humorous novel, our hero gets in his way more than he should. But paradoxically, he is a talented and vigorous lawyer with good, if ill-timed, actions.

Add a terrorist plot, a penchant for womanizing, and barrels of Jack Daniels. These ingredients produce a highly readable and entertaining novel reminiscent of some of the better humorists working in the mystery genre.

Claire, Darling

Callie Kazumi

Callie Kasumi has written a unique suspense novel with realistic characters and unpredictable outcomes. The reader views the player, our protagonist, and her perspective via journal entries and flashbacks until the reader can hardly wait for the riveting endgame. Some might say that the outcome is predictable, but I am not one. This book, which I read in three days, was undoubtedly outstanding. I would have finished sooner if other tasks had not impeded me. The book reminded me of one or two others in the genre.  However, Kasumi, the writer, was very flexible and made this mystery a psychological suspense novel. The book is something to put on all readers' lists and is an excellent introduction to the thriller and suspense genre. 

RETREAT

Krysten Ritter

The retreat by talented writer Kristen Ritter reminds the reader of Patricia Highsmith. As the book opens, we see Liz Dawson as a con artist. She integrates seamlessly into elite social circles, making friends and more with everybody she meets. Liz is suave, debonaire, and overly confident, but these qualities and more make her a brilliant long-game con artist. Isabel Beresford is a rich woman who owns a villa in Mexico; she offers Liz the job of installing a piece of art, which Liz, a con artist, can hardly refuse. Liz would like to live a straight life, but this is not the time. Coincidentally, Liz looks very similar to Isabel, the villa's owner. This makes Liz a quasi-doppelgänger for Isabel, but the question is what is going on with Isabel. As Liz digs deeper into her double life, She finds danger surrounding herself and Isabel. Retreat is a book that grabs the reader by the throat and does not release until the con is ended. What a con it is.

Change of Heart

DR. CRISTINA LEPORT

Change of Heart by Dr. Christina Leporte is as intriguing and exciting as an open-heart surgery. But with more unpredictability and more violence. Amy Winters is a medical student in New York City who is found dead. Her death took place in front of a hospital, which facilitated an easy path to donation. The reader sees more and more of these crimes. Are they murders or suicides? The FBI is brought in to assist the NYPD. Is this an organ trafficking ring or a coincidence? Change of Heart is a superior blend of medical mystery and an absorbing police procedural. It is a wild ride, and readers would be advised to secure the first title in the series, Dissection.

OCEAN DRIVE

SAM WIEBE

Ocean Drive by excellent veteran writer Sam Wiebe contains everything a mystery reader desires. The plot is multi-layered: drugs, guns, and gangs. What else could a reader ask for? Like many of his books, Ocean Drive takes place in British Columbia, specifically the city of Vancouver and its environs.

What would you do to avoid prison? Would you go undercover to work off your sentence? That's what our main character has to decide. He then infiltrates a rat nest of gangs dealing with drugs, murder, and mayhem. The reader must watch the ball as the action is fast and engaging. I vehemently, energetically, and unhesitatingly recommend Ocean Drive and Mr. Wiebe's growing backlist of excellent PI novels and standalone procedurals.

THE LAST HAMILTON

JENN BREGMAN

The Last Hamilton by Jenn Bregman is a unique and fascinating mystery centering around the ancestors of Alexander Hamilton. The Last Hamilton is unique because it blends the history of the United States with an absorbing mystery. Additionally, it reminds and refreshes the readers about how vibrant the city of New York is. And how much history of our country has taken place in New York. As the story begins, Elizabeth Walker is found dead. Her husband and best friend attempt to find out who committed the crime. To find out, you must read the book; believe me, it is undoubtedly worthwhile.

NEMESIS: AN ORPHAN X NOVEL

GREGG HURWITZ

The 10th entry into the exhilarating Orphan X series is Nemesis by prolific action writer Greg Hurwitz. The beauty of Nemesis is that it can be read as a standalone or in chronological order, giving the reader a long TBR list. The main character, Evan Smoke, is a trained government assassin with a small cadre of friends. However, in this instance, he finds that his best friend, Tommy, has crossed the line. Tommy has ghosted Evan to help a friend's son; meanwhile, Evan is on the hunt for Tommy to seek revenge for Tommy's misdeeds. There is enough action within these two plots to keep the reader glued to the book for many hours in one sitting. The interplay between Evan and Tommy produces enjoyable dialogue, and the action is nonstop. Nemesis is for any reader who enjoys action, some bloodshed, and more than a little bit of tricky and outstanding plotting.

DEAD SAFE

GEORGE PRIOR

Dead Safe by George Prior is one of the best police procedurals I have read in the last five years. The story centers around a Beverly Hills business person who operates an establishment where people are guaranteed complete and absolute privacy to store any and everything imaginable. Things go south almost immediately. Blood is spilled, heads are cut, and multiple law enforcement agencies have no clues, no leads, but they do have two dead bodies and one 16-year-old rape victim. And this is all within the first few pages of this outrageously outstanding and engaging novel. Dead Safe takes place in Los Angeles. It introduces readers to the posh West Side of Los Angeles and the areas that nobody in their right mind should visit. Bodies fall, and bullets fly as more and more people are caught up in this fascinating, exceptional, and cinematic novel.

If you like superior writing, stupendous plotting, and an imaginative premise, buy Dead Safe by George Prior. And do not ignore Mr. Pryor‘s first novel, 78 Degrees and Bloody. These two books should be the beginning of a great and memorable series. Think John Sanford, Michael Connelly, and Lee Child. No kidding, George Prior is up there with the best of them.

OPEN SEASON

JONATHAN KELLERMAN

I have been reading John Kellerman and his Alex Delaware series for as long as I can remember. Open Season is one of the best in this long-running series. Alex Delaware is a child psychologist who works with his friend and L.A.P.D. Detective Milo Sturgis. They are investigating a murder scene of a woman who, not surprisingly, had aspirations to become an actress living in Los Angeles. Paradoxically, the toxicology shows that she had amounts of tranquilizers in her system, although her friends stated that she never used drugs. The book continues as other detectives investigate a case that is undoubtedly related to this first murder. Open Season is another entertaining and well-crafted novel by one of the masters in the field; I strongly recommend that you grab Open Season and read it as soon as possible. Check out his long backlist for others unfamiliar with Jonathan Kellerman's work. You will have a long list to read, making any reader happy.

JOSEPH FINDER

THE OLIGARCH’S DAUGHTER

Paul Brightman works on Wall Street. He makes good money and has a lifestyle to go along with it. He meets the love of his life at a function at the Metropolitan Museum in New York City. From there, all hell breaks loose. Who is this Russian woman who seemingly has no money yet and has parents who have wealth beyond anyone's imagination? Paul rapidly falls in love, and when his firm goes out of business, he begins to work for his girlfriend's father, who runs his own investment firm; illogical transactions, abrupt terminations of employees, and possible homicide make him wonder what is going on. Paul's world rapidly changes from idyllic to horrific.

Pick up The Oligarch's Daughter and block out two or three days to find out what happens to Paul Brightman and how he does or does not return to an ordinary life. This is an outstanding effort.

DEAD MONEY

JAKOB KERR

Dead Money by first-time writer Jacob Kerr is right on the money. Pick it up today if you want a novel with surprises and dark happenings. McKenzie Clyde is the chief security officer for Hammersmith, Inc. She is in charge of Roger Hammersmith‘s safety and well-being. Trevor Cannon is the chief technical officer for Hammersmith Inc., and Trevor Cannon is dead and probably a victim of homicide. As the story unfolds, we find that Trevor is up to no good, resulting in billions of dollars left frozen in his will. Roger has significant money on the line if it can not be recovered. He asks McKenzie to work with the FBI. Dead Money exemplifies a great mystery. There are intricacies and unpredictable happenings throughout. Dead Money combines the world of technology, which moves at the speed of light, with a genuine procedural. This book is for anybody interested in a fast-paced and well-written mystery. Readers will finish the book, hoping to see if the writer decides to make a series. That’s how good Dead Money is.

JOHNNY CARELESS

KEVIN WADE

Johnny Careless by talented writer Kevin Wade is everything that a crime novel should be and more; the main character is the son of an NYPD cop, so you might say that law enforcement is the family business. The chief gets a call to a drowning death, which, as readers know, can be very ugly. It’s even worse because the chief recognizes his friend Johnny. Intuition tells him that something is wrong with the crime scene. The chief has strong and long connections to his dead friend. The book takes place on Long Island, but not on Long Island, familiar to most readers. The writer provides interesting and nostalgic descriptions of Long Island and the chief as a determined and fascinating character. The additional players are also intriguing, adding humorous dialogue to an entertaining police procedural. Do yourself a favor, sit down, and buy Johnny Careless; you will not regret it for one second.

THE WEEKEND GUESTS

LIZA NORTH

The Weekend Guests by accomplished novelist Lisa North is a tremendous psychological thriller that kept me up at night. I could not put down the book until I finished, which tells me that The Weekend Guests is a novel worth buying and reading directly. The story occurs in a remote location over the weekend, where friends celebrate their friendship. The novel itself is straightforward. However, the atmosphere is eerie and makes the reader feel like nobody else is around. The book reads quickly, and many unpredictable events will shock readers.

The whole book is very well-written and engaging. I enjoyed the ending, as we see precisely what happens —or do we? The Weekend Guests is a novel worth reading, and I suggest you prioritize it when composing your to-be-read list.

THE MAILMAN

ANDREW WELSH HUGGINS

The Mailman by Andrew Welsh-Huggins is MY book. And it should be yours as well. Mercury Carter was a federal agent who now has to make a buck. His job is a freelance courier, which is precisely what it means. He delivers letters and documents—anything you can send. As the book starts, his job is to provide a package to a lawyer, seemingly mundane as in this genre. The carrier realizes something has gone wrong. He enters the lawyer's home and discovers a group of men committing a crime. Carter tells these guys he's not leaving until he delivers the package and has never missed a delivery. Due to the delay, the attorney who is expecting the package ends up being kidnapped. And sure enough, Carter and the attorney's husband give chase; however, the news gets worse as the lawyer's daughter is also missing. Who wants to kidnap the lawyer and the lawyer's daughter? The book was extraordinarily engrossing and challenging to stop reading. The Mailman is a book with action, unpredictability, and well-written prose. I highly recommend this book.

PALM BEACH ROGUES

TOM TURNER

Palm Beach Rogues by Tom Turner is another vastly entertaining mystery featuring his beloved characters, detectives Charles Crawford and Mort Ott. This time out, most of the action centers around a luxury yacht, gambling, and women available for sexual favors. There is the Russian oligarch, the English, Lord, a financier, and others you would not want to meet. The story center is around the murder of a Russian oligarch. But the problem is dozens of suspects wanted him dead. And, of course, nobody is willing to talk. Or, if they are willing, they are not answering the questions the detectives are asking. Palm Beach Rogues is terrific, just like all of Turner’s previous efforts. It is entertaining and full of cinematic imagery, laughs, and enough law enforcement jargon to keep even the most hard-core mystery reader entranced and captivated.

Turner writes with seemingly no apparent effort and never fails to put together an amusing and comical novel that should be read by anybody who enjoys procedures with a dash of humor a la Carl Hiaasen, the dean of the Florida mystery.

FORTH DOWN AND OUT

ANDREW WELSH-HUGGINS

Fourth Down and Out by Andrew Welsh - Huggins grabs the reader from the first page and doesn’t let go until the ball has crossed the goal line. The P.I. story features Andy Hayes, a somewhat infamous and reviled private eye in Columbus, Ohio, and the reader doesn’t know why. However, it has something to do with football, a massive deal in Ohio. Fourth Down and Out involves a missing laptop and 4 or 5 people looking for it for various reasons ranging from marital infidelity to financial shenanigans. The book moves quickly as the writer paints a vivid picture of Columbus and its distinctive characters. Welsh-Huggins has written many Andy Hayes mysteries, and I recommend that readers start with Fourth Down and Out and continue until the end of his back list.

THE CLOSE UP

PIP DRYSDALE

The Close-up by talented writer Pip Drysdale delivers a punchy, twisty, and fun story about unrequited love, blind ambition, and coincidence, all placed in Los Angeles, a city of dreams. The major player is Zoe, who moved to L.A. to become the next great American novelist. Her book sells very little, and she is forced to work at a flower shop where she reunites with a previous friend, Zach, who is now a movie star. Zoe and Zach put their heads together, looking for creative inspiration.

Zoe attracts a stalker who uses scenes from her first book to terrify her and keeps her from working on her second book despite her agent's criticism and her publisher's lack of concern and interest. Zoe's life is turned upside down as her stalker continues to harass her and wreak havoc.

The Close-Up is a superior thriller that offers a glimpse at "Hollywood" and the ambition required to make it.