Thursday, January 17, 2013

Reading Ahead: February 2013, part 4

I've saved the mysteries for last this month, but perhaps also the best, as well?  You decide!



Bad Blood, by Dana Stabenow

Deadly Stakes, by J.A. Jance

Dreams and Shadows, by C. Robert Cargill


Now, where to start.  If you're a mystery reader and haven't read Dana Stabenow yet, you are really missing out.   Most of her mysteries are set in Alaska, where Stabenow was born and raised, and most feature Detective Kate Shugak.  This latest in the Kate Shugak series finds two villages in a tribal feud that has gone on over a hundred years, and it has heated up to the point of murder.  No one will speak to Sergeant Jim Chopin about the incident, and he turns to Kate and her Park ties to try and get some answers.  It should be a very strong installment to the series.

The ever-popular and very prolific Judith A. Jance's latest mystery finds former reporter Ali Reynolds called to investigate the murder of a gold-digging divorcee by the woman accused of the crime, only to find herself drawn into a second case which seems to be connected.  Jance is a master of the genre, and sure not to disappoint.

The last title is not strictly a mystery, but it has some similar elements.  Cargill, a screenwriter and acclaimed film critic, makes his fiction debut with some serious twists and turns on the usual fantastical fare.  Lost worlds, a clash of cultures, travel and humor all combine in a very unique tale--I'm recommending this one for fans of Lev Grossman and Neil Gaiman.  I have this on my list for sure!

I'll be back next week to finally talk about what I read in December, and talk about reading challenges.  Happy Reading!


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