Introducing Leonid McGill...

All readers who are fans of Walter Mosley should take note--he has created a new character for you to admire and respect! The Long Fall stars Leonid McGill, an African American "old-school" Private Investigator, who is an an ex-boxer and a drinker, and is trying to use the techniques he learned in the past to solve a mystery in 21st centry Manhattan. Never a person to shy away from taking a not-so-legitimate job to make a quick buck and keep a roof over the head of his wife and kids, Leonid decides to turn over a new leaf and "go from crooked to slightly bent." This attitude is what makes Leonid McGill so charming! McGill is adept at sliding through the seamy side of New York City--the old-time mobsters, hidden folks who play city politics like a puppet show, hit men masquerading as taxi drivers and computer tech's who enjoy tapping into everyone's information and stealing identities. McGill's trouble begins when he innocently calls in a favor in order to receive some seemingly harmless information for a client and learns that "playing by the rules" is going to be pretty hard for him in this world. The tight plot of this story makes it an interesting read, and it's perfect for fans of Robert Parker. Walter Mosley was born in Los Angeles, but lives in in New York City, so the description of the novel's setting is wonderful. For more information on Walter Mosley, check out his web site at http://www.waltermosley.com/!

Relationships

Love is a Verb by Gary Chapman
The author shares forty true stories from everyday people that chose to show love in action. There are times in each of our lives when we choose to show love even when the feeling is not there. Showing love is not always easy but it’s something we all need to do. I enjoyed reading each of these personal accounts and found inspiration from them. Read these stories to find out what happens when love comes alive.

Gary Chapman is also the author of the bestselling book, The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate. In this book he identifies the five basic languages of love; quality time, words of affirmation, gifts, acts of service and physical touch. He helps couples to better understand their unique love language. This book will also help identify the unique love languages of your children and other special people in your lives.

Know the Rules Against Murder

During the height of summer, Armand and Reine-Marie Gamache are celebrating their wedding anniversary at Manoir Bellechasse, a luxurious, isolated inn near the village of Three Pines, in Canada. When a terrible storm leaves behind a dead body, it is the job of Chief Inspector Gamache to unearth the secrets of the murder. A Rule Against Murder by Louise Penny is a beautifully written cozy that describes the landscape of Canada, and the intricacies of the luxurious inn. The mystery contrasts nicely with the peaceful nature setting of the woods around Three Pines, and Inspector Gamache is your classic inspector/detective. Louise Penny was an award-winning journalist with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation before she left to write crime fiction. Her first Three Pines mystery, Still Life, won the Anthony and Barry Awards and the Dilys Award and her second book in the series, A Fatal Grace won the 2007 Agatha Award for Best Novel. Louise Penny currently lives in a small village south of Montreal with her husband, Michael, and two golden retrievers. Visit her site at http://www.louisepenny.com/.

The Lost Witness

Robert Ellis' The Lost Witness is a gripping, spooky crime novel. The book is a thriller set in Los Angeles that blends the suspense style of Michael Crichton with the pulse-pounding psychological suspense of Dean Koontz. Los Angeles Police Detective Lena Gamble is a cop held in disgrace by her superiors as a result of the way her case "ended up" in her first book, City of Fire. Her colleagues hail her as a hero because she captured the killer, but she has been punished and has not headed up a case in 8 months. When she finally receives a case, it is of a body chopped up and dropped in a Dumpster, a case the media finds very intriguing but Lena doesn't have any leads on. Lena Gamble is a tough, no-nonsense heroine, trying to find her way in a man's world. If you like toough heroines, you'll love this book!

Stephanie Plum is "Finger Lickin' Fifteen"

If Janet Evanovich's new Stephanie Plum series entry doesn't cause you to crave barbeque, then I don't know what will! Finger Lickin' Fifteen is a riot of a story, that lives up to the other fourteen books in the series. Stephanie Plum, lingerie-seller-turned-bounty-hunter, is at her zany best in this new novel, which centers around the murder of celebrity chef Stanley Chipotle. Chipotle visits Trenton, NJ to participate in a barbeque cook-off and ends up losing his head, unfortunately right in front of Lula, Stephanie's sidekick and fellow bail bonds office worker. Chipotle's killers spend their time trying to locate Lula to get rid of the only witness to his murder, and Lula recruits Stephanie to help her find Chipotle's killers so that she can feel safe and they can collect the reward money. Lula's big plan is to enter the barbeque competition that Chipotle had entered--and enlists Grandma Mazur's help in creating a prize-winning barbeque sauce (preferably one that doesn't give folks food poisoning). Stephanie also works overtime in this book, snooping for Ranger and his security company during the day, to help him discover who is breaking into his monitored homes and businesses and how they are accomplishing the burglaries. Evanovich again displays all of her beloved characters at their kooky best and delivers another humorous look at the life of the citizens of the 'burg in Trenton, NJ. Haven't read any Stephanie Plum novels yet? Start with the first book in this series, One for the Money.

Murder 101

Quick Study: A Murder 101 Mystery by Maggie Barbieri is a fun, quick read in a cozy that is sure to please mystery fans! Full of romance, humor and suspense, the book stars college English Professor Alison Bergeron. Alison begins dating NYPD detective Bobby Crawford, thinking that dating him would be exciting and involve lots of riding around in police cruisers, chasing down criminals and putting away the "bad guys." When a friend asks Alison to help her find his nephew, she eagerly asks Bobby for his advice on how to search for him. Unfortunately, the nephew's body had been pulled out of the Hudson River a few days earlier and Alison and Bobby begin to suspect that his death is not an accident! The plot thickens as Alison and Bobby begin spending a lot of time together trying to solve the case--Alison and Bobby's romance is as much a part of the story as is the murder, and readers who enjoy character development will love watching Alison and Bobby's relationship develop as they race to solve the murder mystery. Quick Study is the third book in this series: the other two are Extracurricular Activities and Murder 101.

Have a "May Day"...

May Day by Jess Lourey is the first "Murder-by-Month Mystery" written by the author. Mira James, the main character, lives in Minneapolis and has been taking it easy since she graduated from college. Leaving behind a dead-end job and a cheating boyfriend, Mira packs up her cat, and her car and moves to rural Battle Lake, Minnesota where she takes a job as an Assistant Librarian and a part-time reporter. She meets a nice guy who she thinks is the perfect man, until he turns up dead in the reference stacks! Determined to figure out why her perfect man was taken from her, Mira dives into the hidden mysteries of Battle Lake which includes old land deeds with Ojibwe secrets, senior citizens with freaky social lives, a group of thirty-year-old high school buddies with some serious grudges, and general quirkiness that develops in small towns. The book is humorous and contains an action-packed mystery--Mira James is a zany and smart heroine who flings herself into life as best as she can. Author Jess Lourey lives in Alexandria, Minnesota with her two kids and her black cat and teaches English and Sociology at the local college. The rest of the books in the series are: June Bug, Knee High by the Fourth of July, and August Moon

Forgot Something?

G. H. Ephron's Amnesia is a fast-paced psychological thriller, that is the debut book in the series for the author. Ephron's hero is Dr. Peter Zak, a psychologist who performed consults for the District Attorney's office until his wife was brutally murdered in her upstairs pottery studio while he was downstairs making tea. Dr. Zak is asked to consult on a new case, and he reluctantly agrees. The new case involves Sylvia Jackson who was attacked, shot in the head and left for dead, as the killer brutally murdered her boyfriend. Surprisingly, Sylvia survives her attack and wakes up after a six week coma, convinced that her ex-husband tried to murder her. Dr. Zak's goal is to assess how well Sylvia remembered the attack and if she is competent to testify at her ex-husband's trial. The novel is fast-paced and the character development of Peter Zak is wonderful. Ephron examines all of Zak's flaws and makes the reader sympathize with Zak's bitter life. The story is set in Boston, MA, and aptly describes the residents and characteristics of the city. Check out this book if you want to read a great story about a flawed hero with a lot to offer!

Face of a Killer

One of the library's patrons recently suggested I read Face of a Killer by Robin Burcell. The patron had truly enjoyed the book's intensity and suggested the I might like it too--and she was correct, I did enjoy it. The book stars FBI forensic artist Special Agent Sydney Fitzpatrick, who uses her considerable skills to create portraits of killers. Sydney gets caught up in her own life when she begins to question the innocence of the man about to be executed for her father's murder, which occurred twenty years earlier. Her re-investigation of her father's death leads her to a trail of corruption by top U. S. officials and a deadly cover-up by the military and the National Security Administration. The more Sydney delves into her father's past, the more secrets and dark truths she finds, until she begins to realize that she knows nothing about her father's true life. This book is the first in the series starring Sydney Fitzpatrick and it's a story that all fans of tense mysteries starring strong women will want to read.