Tooth for a Tooth
By T. Frank Muir
Soho Crime. $26.95. (Rating-Good)
The discovery of a woman’s remains in a shallow grave sets off a chain of events that places the career of DCI Andy Gilchrist at risk. The woman turns out to be the former girlfriend of the St. Andrews (Scotland) detective’s brother who was killed in a suspicious hit and run case 35 years ago.
The discovery of a rusted cigarette lighter found at site seems to suggest the detective’s brother may have had something to do with the woman’s death. Gilchrist tries to hide the fact and is subsequently suspended on suspicion of tampering with evidence.
Battling his own department, some personal demons he has thought were laid to rest and a very lethal adversary who thinks he has committed the perfect crime, Gilchrist tries to solve the mystery of the woman’s death while also making sure his deceased brother is not charged with the crime.
Actually, he’s dealing with a double homicide here, as you’ll discover as you get deeper into the novel.
The third installment of this series set Scotland, this case gets off the mark a bit slowly due to some of the personal agonizing the central character goes through at the beginning because of the family connection. Fortunately, once we have sifted through the former relationships of the living and the deceased, the focus becomes clearer and the investigation picks up speed.
There are some interesting twists and turns that should satisfy even the most demanding mystery buff and the setting in the birthplace of golf is an added bonus.
The Circle of Thirteen
By William Petrocelli
Turner. $26.95 (Rating-Excellent)
This marks the literary debut of San Francisco independent bookstore (Book Passage) owner Bill Petrocelli as a mystery writer. Set in the future (2082), the novel begins with a blast that rocks the new United Nations building in New York City.
An international terrorist group, thought to be disbanded, is apparently responsible for the attack. The organization’s misogynistic leader has been linked to several vicious attacks on women and now seems to have a group called Women of Peace in his sights.
Women of Peace is an organization of thirteen women who are determined to do whatever it takes to bring about world peace. U.N. Security Director Julia Moro is tasked with uncovering the plot and disrupting the terrorists so the women can get on with their plans to save the world.
The narrative shifts back and forth in time as Moro’s investigation fills in the gaps that explain how previous events that date back half a century play a role in what happens on this fateful day.
There have been plenty of stories about a band of men who come together to try to save the world from all sorts of maladies, but there aren’t too many tales of a selfless band of women who are given this task. Petrocelli has just expanded this short list and it seems a safe bet that he will probably be adding to it in the future.
The Joshua Stone
By James Barney
William Morrow. $14.99 (Rating-Good)
With its biblical and scientific roots, a handful of world changing artifacts, mysterious connections to an isolated, secret, government laboratory and global conspiracy tie-in, this thriller uses the well worn elements that have sustain many novels of this ilk in the past.
At the heart of this research project, that apparently went bad in the 1950s, is a time bending (read time travel) experiment that apparently cost the lives of those working in the clandestine lab in a remote area of West Virginia. Now, over fifty years later, suddenly some of the scientists mysteriously appear again.
Government operatives Mike Califano and Ana Thorne are tasked with finding out what’s going on here and if it, whatever it is, poses a threat to the well-being of the country. Of course, we are looking at a potential global catastrophe here if Califano and Thorne can’t solve the mystery. Naturally, they must also prevent this remarkable, powerful, mind shattering force from falling into the hands of a determined group of miscreants.
There’s enough action here to satisfy any reader who isn’t yet satiated with a steady diet of Bible based, ancient wisdom driven, global conspiracy themed thrillers. On a scale of one to ten, “The Joshua Stone” lands right in the middle. This novel is fine for killing time when your flight is delayed, but you’ll probably want to leave it in the airport or on the plane rather than take it home to share with family or friends.
Foreign Gods, Inc.
By Okey Ndibe
Soho. $25 (Rating: Very Good)
Ikechukwu Uzondu graduated magna cum laude from Amherst College and married an American, yet the Nigerian’s life has not gone well. In fact, a decade after he graduated Ike is driving a cab in New York and his marriage is over.
Blaming his sorry plight and inability to find a decent job with his thick accent, Ike also struggles with a drinking problem and gambling addiction. The lower he sinks, the more he blames discrimination and his former wife for his rapid decline.
Suddenly the distraught African sees a glimmer of light at the end of a long, dark tunnel. Ike discovers that there are people in New York who will spend big bucks to obtain authentic statues of foreign deities. Thinking back to his home village in Nigeria, Ike knows of an effigy that would undoubtedly interest these wealthy collectors.
As he returns to his homeland, Ike believes he now sees a way to reverse his misfortune by stealing this sacred statue but, if anything, he is about to complicate his life even more.
This plan to steal the statue of a cherished native war god is going to set off a maelstrom that will make Ike’s former problems seem inconsequential given what he has gotten himself into now.
A multi-faceted novel that operates on a number of levels, “Foreign Gods, Inc.” not only underscores the false promises and frustrations of the immigrant experience in America but also looks at the nature of religious conflicts as well as the infatuation society has with owning authentic ancient artifacts and how destructive that desire can be.
Sinister
By Lisa Jackson, Nancy Bush and Rosalind Noonan
Zebra. $7.99 (Rating-Good)
Lisa Jackson and her sister, Nancy Bush, collaborated with their long time friend, Rosalind Noonan, to create this thriller set in Wyoming. Two decades ago, the Dillinger family experienced a run of bad luck. Judd Dillinger was killed in a fire that destroyed the family’s old homestead. A serial arsonist was blamed for the fire but never apprehended. Now it appears he or she may be back in Prairie Creek.
With the members of the Dillinger clan assembling for a wedding, arson, a string of suspicious deaths and grotesque animal mutilations are taking place. Whatever is going on here has the entire community on edge and the Dillingers are at the center of the situation. It appears someone has been waiting for this moment when the family once again assembles to settle some scores.
Divided into three sections, each writer handles one section and seamlessly keeps the narrative going as the story builds towards its shattering conclusion.