Suspense, action and adventure from top selling authors …

The Laundryman’s Daughter

By Kathryn Gualtieri
Tin Lantern. (Rating: Very Good)

Capitola mystery writer Kathryn Gualtieri has issued the third installment of her Nora Finnegan series set in Carmel during the 1920s. In this adventure the intrepid Pine Cone reporter not only helps solve the deaths of two village residents but she also adopts a young Chinese girl whose father is one of the murder victims.

Those who have followed the series will be surprised to discover that there will be a few major changes in Nora’s personal life that may make future stories even more interesting than they are now.

If you enjoy mysteries with plenty of local color, you’ll find Nora Finnegan’s crime solving adventures quite entertaining.

Tragic

By Robert K. Tanenbaum
Gallery Books. $26 (Rating: Good)

He’s not the kind of person you want to cross. Longshoreman Charlie Vitteli is the new president of the North American Brotherhood of Stevedores and what he says is law on the docks. Pit-bull nasty and as street smart as they come, Vitteli has fought his way to the top and if you value your wellbeing, you don’t challenge him

Apparently Vince Carlotta didn’t get the message. Vitteli’s fiercest rival has accused him of embezzlement, election rigging and other abuses. Not smart! Carlotta is now dead, allegedly killed in an armed robbery, but everyone knows who is behind the murder.

Of course proving Vitteli is responsible is going to be a nearly impossible task but District Attorney Butch Karp is handed the assignment. With his wife’s assistance, Karp is going to try to find the hired assassin and then link him to Vitteli.

It’s a challenge few would accept but Karp and his wife, Marlene Ciampi, are determined to see that justice is done even though they are putting their own lives on the line.

Some “out of the blue” surprises and odd twists make this latest legal thriller from Robert Tanenbaum one of his more captivating novels. One of the best known trial lawyers in the country, Tanenbaum brings an authenticity to his stories that few other authors can match.

Second Watch
A J.P. Beaumont Novel

By J.A. Jance
William Morrow. $26.99 (Rating: Very Good)

The Beaumont series now spans over three decades but it is still as fresh as the day the Seattle investigator first burst on the scene. In this latest thought-provoking adventure, Beaumont is taking some time off to have a knee replacement. A little downtime would be good and give Beaumont some much needed rest, but that’s not exactly how the recovery period shakes out.

Experiencing an odd series of dreams that hearken back to his early days as a cop and even further back to his service in Vietnam, the investigator wonders why he is suddenly recalling events and people he hasn’t thought about in years. Is there a connection to the present and some current investigations that are troubling him?

Apparently so and this trip down Memory Lane will perhaps do more than just lay a few ghosts to rest.

The inspiration for this tale came from a situation in the author’s own life as she creates a fictional character based on a real soldier she once knew who died in Vietnam.

Jance calls “Second Chance” not only a mystery but also “a literary thank you note to all the people who served during that era – the ones who came back as well as the ones who didn’t—and to their loved ones, too”.

 

Deadline

By Sandra Brown
Grand Central. $28 (Rating: Very Good)

Just returned from assignment in Afghanistan, reporter Dawson Scott is still struggling with the emotional effects of what he encountered. Before he is fully recovered Dawson is given the opportunity to cover the latest development in an unresolved case that has lain dormant for forty years.

Marine Jeremy Wesson disappeared and has been presumed dead all these years. The biological son of two terrorists on the FBI’s Most Wanted list, Wesson, his fate and that of his parents are again of interest to the bureau.

As Scott begins poking around he meets Wesson’s ex-wife, Amelia, and a relationship between the two develops. But a shocking turn of events occurs when Amelia’s nanny turns up dead and the reporter becomes one of the suspects.

With even more at stake now, Scott intensifies his investigation into the Marine’s disappearance and the new search for a set of notorious killers who have gone untouched for decades. The closer he gets to finding them, the closer Scott comes to uncovering some secrets about his own past.

Sandra Brown’s romantic suspense stories have been translated into 34 languages and sold over 80 million copies worldwide. Just as with her previous thrillers, this latest Brown thriller is certain to land on the bestseller lists. If you haven’t read any of her novels before now is as good a time as any to become familiar with her work. After reading “Deadline,” you’ll probably want to begin working through her lengthy backlist of titles.

Never Go back

By Lee Child
Delacorte. $28 (Rating-Fair)

If you have read the other novels in this long running series you might want to see who former military cop Jack Reacher stumbles into now. But, if you haven’t followed Jack’s adventures you might want to go back farther in the long list of titles rather than begin here.

Reacher stumbles into a ridiculous mess and one he should have been wary of when he decides to visit his former unit headquarters outside of Washington, D.C. He not only finds that the unit commanding officer, Major Susan Turner, has been arrested but he is also wanted for trumped up charges of homicide and a bogus paternity charge. What’s more, Jack is also told he’s being recalled to active service. (Have you read the fine print in your discharge papers lately, Jack?)

Obviously there’s been a huge miscarriage of justice here and a major frame-up for some reason. Jack’s going to head out on the road again to sort this mess out. He’s going to get some help from Major Turner, whom he breaks out of jail, and, at times, this will read like vintage Reacher.

But, unfortunately, the ending is a bit of a disappointment and when all is said and done, this whole adventure is rather suspect. Not only do we wonder how a smart guy like Jack could walk into this situation but, more to the point, do we really buy the shaky scenario Lee Child has tossed together here?

Probably not!

 

The Whole Enchilada

By Diane Mott Davidson
William Morrow. $26.99 (Rating-Excellent)

Here’s another Goldy Schultz adventure to sink your teeth into. The caterer and sometimes sleuth really has her plate full this time. First, a good friend drops dead as she leaves a birthday party catered by Goldy. Hope it wasn’t something she ate!

After a fellow caterer who resembles Goldy is stabbed and then Goldy is attacked outside her own home, it looks like someone is out to get the popular caterer.

Obviously, Goldy is either being targeted for some reason or this is a mega-case of mistaken identity. Either way, it’s time to leave the kitchen to track down this deranged or confused killer who is making Goldy’s life a little too exciting.

As with the previous 17 novels in this delicious, culinary mystery series, you’ll find some mouthwatering recipes at the back of the book. You can whip up a batch of Spicy Brownies to nibble while reading or enjoy some Enchiladas Suizas or one of Goldy’s Chef Salads afterwards.