Robin Agnew
With a whole, hot month left in the summer, here's a few books to tote to the beach or the woods or wherever you might go in August to relax, read, and recharge. No fair ordering these titles on your kindle...find a nice bookseller near you who pays taxes in your town (just paid my summer city taxes myself) and perhaps employs a few folks and buy a book from them. These are all paperbacks so none of them will break the bank - you'll need six,as I once unwittingly told the wife of the governor of Michigan, not recognizing her in a book signing line.
Silencing Sam, Julie Kramer. I LOVE Julie Kramer. Are you sick of Janet Evanovich? Meet Minneapolis TV reporter Riley Spartz, who as always is in the thick of the action, this time looking into the death of a notorious St. Paul gossip columnist. She's funny and her plots are terrific, as is Riley.
The Killing Song, P.J. Parrish. This isn't in the Parrish sisters' terrific Louis Kincaid series, but it's a wonderful standalone serial killer novel, cleverly using songs and music as clues, taking you all over the globe (Miami, London, Paris, Scotland) and winding up in the ultra creepy Paris sewers. Give those a google...Meanwhile you'll fall for the main character, reporter Matt Owens.
The Hidden Man, David Ellis. Intelligent thriller writer, thy name is David Ellis. While Ellis has won an Edgar he's still not a giant besetseller but his whip smart thrillers sure should put him on top. This one is about a bereaved Chicago attorney who's asked to defend an estranged childhood friend in what looks like a hopeless case. If you thought Mr. Jeffrey Deaver was the King of the Twist, give Ellis a try.
Wanting Sheila Dead, Jane Haddam. Ihave a little love hate thing with Jane Haddam. Some of her books make me want to shriek in frustration, while others, often the ones hewing most closely to the traditional mystery format, are a delight. This one falls into the "delight" category as super sensitive sleuth Gregor Demarkian tries to figure the ins and out of a murder on the set of a reality TV show. If Peter Winsey came back as a 21st century Armenian detective, he might be Gregor Demarkian.
Buffalo West Wing, Julie Hyzy. I read this in, I think, two hours (so pack 2 or 3). Hyzy's entertaing and well written mysteries set in the White House kitchen hit a new high with this one, as a new first family is ushered in and a bumpy adjustment is had by all. Hyzy's plotting, pacing and characterization skills are all on display. Fun!
A Hard Day's Fright, Casey Daniels. I usually steer clear of anything "paramormal", but I enjoyed this one, where an insistent ghost accosts cemetary worker Pepper Martin on the bus and demands her help in finding her body. Setting her story partly in the past - this ghost died happy, after a Beatles concert - Daniels delivers a smooth and easy read, perfect for the back porch and a glass of lemonade.
Happy Reading!
