LAPD detective Harry Bosch works with the Asian Gang Unit to solve a murder.

Annotation by: St. Louis Public Library staff.

When the newly promoted captain of the NYPSD and his wife return a day early from their vacation, they find that their daughter has been brutally murdered.

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Retired surfer, and current PI, Donald Tremaine has a way with the ladies, word jumbles, and crime solving.  Beautiful Nina Aldeen knows he's the right PI to look into the year-old death of her uncle.  She wants to know who would kill one of LA's most popular and respected advertising men.  What clues did the police, family, and co-workers miss?

Tremain realizes the case won't be an easy one.  Everyone tells him there was no reason to kill Robert Gale.  Tremaine is not so sure.  Was the competitor out for revenge, the lovely gym manager more involved than she lets on, the wife too worried about her prestige, or maybe someone else who saw Gale as a threat?

It's up to Tremaine to rearrange the clues until he fits the right ones together (that's why he does the jumbles).  Count on Tremaine to do what he does best.  He'll look beyond the obvious until he discovers what about the real Robert Gale led to his murder.

Somewhere between ladies man, James, Bond, and that other trailer-living Malibu PI, Jim Rockford, author Michael Craven's first book gives us a PI who is tough, smart, and likeable.  Let's hope he brings Tremaine back to solve another case.

Annotation by: St. Louis Public Library staff.

Now an HBO original series, True Blood-the New York Timesbestselling Sookie Stackhouse series continues. Except for Sookie Stackhouse, folks in Bon Temps, Louisiana, know little about vamps-and nothing about weres. Until now. The weres and shifters have finally decided to reveal their existence to the ordinary world. At first all goes well. Then the mutilated body of a were-panther is found near the bar where Sookie works-and she feels compelled to discover who, human or otherwise, did it. But there's a far greater danger threatening Bon Temps. A race of unhuman beings-older, more powerful, and more secretive than vampires or werewolves-is preparing for war. And Sookie finds herself an all-too human pawn in their battle.

The "New York Times"-bestselling author and co-producer of the FOX television hit "Bones" returns with a spectacular new novel featuring America's favorite forensic anthropologist, Tempe Brennan.

Poor Kiki!  It was bad enough that her two-timeing husband George went and got himself killed in the first Scrap-N-Craft myster, but now someone is messing with her new found livelihood at St. Louis' Time in a Bottle.

Kiki, her boss Didi, and newest team member, Bama, are hosting a crop at the Missouri Botanical Gardens.  When Yvonne Gardener, the latest scrapbooking star in the metro area, succumbs to a rare allergy, all eyes are cast on those who had access to the afternoon edibles. 

The author brings back the characters from the first book.  First, there's her daughter, Anya, a good kid who is rather spoiled, but not too much.  Then there's Kiki's mother-in-law, Sheila, who is having a heck of a time trying to kill the mole invasion in her pristine lawn as well as manage Kiki's love life.  Detective Detweiler, Kiki's love interest and lead investigator in George's death, is trying to hide a big, big secret and breaking Kiki's heart.  Kiki's former maid and dog-sitting buddy, Mert, is sounding more like a country hick.  Then there's Gracie, Kiki and Anya's beloved horse of a dog.

Kiki meets more than one man, including a felon, who want to pick up the pieces of her shattered heart.

Annotation by: St. Louis Public Library staff.

V. I. Warshowski investigates a cold case 40 years old and ends up looking into Chicago's racial past and secrets of her own family.

Annotation by: St. Louis Public Library staff.

Lula witnesses a beheading and soon has the killers trying to kill her.  Stephanie, currently fighting with Morelli, her off-and-on boyfriend, is asked by hunky Ranger to help him at Rangeman, his security company. Lula and Grandma Mazur decide to enter a BBQ contest, even though neither of them know how to BBQ.  Laugh-out-loud scenes and destroyed cars again inhabit the newest Stephanie Plum title.

Annotation by: St. Louis Public Library staff.

Lawyer Andy Carpenter gains custody of a new Bernese puppy only to find that the puppy and everything he holds dear being targeted by a mysterious killer.

Annotation by: St. Louis Public Library staff.

Cat Midnight Louie returns in this alphabetical and colorful series as the P.I. cat of Las Vegas.  This time, his "little doll" Temple Barr has talked her fiancé, ex-priest, now radio psychologist, Matt Divine, into participating in a celebrity dance contest.  She soon is convinced to go undercover as Zoe Chloe Ozone as part of the emcee crew to help police homicide detective Molina watch over Mariah, Molina's willful teenage daughter.  When unfortunate incidents begin to plague the contest, it will take all of the crew to find the perp. 

Meanwhile, a few chapters show the progress of the Max, Temple's former fiancé, in Switzerland, as he slowly begins to regain some of his memory, but not all. Nelson continues to weave the story of the Max-Temple-Matt love triangle as she progresses through the alphabet and color palette.

Annotation by: St. Louis Public Library staff.

Kindred's citizens quickly find that the Cackleberry Club café serves up more than the tastiest breakfasts and afternoon teas.  It's the best place in town to get the latest details on local scandals and murders.  Even Sheriff Doogie knows observing Cackleberry's owners while he enjoys a Foggy Morning Soufflé or warm caramel roll is all in a day's work.

Laura Childs' first book in this series finds Cackleberry owners--friends Suzanne, Toni, and Petra--putting their heads together to solve two mysterious deaths, provide shelter for a cult member, clear the names of Suzanne's newly-departed husband, Walter, and toni's sometimes husband, Junior, and get their egg man back.  Readers will find themselves booking a table at the Cackleberry Club so not to miss any of the ladies' exploits.  Yes, recipes are included.

Annotation by: St. Louis Public Library staff.

Aggie returns with another "Ministry is Murder" adventure.  In this episode, unconventional minister's wife, Aggie, is trying to get more involved in the community by helping a committee of wealthy women stage a talent show to raise money for the children's hospital.  The committee as snagged a former hometown boy turned star as one of the judges for this "American Idol-like" event.  Aggie gets stuck with handling the obnoxious star and when he ends up a murder victim, no one is surprised.  Add into the mix a religious group new to town that combines a message of global warming/environmental responsibility and a circus with elephants, acrobats, and knive throwers and Aggie's behind-the-scenes sleuthing are put to the test.

Annotation by: St. Louis Public Library staff.

Lily Ivory finally settles in San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury neighborhood after years of wandering the world trying to find her niche.  Her upscale vintage clothing store is going well, and she is learning to make friends for the first time in her life.  When one of her clients is murdered, Lily's secret life as a witch may be exposed.  Joining forces with a myth buster, a male witch, a Wiccan, and a pot-bellied pig familiar, Lily may just be the only one to uncover the murderer.

Annotation by: St. Louis Public Library staff.

Written between 1958 and 1962, with a contemporary flair, these twenty-five stories and three novellas capture the world of crime writing as it was back then.  It's fun to read an American icon's early stuff and to see his progression over the years.  While mostly predictable--goes with the genre--the stories evoke the writing of Block's later years.

Even more interesting is a brand new introduction to the set and re-prints of the original introductions.  Block makes it pretty plain that he thinks the works are sub-par, but if readers want them, who is he to stop their publication, and he might even make a buck or two.  The title was given to the stories because as Block vaguely recalls, the majority were written in one sitting over a weekend.  Equally fascinating is Block's explanation of how private eye Ed London was created.

Another interesting titbit was Block's penchant with blonde women.  Almost to a one, all the women featured in these stories are blonde, blue-eyed, and stacked.  For a fun read, pick up a copy and journey back to a time when life was easier and crime didn't pay.

Annotation by: St. Louis Public Library staff.

Syd, a breathtakingly beautiful supermodel on a photo shoot inH awaii, disappears. Fearing the worst, her parents travel to Hawaii to investigate for themselves, never expecting the horror that awaits them. LA Times reporter Ben Hawkins is conducting his own research into the case, hoping to help the victim and get an idea for his next bestseller. With no leads and no closer to uncovering the kidnapper's identity than when he stepped off the plane, Ben gets a shocking visit that pushes him into an impossible-to-resist deal with the devil. A heart-pounding story of fear and desire, Swimsuit transports readers to a chilling new territory where the collision of beauty and murder transforms paradise into a hell of unspeakable horrors.

When Hackberry Holland becomes sheriff, he plans to leave certain things behind, but he becomes entangled in a grisly case.

Annotation by: St. Louis Public Library staff.