Booktalked at the May 11, 2004, meeting of the MLS Readers Advisory S.I.G.
Burglars Can't Be Choosers, by Lawrence Block.
First book in the amusing mystery series featuring Bernie Rhodenbarr, gentleman thief of New York City. Bernie, who usually works on his own, reluctantly agrees to retrieve a leather box from an apartment, for a nice fee. He is cuaght by two policeman while searching a rolltop desk. Bernie bribes them to keep quiet, but then the younger policeman faints after discovering a corpse, and Bernie bolts. Holed up in an acquaintance's vacant apartment, he becomes entangled with a young woman fascinated by his occupation. Fast paced and entertaining.
Every Crooked Nanny, by Kathy Hogan Trochek.
Callahan Garrity, owner of the House Mouse cleaning service, is a former Atlanta cop, and a registered P.I. who couldn't find enough detecting work. When she's asked by a former college classmate to find a maid who's run off with furs and jewels, she finds a corpse and some shady real estate developments. Callahan's life is not what she expected, what with her mother and colorful cleaning crew helping as amateur detectives, but she's certainly good company.
High Country, by Nevada Barr
Park ranger Anna Pigeon is working undercover as a waitress at Yosemite's Ahwahnee Lodge, looking into the disappearance of four young park workers. Life in the dorm uncovers some secrets, and Anna heads into the backcountry in search of answers, and finds herself struggling to survive in the wilderness. Wonderful setting, gutsy 40ish heroine, and suspenseful mystery make for an excellent read.
Brenda O'Brien, Woodridge PL
Skinny Man, by James Colbert
Skinny is a New Orleans police detective who is on suspension after wrecking yet another police car. While working an interim job as security policeman for his apartment complex, he becomes involved in an arson plot involving his sexy neighbor, unscrupulous real estate developers, and an intriguing woman named Ruth. Skinny is a quirky guy with a sense of humor and a habit of referring to himself in the third person. Audience: Adult.
Hide and Seek, by Ian Rankin
Booktalk: Inspector John Rebus of Edinburgh is trying to find the killer of a young squatter whose body was discovered, laid out in a seemingly ritualistic manner, in a house used by runaways and vagrants. The search for the killer leads him to discover a sex and violence club involving prominent members of society. Audience: Adult
Tough Luck, by Jason Starr
Booktalk: Mickey has delayed college and is working at a fish market while he takes care of his ailing father. He places an occasional sports bet for fun. When an alleged local mobster, a customer of the store, asks Mickey to place a bet for him, and loses, Mickey's life begins to spin out of control. A series of bad decisions puts Mickey in very dangerous territory. Audience: Adult or Mature YAs
Debbie Darwine, LaGrange Public Library
Hearts and Bones, by Margaret Laurence
This book takes place after the American Revolution in Maine. The main character, Hannah Trevor, is a widowed midwife with a child who tries to make a decent living for herself and her daughter. After leaving the birth of a child in the town Hannah notices that there is no fire coming from one of the neighbor's houses. It is winter and she knows that the woman is alone with her children and therefore she may freeze without a fire. Hannah and her friend bring coals to the house to find the woman raped and strangled. Hannah finds a number of clues that point to her former lover and the father of her daughter. She follows the clues and fights to protect Daniel (her lover) from the mob and she learns who is the actual killer. All is wrapped up in a massacre at a fort during the Revolutionary War. Hannah is a woman before her time. She is assertive, smart, determined and independent in a time when that was out of the norm. Audience: Adult/YA
The Thin Man, by Dashiell Hammett
Written in 1934, this is one of the building blocks of the crime novel. It takes place during the Great Depression. Former detective Nick Charles and his wife become involved (against their wills) in searching for a former client of Nick's who is now wanted for murder. The couple are on vacation in New York and the former client's daughter and lawyer ask Nick for help. Through a series of quirky scenarios Nick figures out who the real murderer is. The women are one dimensional and there for eye candy. However, the real pleasure of the book lies in the snappy dialogue and the situations that the Charles find themselves in. Highly stylized and great for a sense of time and place. If you like the movie - read the book! Audience: Adult
Motherless Brooklyn, by Jonathan Lethem
Set in 1970 in Brooklyn, a circle of boys from an orphanage are taken under the wing of a minor mafioso. The main character, Lionel, has Tourette's Syndrome. Their mentor is murdered on a stakeout and Lionel decides to find the murderer. The circle of boys starts to fall apart under the pressures of finding the murderer. The story also includes a Japanese corporation, a Buddhist temple and bad family members. The story is more than a crime story. It is the clever use of language and crime and mystery. Not to miss! Audience: Adult
Lisa Korajczyk, Richton Park PL
The Big Nowhere, by James Ellroy
Number two in Ellroy's LA Quartet. This is a tough, violent story of ruthless police and gangs and politicians, set in 1950s Los Angeles. Very rough language and the violence can be brutal. The investigation of a series of homosexual murders and a DAs grand jury to get "pinkos" in the movie business dovetail. An ex-cop who was a dirty cop and has been doing unsavory things ever since engds up doing the right thing while two "goodish" but deeply troubled cops end up dead.
The Friends of Eddie Coyle, by George V. Higgins
Told almost entirely in dialogue, this crime novel is about a number of seedy, small-time dealers, gangsters, and hit men. People meet in parking lots, make deals and give enough to the cops to keep them interested and happy. This is a dark, urban story set in Boston. The characters have no compulsion to do anything but what they want. The book is told flatly and without judgement. The big guys will do what they will and the little guy pays the price.
Jitterbug, by Loren D. Estleman
In Detroit during WWII, a psychopath, turned down for military duty, turns his patriotism towards murdering those he believes to be hoarding ration coupons. At the same time blacks, southern blacks, southern whites, and various ethnic whites work together in the factory but harass each other on the streets. A group of four policemen, led by Lt. Zagreb, pursue the killer. Rough language and fairly violent, but the violence is not prolonged. Gives a good picture of the place and era. One of a series of books set in Detroit in different decades of the 20th century.
Debbie Wordinger, Indian Prairie
Booked to Die, by John Dunning
A good example of the "ex-cop as detective" subgenre. Cliff janeway starts the book as a police detective who collects rare books. When a brutality charge (justified, of course) causes him to leave the force, he opens up a store selling rare books. His sole employee is then shot and killed, and Cliff discovers a link to an old case and solves the crime. The rare book scene weaves throughout the plot and we learn a lot about buying, selling, and collecting first editions. This title is the first in a series. Audience: Adult/YA
Aunt Dimity's Death, by Nancy Atherton
This one is full of "cozy" attributes: a small town, eccentric neighbors, a heroine who inherits a cottage, and a mystery that involves the past. Lori Shepherd is totally down on her luck when she discovers that Aunt Dimity, a person she always thought her mother had invented, was not only real but has left her both an English cottage and a mystery. When Aunt Dimity's ghost begins to communicate with Lori and helps her to find the answers to both the mystery and Lori's loneliness, we also want to solve the puzzle. This title is the first in a series. Audience: Adult/YA
Cop Hater, by Ed McBain
In the first of what is probably the ultimate series of police procedurals (over 50 titles now in the 87th Precinct series!), we are introduced to the detectives of the 87th Precinct. Based in a mythical city with many of the attributes of New York City, the means streets, the bars, and the citizens of the city are as important to the plot as the detectives. Having a rotating cast of policemen (some of which actually die) rather than one central person as the main character was a major innovation, and the emphasis on police legwork and procdure, which may lead to several dead ends, is classic for the genre. McBain's flat, declarative writing style reminds one of the old Dragnet series. Audience: Adult
Nancy Bent, LaGrange PL
