I really have become quite fond of Conrad Voort, the hero of Ethan Black's novels. He's a rich cop, sure, but he has strong family and moral values, and he still goes to church and prays to God for assistance.
Six years ago, Voort did something to really tick somebody off, cause now they're killing people and leaving notes that blame Voort. His superiors want to know what Voort did and why this killer is accusing him.
Wendell Nye, the villain of the piece, is one strange dude, and even when you find out what happened to him those six years ago, it still doesn't seem to justify his actions. Even though his victims are villainous in their own right.

However, the book moves extremely well, and the climax is quite good. Poor Voort..he now has his widowed sister-in-law after him, and he's reconciled with Camilla. Their bantering is a humorous respite in the murderous atmosphere.

A very good novel. Enjoy!

RECOMMENDED.

NYPD detective Conrad Voort is one of the richest men in the police department, his family escutcheon going back to the Revolutionary War. Conrad's biggest worry is his cousin's widow Julia is living in his posh townhouse while she's looking for another place to live. She would like nothing better than to replace Camilla in his bed and life.

Conrad and his partner Mickie are escorted to a homicide scene to explain what the killer means when he writes in a note that Voort screwed up. The victim is a former prostitute turned travel agent and the killer says there are going to be three more victims by midnight. Voort takes a lie detector test and wears an electronic bracelet to remain on the case. With each death, more is revealed about the killer's motives which is centered on a mistake Voort made six years ago.

The protagonist is a good man, a great police officer who has to live with the fact that one mistake six years ago led to the killing spree of a murderer who only wants justice for himself, his family and even his city. While working on the case, the hero is under constant pressure because he realizes he will probably lose his job after killer is caught. The killer elicits reader sympathy because the people he is murdering are the true villains who were never brought to any kind of justice. DEAD FOR LIFE is an exciting police procedural that will keep reader attention from first page to last.

Harriet Klausner

Although I have read -- and enjoyed -- virtually every book in every series by the most famous female mystery writers, Carolyn Wheat unequivocally remains my favorite.

This series is about a Legal Aid attorney named Cass Jameson. As such, it introduces fascinating glimpses into seldom-seen areas of the legal system -- along with providing excellent mysteries.

The books are all very well-written, fast-moving, and entertaining. I cannot sufficiently recommend them. IMHO, this is the best mystery series available.

Is vulgarity grounds for murder? Alfred Armiger had antagonized many with his greed and crass acquisitiveness. So when the ruthless beer baron is discovered dead, his head beaten in by a magnum of champagne, there is no shortage of suspects. But all of Comerford is shocked with Detective George Felse arrests Kitty Norris, the daughter of a rival beer baron, the last person to see Armiger alive, and the main beneficiary of his will! But Kitty, charming and popular, has an unexpected advocate in Felse's young son, Dominic, who secretly adores her. Passionately convinced of Kitty's innocence, Dominic sets out to find the true culprit, a hazardous undertaking that might well cost him his life!

Best known for the Brother Cadfael mysteries, Ellis Peters actually wrote the Felse series first, but until recent years, these appealing books have been out of print in the United States. "Death and the Joyful Woman," which received an Edgar Award, deserves a warm welcome from American readers. Peters has told not only an engaging mystery but a sensitive coming-of-age story as well. Characters and relationships are sharply delineated--Dominic is a highly likable teen sleuth and his interactions with his parents, especially his father, are both amusing and touching. And a subplot concerning a struggling young couple and an unusual painting--the Joyful Woman of the title--proves just as involving as the main storyline. Readers of "Fallen into the Pit," Peters' first Felse mystery, may notice that the method Dominic uses to flush out the murderer is similar to the one he employs here, but this is a minor quibble in an otherwise excellent novel. Highly recommended.

As a first in the Merry Folger series, this book provided all the great elements of a classic mystery: developed characters, suspense & a puzzle to gnaw your teeth on. The death of Peter Mason's brother draws detective Merry Folger into a relationship with the bog owner, providing a touch of romance woven into the web of mystery. The characters are so well written, without being sentimental, that by the end of the book, you feel they live next door - you want to know what happens next in their lives. The mystery itself rates with the best of them, and the setting of Nantucket is so well written, you'll want to be on the next ferry - but not without someone watching your back!

In celebration of private eye Delilah West's silver anniversary, Five Star Press has published a wonderful edition of DEATH IS FOREVER, the first novel featuring Delilah West. An added bonus is the short story, "A Change of Clients", which introduced Delilah to readers back in 1974.

Delilah is a strong, feisty, resilient, and very human character. As Marcia Muller notes in her introduction: "When I pick up a new Delilah West mystery, I feel as though I've received a long-awaited letter from an old friend."

Maxine O'Callaghan's essay, "Twenty-Five Years with Delilah", is an entertaining and enlightening look at Delilah's growth as a character.

Ms. O'Callaghan's other novels in the Delilah series include "Down for the Count", "Trade Off", and "Set-Up". Be sure to read them!

Her Anne Menlo books, SHADOW OF THE CHILD AND ONLY IN THE ASHES, are also outstanding.

Jack Prestor, National Parks Special Agent, is sent to Death Valley to investigate the murder of an accountant. The accountant had been investigating the disappearance of funds from the park. Ev Brant is sent in to help Jack by continuing the investigation of the funds where the accountant left off. Before they've even been there 24 hours, another body is found buried at the scene of the murder. With an attacker trying to stop them from leaving the valley alive, they continue investigating, hoping to find the killer before he or she gets them. To make matters worse, a group of aging Hell's Angles has taken over the park, and Jack is caught in the crossfire between the park rangers and the bikers. It seems that the park will erupt in violence before Jack can even solve his first mystery.

This is a good mystery that kept me guessing until the last minute. The clues and red herrings are everywhere. Not to give anything away, but I didn't even interpret all the clues correctly. Yet, everything fit together perfectly in the end. The characters were really intriguing, too. I loved some of the interaction between Jack and Ev. I highly recommend this excellent book.

this is a great book for those that love mystrey novels. When I first started reading it I wasn't too interested and a couple years later read it again and thought that it was the best book. It isn't really serious, in fact very funny. The characters in the book seem very real and after reading the book I would like to see this part of England for myself. The book is not what you would expect and niether are the chartactersin it. This book would be good for those between 13 and 90. It doesn't have much of an age catagorie, but the book might be hard to follow for younger readers. The story is about a muder 25 years old and the detective thats whats to do it gets sent on a first class cruise with an 80year old widow who seems and acts at least half her age. on the cruise ship with them is a jewelthief, a murderer, some newly weds, a pair of odd 2nd honeymooners, a murdermystery writer and a funeral parlor owner. The characters are some that you wouldn't expect. This is a very good book to buy and also read.

The Mountain View Development Company began leveling Dismal Mountain, West Virginia in order to construct a mall. The firm bought out most residents but elderly Lizzie Neal refused to leave because this was the home of her ancestors and her parents were buried nearby. When the company sends trucks down from the mountaintop, an incident finally occurs. Lizzie's nephew Bobby Ray killed the driver who he swears fired at him first. Lizzie sets up the scene so it would seem she shot the driver.

Lizzie's nephew, transportation inspection consultant Owen Allison, comes home to visit his ailing mother and to help Lizzie. While Owen's mother recovers from cancer surgery, Sheriff Thad Reader explains to him that Lizzie's confession of being responsible appears phony. He asks Owen to try to learn the truth. As he makes some inquiries, Owen begins to uncover a dark conspiracy to fund the Dismal Mountain Project, which places his life in danger.

DISMAL MOUNTAIN is an exciting and relevant Owen Allison mystery that highlights the environmental versus economy issue. The story line is entertaining due to the strong secondary characters that help bring West Virginia alive while providing depth to Owen through his family members and his former college sweetheart. John Billheimer makes mystery reading fun (see HIGHWAY ROBBERY and THE CONTRARY BLUES for additional pleasure).

Harriet Klausner

Chicago police department veteran Detective John Thinnes is unhappy when he is forced into a partnership with the beautiful rookie detective Dom Franchi. She isn't elated that her new partner is part of the good old boy network. Both realize they have to make the best of a bad situation and their immediate superior thinks that in time it will prove to be a good pairing.

Their first case turns out to be a brutal rape in which the victim is so battered her own roommate doesn't recognize her. The rapist's next target dies but the police recognize the signature of the perpetrator and connect him to two other rape cases. A break sends Thinnes and Franchi to the northern suburb of Waukegan where a series of rapes years ago bear a startling resemblance to the crimes being committed in the present. Just when they think they have a lead in the case another woman is abducted and the bickering duo has to race against time before she is abused.

Anyone who likes to read a solid police procedural is going to love THE FELINE FRIENDSHIP, in spite of the crime topic. The plot is an action thriller that doesn't neglect in depth characterizations. It is fascinating to watch the partnership of Franchi and Thinnes evolve from prickly co-existence to one of steady understanding and trust. Michael Allen Dymmoch is an expert at creating a believable investigation so that readers understand what police officers have to deal with on a daily basis. It will be interesting to see how the Thinnes-Franchi partnership holds up in future novels.

Harriet Klausner

This is one of the best books I have read. If you like to read about crime, with some politics and humor thrown in, this is it. One eyed Mack, who is the Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma, who has a wife that owns Jackiemarts and who won the Chocolate Fork award, provide a book full of entertainment. I don't want to give away details. READ THE BOOK. It was so good. I never dreamt Jim Lehrer wrote so many books. There are 6 books featuring One eyed Mack and I can't wait to read the others.