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APRIL 28, 2008
New This Week at "M" is for Mystery ... and More
Newsletter Posting Date: April 28, 2008
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Starting tomorrow, for five days, come get your minimum daily requirement of top mystery authors, appearing right here at "M". In other news herein, we have some new signed books, and the extra added attraction of a bunch of U.K. first editions (all but one are signed) just in!
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IN THIS ISSUE:
--- Upcoming Author Events
--- Coming Attractions
--- New Signed First Editions
--- U.K. New First Editions (Most Signed)
--- Deluxe Editions
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UPCOMING AUTHOR EVENTS
All events are free and open to the public. Our store policy with regard to signing events: To be in the signing line, you must purchase (or have previously purchased) the current book from us.
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TOMORROW, TUESDAY the 29th at 7:00 PM, we welcome back LIBBY FISCHER HELLMANN. She will discuss and sign Easy Innocence (Big Earth, $24.95, and the $45.00 limited "Evidence" edition, signed and dated on a special Booking Sheet). The award-winning author of the Ellie Foreman series (An Image of Death, Eye for Murder) and editor of the Chicago Blues anthology introduces a new character, Chicago cop-turned-PI Georgia Davis, to investigate the killing of a high school girl found bludgeoned at a spot where a notorious hazing incident once took place. "Hellmann brings to life the reality of hazing and bullying among teenage girls in a story with enough twists and turns to keep you reading to the end. Highly recommended." said School Library Journal. And Kirkus said: "Depth of characterization sets this new entry by Hellmann apart from a crowded field."
-- ALSO: Image Of Death (Poisoned Pen, 2004, $12.00) F-/F, SIGNED and dated. |
| On WEDNESDAY the 30th at 7:00 PM, STEVEN SIDOR talks about and signs The Mirror's Edge (St. Martin's Minotaur, $24.95). In what Publishers Weekly called the "bone-chilling" third novel by the author of Skin River and Bone Factory, Chicago freelance journalist Jase Deering decides to investigate a year-old kidnapping. The trail leads to a cult that advocates human sacrifice. Ten years later, Deering -- who has ghosts of his own -- is still investigating, and realizing that even if he finds the victims, it may be too late to save them, or himself. PW said Sidor "is a master of the unsettling, and each twist is more grisly and unexpected than the last. Readers won't be able to resist staying up all night to finish this haunting tale..." And Kirkus concluded: "No doubt about it, Sidor writes brilliantly." |
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THURSDAY, MAY 1st at 7:00 PM, SCOTT SIGLER will discuss and sign Infected (Crown, $24.95). "In Sigler's riveting horror thriller, alien seeds from outer space infect a number of unlucky humans, who develop some unusual symptoms-itchy, blue triangular growths on their skin-that eventually result in the carriers becoming screaming, homicidal maniacs... Sigler (Ancestor) leads the reader from one startling detail to the next - the creatures learn to speak ('feed us we hungry'); they grow little black eyes - until even hardened genre fans will find themselves whimpering at each new revelation. This terrifying page-turner could be the author's breakout book..." said Publishers Weekly. And Library Journal said: "Sigler has.... [built] up a readership with blogs and podcast versions of his writing, then using that momentum to secure a book deal. This novel doesn't suffer from any sense of gimmickry, though, despite its noticeably short, podcast-friendly chapters. It's a solid example of the technically minded sf horror Sigler aims to produce." |
FRIDAY the 2nd at 7:00 PM, the first-ever appearance of a true Brit master, PETER LOVESEY, who will discuss and sign The Headhunters: An Inspector Hen Mallin Investigation (Soho, $24.00). "Lovesey's second novel starring Chichester CID inspector Henrietta 'Hen' Mallin (after 2005's The Circle) provides further proof that the CWA Diamond Dagger winner has no peer in presenting a traditional mystery, with all the clues hiding in plain sight... Inspector Mallin deserves as long a fictional career as Lovesey's other current series sleuth, Peter Diamond," said Publishers Weekly. And Kirkus praised: "Master craftsman Lovesey (The Secret Hangman, 2007, etc.) flaunts his deviousness with a plethora of wickedly plausible suspects... Lovesey makes it virtually impossible to figure out whodunit before he reveals all. Catnip for enthusiasts of the classic puzzler." Rounding out the raves, Library Journal said: "Award winner Lovesey never fails to entertain: his books are as complicated and well written as those of Ian Rankin and John Harvey. Here, the suspense will keep readers turning pages long into the night."
--ALSO: The Secret Hangman (U.K.: Sphere, 2007, $39.00) SIGNED. |
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On SATURDAY the 3rd at 2:00 PM, CLAIRE M. JOHNSON returns with Roux Morgue (Poisoned Pen, $24.95). Publishers Weekly starred: "The growing rift between the "dinosaurs" and the "young brats" on the teaching staff at San Francisco's École d'Epicure fuels the highly amusing action in Johnson's superior second cozy to feature funky pastry chef Mary Ryan (after 2002's Beat Until Stiff)... When one chef dies after an allergic shellfish reaction with no shellfish on the menu, and another is strangled at home, Ryan suspects something more sinister than differences of culinary theory. In one of many farcical scenes, Ryan enlists the aid of a hostile friend-of-a-friend to hack into École's computer system to dig for answers. This enjoyable romp should gain Johnson new fans." And Kirkus concluded: "Sexual tension, cooking tips and a neatly packaged mystery. All in all, a tasty tale." |
Sneak Peek at Next Week:
TUESDAY the 6th: LOUISE ERDRICH will drop by at approx. 1:00 PM to sign The Plague of Doves. Publishers Weekly starred: "Erdrich's 13th novel, a multigenerational tour de force of sin, redemption, murder and vengeance, finds its roots in the 1911 slaughter of a farming family near Pluto, North Dakota..."
TUESDAY the 6th at 7:00 PM: JANE CLELAND discusses and signs Antiques to Die For. "Among other antique lore, readers will learn the difference between a highboy and a tallboy in this cleverly crafted cozy," said Publishers Weekly.
WEDNESDAY the 7th, a drop-by: ALEKSANDAR HEMON signs The Lazarus Project, which Kirkus called "A profoundly moving novel that finds striking parallels between the America of a hundred years ago and now, as an immigrant Bosnian author, straining to come to terms with his identity, returns to his troubled homeland... A literary page-turner that combines narrative momentum with meditations on identity and mortality."
SATURDAY the 10th at 2:00 PM at San Mateo Main Library: TOBIAS WOLFF will talk about and sign Our Story Begins. He will be introduced and interviewed by Oscar Villalon, Editor, San Francisco Chronicle Book Review
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COMING ATTRACTIONS
(Asterisk indicates event added since last week.)
MAY:
Tues., 6th, drop-by (approx. 1:00 PM): LOUISE ERDRICH - The Plague of Doves
Tues., 6th at 7:00 PM: JANE CLELAND - Antiques to Die For
Wed., 7th, drop-by: ALEKSANDAR HEMON - The Lazarus Project
Sat., 10th at 2:00 PM at San Mateo Main Library: TOBIAS WOLFF - Our Story Begins - Introduced and Interviewed by Oscar Villalon, Editor, S.F. Chronicle Book Review
Mon., 12th: ROBERT K. TANENBAUM - Escape
Tues., 13th at 7:00 PM: STEVEN SAYLOR - The Triumph of Caesar - Launch Party!
Mon., 19th at 7:00 PM: ELIZABETH GEORGE - Careless in Red
Wed., 21st at 7:00 PM: JESS LOUREY - August Moon and DANA FREDSTI - Murder for Hire: The Peruvian Pigeon
Thurs., 22nd at 7:00 PM: SHELDON SIEGEL - Judgment Day
Sat., 24th at 2:00 PM: SUSAN CUMMINS MILLER - Hoodoo
Sun., 25th at 2:00 PM: MICHAEL SIMS - Arsene Lupin, Gentleman Thief
Tues., 27th at 7:00 PM: JOHN STRALEY - The Big Both Ways
Fri., 30th, drop-by: DAVID BENIOFF - City of Thieves
Fri., 30th at 7:00 PM: STEVE MARTINI - Shadow of Power
SUMMER/FALL PREVIEW: (in alpha order; asterisk indicates event added since last newsletter)
JEFF ABBOTT / MAGGIE BARBIERI / RHYS BOWEN / JOHN BRANDON / TOM COFFEY / JULIE COMPTON / JOHN CONNOLLY / ROBERT CRAIS / JEFFERY DEAVER / DAVE EGGERS / ZOE FERRARIS / TANA FRENCH / ALAN FURST / MICHELLE GAGNON / MEG GARDINER / BRENT GHELFI / PAUL GOLDSTEIN / CRAIG JOHNSON / NICOLE MARY KELBY / STELLA RIMINGTON / JAMES ROLLINS / KELLY STANLEY / DAVID WALTNER-TOEWS / SIMON WOOD / DAVID WROBLEWSKI / ELIZABETH ZELVIN
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REMEMBER . . . It is never too soon to reserve your copy of ANY forthcoming book, whether the author is signing in-store or otherwise. These first editions, especially once signed, are limited in quantity. Orders may be placed by email any time, or telephone during store hours (see bottom of newsletter for complete store contact info).
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A word about our first editions: ALL stated first editions are first printings -- unless otherwise specifically indicated to the contrary.
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NEW SIGNED FIRST EDITIONS
NOW IN:
| LINDA FAIRSTEIN: Killer Heat (Doubleday, $26.00) SIGNED. "In her tenth Alexandra Cooper thriller, Fairstein delivers a scorcher of a crime novel-her hottest yet. The assistant DA alternates between the courtroom and crime scenes amid the sweltering summer heat of Manhattan... Partly based on a 2006 crime, the novel delivers taut suspense, action-packed chases, historical glimpses of Manhattan, and a smattering of romance. Readers will not want to put down this red-hot thriller until they've turned the final page," said Library Journal. And Publishers Weekly said: "...Fairstein, whose professional résumé includes groundbreaking work in the field of sex crimes prosecution, manages to both entertain and educate..." |
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MARY REED & ERIC MAYER: Seven for a Secret (Poisoned Pen, $24.95) SIGNED by both. Library Journal starred: "The authors get everything right in their latest historical. The story is fast paced, the tensions between characters well portrayed; the ending leaves the reader clamoring for more." And Publishers Weekly said: "In Reed and Mayer's engrossing seventh mystery set in sixth-century Constantinople (after 2005's Six for Gold), John, lord chamberlain to the emperor Justinian, has taken to sharing his thoughts with a young girl, whom he's named Zoe, depicted in the mosaic on his study wall... Once again convincing historical detail and strong characterization help drive a riveting plot. Fans will be pleased to know that while the title is based on the last line of the verse on which the series is based, the authors plan to send John to Italy in an eighth volume." |
| RICHARD STARK (DONALD WESTLAKE): Dirty Money (Grand Central, $23.99) SIGNED. [Expected in as we go to press.] "Parker, the world's most ruthless noir anti-hero, engineers a bank withdrawal. Parker is determined to collect the millions he transferred from an armored bank car into an abandoned Massachusetts church in Ask the Parrot (2006)... Stark, Donald E. Westlake's more bad-tempered alter ego, breaks his usual rule and gives women -- ballsy Sandra and dispassionate Claire -- major roles. Not that Parker takes a back seat for a minute. The man is fiercely conceived, one mean piece of work," said Kirkus. |
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U.K. NEW FIRST EDITIONS (MOST SIGNED)
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LEE CHILD: Nothing to Lose (Bantam, 2008, $42.00) SIGNED. This is the true UK first edition. Two small towns in Colorado: Hope and Despair. Between them, nothing but twelve miles of empty road. Jack Reacher can't find a ride, so he walks. All he wants is a cup of coffee. What he gets are four redneck deputies who want to run him out of town. Mistake. They're picking on the wrong guy. The Mirror said: "Classic Child... Reacher, both a man's man and a ladies' man, proves once again that he's also his own man." |
| ANDREW GREIG: Romanno Bridge (Quercus, 2008, $38.00) SIGNED. Award-winning author of The Return of John MacNab revisits those characters in a dark new setting. Five different stories are woven together in the hunt for the truth about the Stone of Destiny |
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TITANIA HARDIE: The Rose Labyrinth (Headline Review, 2008, $42.00) SIGNED. This unique historical debut is a departure from the author's many non-fiction books and children's stories. The book comes in a stunning hardback case, and tucked inside are all the documents the characters must unearth to decipher the mystery -- riddles, maps, number puzzles and snippets of literature and poetry. Before his death in 1609, the brilliant Elizabethan spy, astrologer and mathematician John Dee hid many of his papers, believing that the world was not prepared for the ideas they held. For seventeen generations, his female descendants have held his most precious secrets, waiting for the right moment to bring them to light. In spring 2003, Dee's many times great granddaughter, dying of cancer, was forced to pass the enigmatic legacy to one of her two sons... |
| MO HAYDER: Ritual (Scorpion, $160.00) SIGNED deluxe ed. ltd. to 55. With an Appreciation by Margaret Murphy, in special Scorpion Press binding. ALSO, the trade edition: (Bantam, 2008, $39.00) SIGNED. The Guardian called it "A vivid and thorough exploration of the clash between ancient superstition and modern science, with plenty of thrills and chills along the way." Police diver Flea Marley has made the shocking discovery of a hand without a body. Even more disturbing is the discovery of the other hand a day later. All signs point to the victim, a young boy, being alive when the hands were amputated. Now it’s up to DI Jack Caffrey and Flea to head into the darkest recesses of Bristol’s underworld, where an ancient evil that feeds off the blood of others, lurks. |
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MAREK KRAJEWSKI: Death in Breslau (Quercus, 2008, $43.00, not signed) Trans., Danusia Stok. The Daily Telegraph said: "The city of Breslau is as much a character in this thriller as the parade of gothic loons that inhabit it... This addictive soup has an air of the burlesque about it." The mutilated body of a young woman is found dead on a train. Inspector Eberhard Mock and his assistant Herbert Anwaldt delve deep into the city's dirty underbelly; where perverted aristocrats cavort with prostitutes, and corrupt ministers torture confessions from lowly Jews. What makes this story so uncommonly powerful is the stifling atmosphere conjured up of a city in the grip of the Gestapo. |
| SIMON SCARROW: Centurion (Headline, 2008, $38.00) SIGNED. The Telegraph said, "There’s action galore, graphically recounted, with tension to twang the nerves." A gripping new novel featuring Roman army officers Macro and Cato on their most dangerous mission yet. Parthia is vying with Rome for control of Palmyra an officially neutral kingdom. Palmyras royal household is on the brink of open revolt, and so a task force is dispatched to defend its king and guard its borders. The quest for lasting peace has never been more challenging, nor more critical for the future of the empire. |
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JOHN WILCOX: Guns of El Kebir (Headline, 2007, $46.00) SIGNED. A thrilling, action-packed adventure set during the Battle of Tel-el-Kebir. The French choose not to fight and retire from the country, but the British land a force led by Sir Garnet Wolseley. He pulls together a great band of fighters. Some of the force are to venture into the desert ahead of Wolseley's army and observe the movements and location of the Egyptian force. But bloodshed is ahead at Tel-el-Kebir. |
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RECENT ARRIVALS:
[NOTE: Date of the most previous newsletter edition where each original "full" blurb can be found (in the NOW IN section) is in parenthesis at end of each blurb. The links to prior newsletters are located IMMEDIATELY ABOVE the dateline (in red) of this newsletter (scroll back to top). The Recent Arrivals are not in alpha order, but listed latest first, moved into this column from prior posting each week under 'NOW IN' above.]
PETER ABRAHAMS: Delusion (William Morrow, $24.95) SIGNED. [Expected in -- finally -- this week, approx. 4/23.] Kirkus said that in the latest offering from this Edgar-nominated author, ''the apparent exoneration of a wrongfully convicted killer plays havoc with the people who did the convicting -- and with the convict as well. One night 20 years ago, Nell Jarreau saw her boyfriend stabbed to death by a robber whose mask slipped just enough to give a clear look at his face, enough to persuade her -- and a jury -- that the murderer was Alvin DuPree. Now a videotape, locked away in the files of a detective, gives DuPree an alibi... As the plot simmers, the real prize here is DuPree, a brutish innocent who imagines himself as Job. Abrahams succeeds in making this deeply wronged man dangerous, pitiable and scary." (4/21)
ACE ATKINS: Wicked City (Penguin, $24.95) SIGNED. [Expected early this week, approx. 4/21] "A riveting story about how the triumph of evil is forestalled when good men ... do something. Phenix City, Ala., is a real place. In 1955 Look magazine called it 'the Wickedest City in America.' Atkins, who begins his novel a year earlier, based it on a real case that transformed the town. While sin, in all its familiar variations, had become endemic in Phenix City, one homicide too many was about to change the status quo... Atkins (White Shadow, 2006, etc.) is clearly in love with his colorful characters - on both sides of the moral divide - and makes them wonderfully believable," said Kirkus. And Library Journal called it "...a gripping, superb crime story, all the more remarkable because it really did happen. Highly recommended..." (4/21)
DONNA LEON: The Girl of His Dreams (Grove/Atlantic, $24.00) SIGNED bookplates. Once again, food, family, art, history, and local politics play as central a role as an unsolved crime. When a friend of Brunetti’s brother, a priest recently returned from years of missionary work, calls with a request, Brunetti suspects the man’s motives. But the investigation has to be put aside when, one cold and rainy morning, a body is found floating in a canal."Leon builds her plots slowly, with plenty of thought-provoking diversions. At the heart of this particular death in Venice are issues of charity and the protection of disenfranchised communities and deprived children. But she is also careful not to ram any messages down your throat. Brunetti’s thirst for the Venetian way of life, as ever, carries the story," said the Mirror (UK). And Library Journal said: "American-born Leon describes her longtime home of Venice lovingly, and the ethical grounding she gives this novel lifts it above the norm." (4/21)
ANNE PERRY: Buckingham Palace Gardens (Random House, $26.00, and ALSO NOW IN, the U.K. true first edition, SIGNED and dated, $48.00). Perry's 25th novel featuring Thomas Pitt (last seen in 2005's Long Spoon Lane) finds the Victorian sleuth's "detecting and diplomatic skills tested as never before," said Publishers Weekly. When a prostitute's mutilated corpse is found in a cupboard at Buckingham Palace after a stag party thrown by the prince of Wales, political disaster looms for the monarchy, and Pitt, who firmly believes in the concept of justice, has to deal with people able to make their own. "Perry," PW continues, "does a nice job with some plot twists" in this "solid" addition to her bestselling series. As the Cleveland Plain Dealer has said, "Her grasp of Victorian character and conscience still astonishes." (4/21)
HARLAN COBEN: Hold Tight (Dutton, $26.95) SIGNED. The Edgar winner has delivered a "compulsive page-turner," said Publishers Weekly, one that "parents will find particularly unnerving... As Mike and Tia Baye try to deal with the increasing withdrawal of their 16-year-old son after a friend's suicide, a pair of brutal, seemingly senseless killings punctuate the unfolding domestic troubles, ratchet up the tension and engulf the Baye family, their friends and neighbors in a web of increasing tragedy. Coben plucks each string like a virtuoso'' as "the 'this could be me' factor lends poignancy to the thrills and chills." (4/15)
MICHAEL GRUBER: The Forgery of Venus (William Morrow, $24.95) SIGNED. Kirkus praised: "Nobody mixes art, sex, drugs and wit quite like Gruber. Here he looks at representational painting, the creative imperative, forgery and the love of children, and the result is again irresistible... Fast, frightening and ... richly imagined." And Publishers Weekly concurred: "Bestseller Gruber (The Book of Air and Shadows) probes the boundaries between sanity and madness in his outstanding sixth novel. Talented Chaz Wilmot, who makes a modest living as a commercial artist in New York City, can't say no when Mark Slade ... offers him $150,000 to fix a ruined Tiepolo ceiling in a Venetian palazzo... Gruber writes passionately and knowledgeably about art and its history -- and he writes brilliantly about the shadowy lines that blur reality and unreality. Fans of intelligent, literate thrillers will be well rewarded." (4/15)
KENT HARRINGTON: The Good Physician (Dennis McMillan, in two formats: trade ed. at $35.00; and limited deluxe ed. at $250.00) SIGNED. Publishers Weekly starred what may well be Harrington's finest since Dia de los Muertos: "All the moral incongruities and conundrums that complicate the war on terror are on almost palpable display in this searing thriller ... set largely in Mexico City. In this backwater in the war on terror, Dr. Collin Reeves has found a semicomfortable niche performing occasional chores for the CIA, acting as a 'go to' doctor for the U.S. embassy when American tourists need medical attention, and pursuing his avocation of painting... This taut, thought-provoking novel offers no easy answers, no good versus evil dichotomy, as Reeves discovers that 'there was no morally safe place anywhere.'" (4/15)
-- ALSO: Dark Ride (St. Martin's, 1996, $4.00) F/F, SIGNED.
COLIN HARRISON: The Finder (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, $25.00) SIGNED. Publishers Weekly starred: "Set in New York City, this edgy thriller from Harrison (The Havana Room) showcases his extraordinary storytelling ability. Jin Li has been running a scam on Tom Reilly and his company, Good Pharma, by stealing information under the cover of a paper-shredding operation. She then passes it on to her brother, Chen, who uses it to make stock trades. Under pressure from a ruthless billionaire investor who stands to lose his fortune if Good Pharma fails, Reilly asks a shady underling to deal with the leak, resulting in the horrible murder of two of Li's Mexican employees... The action builds to a deeply satisfying conclusion involving a sadistic kidnapper and a stock market power play across two continents." And Michiko Kakutani in the New York Times called it "a chilling, high-speed roller coaster of a ride that doubles as a sardonic sightseeing tour of the seamier side of New York City." (4/15)
JONATHAN KELLERMAN: Compulsion: An Alex Delaware Novel (Random House, $27.00) SIGNED. "Bestseller Kellerman serves up all the elements his fans have come to love in the 22nd entry in his Alex Delaware series (Obsession, etc.), including an intriguing plot, likable regular characters supported by an interesting secondary cast, diabolical villains, witty dialogue and a sense of humanity and justice. Alex and his LAPD detective partner, Milo Sturgis, are investigating several murders that, at first, appear to have only one thing in common: the perpetrator's use of expensive black automobiles while committing his crimes..." said Publishers Weekly. And Library Journal praised: "...Although the story can be quite complex at times, the action is fast paced, and the many plot twists leave readers on the edge of their seats. Kellerman's writing is neat and not overly burdened by extraneous detail..." (4/15)
LAURA JOH ROWLAND: The Secret Adventures of Charlotte Bronte (Penguin, $24.95) SIGNED. (Our 'Mystorical' pick for April.) Kirkus said: "Rowland offers an attractive counterpoint in her portrayal of the Bronte clan and their family dynamics. A very Victorian murder, the evils of British imperialism and a beloved novelist unite in this appealing literary mystery." And from Publishers Weekly: "The author of Jane Eyre plays sleuth in this enchanting historical from Rowland, acclaimed for her mystery series set in 17th-century Japan (The Snow Empress, etc.). ...Charlotte becomes ensnared in a case involving a revenge plot orchestrated by an arch villain shaded with old school orientalism. Brontë fans will delight in Rowland's portrait of Charlotte, who closely parallels Jane both in personality and station. The men playing opposite Charlotte often echo the character of Edward Rochester, lending an enticing will-they, won't-they tension to the proceedings." (4/15)
MICHAEL STANLEY: A Carrion Death (Harper, $23.95) SIGNED by both. Michael Stanley is the pseudonym for co-authors Michael Sears and Stanley Trollip. Raves all around for this first in a series starring Detective David "Kubu" Bengu of the Botswana Criminal Investigation Department. Publishers Weekly starred: "[An] impressive debut... The intricate plotting, a grisly sense of realism and numerous topical motifs ... make this a compulsively readable novel... This fast-paced forensic thriller will resonate ... with fans of Patricia Cornwell’s Kay Scarpetta." And Booklist: "Rich with the atmosphere of modern Botswana, and peopled with interesting and well-drawn characters, this is an exciting debut." Kirkus doesn't hold back: "A stately debut whose pseudonymous authors, Michael Sears and Stanley Trollip, are both experts on the region. Their generously detailed portrait of Botswana and of larger-than-life Inspector Kubu augur well for the proposed series." (4/15)
JOSEPH WAMBAUGH: Hollywood Crows (Little, Brown, $26.99) SIGNED and dated, and includes a cool bookmark that has Wambaugh's LAPD badge stamped in gold. "Gallows humor and the grim realities of street police work coexist" in this follow-up to Hollywood Station from 2006, Publishers Weekly reports. "Nathan Weiss and Bix Ramstead, now assigned to the LAPD's Community Relations Office, become ensnared by a stunning femme fatale in the middle of a contentious divorce" from a man "who operates a seedy nightclub but stays on the good side of law enforcement with well-timed donations to police charities... Through the eyes of an eccentric collection of beat cops, Wambaugh gives a compelling picture of what policing is like after the Rampart corruption scandal." (4/15)
RANDY WAYNE WHITE: Black Widow ( Putnam, $24.95) SIGNED. For his 15th outing, marine biologist/special-ops agent Doc Ford heads to a tiny Caribbean island to confront the Widow, "a sexually ambiguous dragon lady who runs a sophisticated blackmail enterprise. He finds much more of a challenge than he expected,'' according to Booklist in its starred review. White combines "bantering fun" with "high-octane action... Like Robert B. Parker and John D. MacDonald at their best, White draws readers into his world with characters you’d pay just to hang out with." (4/15)
NEVADA BARR: Winter Study (Putnam, $24.95) SIGNED. The 13th entry in Barr's National Park series was recommended by Library Journal: "Park ranger Anna Pigeon returns to Michigan's bitterly cold, icebound Isle Royale where wolf researcher Katherine Huff turns up dead one night, attacked by the wolves she loved. Which human let her fall victim? Barr's intense closed-room drama (how can seven people get into this much trouble?) integrates winter's forces -- blizzards and ice -- with the psychological play of ghosts and legends. Anna unearths everyone's worst secrets and ends up fighting for her own life. It's tremendously satisfying." (4/7)
LISA JACKSON: Lost Souls (Kensington, $22.00) SIGNED. "Kristi Bentz, having recovered from her last encounter with a sadistic monster in bestseller Jackson's Absolute Fear, faces an equally terrifying ordeal in this frantic paranormal thriller. Four female students associated with a vampire cult have gone missing at Baton Rouge's All Saints College, where Kristi is pursuing a journalism degree and plans to write about true crime... Jackson peppers the action with insights into the challenges faced by law enforcement agencies trying to solve crimes in post-Katrina Louisiana," said Publishers Weekly. (4/7)
DAVID LEVIEN: City of the Sun (Doubleday, $24.95) SIGNED. (Our 'S&S' I pick for April.)
Publishers Weekly starred: "Screenwriter Levien's debut crackles with raw intensity... Levien expertly weaves a subplot involving the tragic death of Behr's own young son into the complex kidnapping story, and the moments shared between the two grieving fathers are heartbreaking. Fans of Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch will be particularly delighted." And Kirkus praised: "In this debut novel from screenwriter Levien, a kidnapped child leads an emotionally wounded private detective and his client down a relentlessly grim trail from middle America to the darkest deserts of Mexico. Young Jamie Gabriel is in the middle of his predawn paper route when he's snatched from an Indianapolis street by strip-club bouncer Tad Ford and his partner Rooster Mintz. ...the novel is a remarkably assured exercise in grabbing you by the throat and shaking you until the very end." (4/1)
JAMES SHEEHAN: The Law of Second Chances (St. Martin's, $24.95) SIGNED. Kirkus called it "suspenseful ... a tense round of legal maneuvers and courtroom spectacle as Sheehan brings back protagonist Jack Tobin (The Mayor of Lexington Avenue, 2005), a lawyer who has committed strictly to defending men on death row. He now has his hands full." In addition to taking on two cases, at least one of which seems unwinnable, Tobin also face the possibility of losing his wife Pat to illness. Kirkus continues: "Sheehan's assured and elegant narrative voice elevates this nontraditional legal thriller ... the smart balance between Tobin's unpretentious courtroom presence and his contemplative reflections gives the book a certain dignity." (4/1)
RICHARD WRIGHT: A Father's Law (HarperCollins, $14.95 trade paperback original, second printing only) SIGNED by daughter Julia Wright, author of the Introduction. The author was completing this novel when he died in 1960; it is being published on the centennial of his birth. When the black police chief of a rich Chicago suburb begins to suspect his high-strung son of being a serial killer, Wright "brilliantly ... brings race, class and family dynamics to bear," reported Publishers Weekly. Meanwhile, The Washington Post praised Wright for the "strength and pull" of his "surprisingly contemporary" story that ''explores the inner conflicts and challenges faced by black Americans as they make their way through a society dominated by white privilege." Richard Wright won international renown for his powerful and visceral depiction of the black experience. He stands today alongside such African-American luminaries as Zora Neale Hurston, James Baldwin, and Toni Morrison, and two of his books, Native Son and Black Boy, are required reading in high schools and colleges nationally. (4/1)
* FIRST IN SERIES of all of Woolrich's works to be published by McMillan!
CORNELL WOOLRICH: Love and Night: Cornell Woolrich - Unknown Stories (Dennis McMillan, 2007, $35.00) FRANCIS M. NEVINS, Editor. SIGNED by Nevins; edition limited to 1,000. Edgar Award-winning Woolrich biographer Nevins brings together 15 Woolrich stories, first published between 1926 and 1939 and never reprinted since. [SEE "DELUXE EDITIONS" BELOW for lettered edition.]
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MY BOOK COLLECTION: Book Collecting Software & Tutorial (Elms Publishing, $24.95) for Windows and Mac. The CD contains: an easy-to-use, comprehensive book collecting database to help you organize, manage and document your collection and its value; also, a signature database, as well as a tutorial on beginning book collecting. Great for beginners and established enthusiasts.
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SIGNED Firsts Upcoming:
MARK ALPERT: Final Theory
LAWRENCE BLOCK: Hit and Run
KEN BRUEN: Cross
LEE CHILD: Nothing to Lose
MICHAEL CONNELLY, Editor: The Blue Religion - New Stories About Cops, Criminals, and the Chase
WILLIAM DIETRICH: The Rosetta Key
LOREN ESTLEMAN: Frames
JOANNE HARRIS: The Girl With No Shadow
CRAIG JOHNSON: Another Man's Moccasin
DANIEL JUDSON: The Water's Edge
PETER LEONARD: Quiver
PHILLIP MARGOLIN: Executive Privilege
SUJATA MASSEY: Shimura Trouble
DOUGLAS PRESTON: The Monster of Florence
JOHN SANDFORD: Phantom Prey
JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: I Shall Not Want
DUANE SWIERCZYNSKI: Severance Package
SIMON WINCHESTER: The Man Who Loved China: The Fantastic Story of the Eccentric Scientist Who Unlocked the Mysteries of the Middle Kingdom
STUART WOODS: Santa Fe Dead
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RECENTLY BLURBED (some still in stock):
JEFFREY ARCHER: A Prisoner of Birth (St. Martin's, $27.95) SIGNED.
KEVIN BROCKMEIER: The View From the Seventh Layer (Pantheon, $21.95) SIGNED.
REED FARREL COLEMAN: Empty Ever After (Bleak House, $45.00, from the limited "Evidence" edition) SIGNED and dated on a special Booking Sheet.
ROBERT FERRIGNO: Sins of the Assassin (Scribner, $24.95) SIGNED.
JAMES W. HALL: Hell's Bay (St. Martin's Minotuar, $24.95) SIGNED.
LAURA LIPPMAN: Another Thing to Fall (William Morrow, $24.95) SIGNED.
MICHELE MARTINEZ: Notorious (William Morrow, $23.95) SIGNED.
LOUISE PENNY: The Cruelist Month (St. Martin's Minotaur, $23.95) SIGNED. Our 'S&S' III for April.
NANCY ATHERTON: Aunt Dimity: Vampire Hunter (Viking, $22.95) SIGNED and stamped by the author with a plush bunny illustration, in pink. Our 'S&S' III for March.
STEPHANIE BARRON: A Flaw in the Blood (Bantam, $24.00) SIGNED. Our 'Mystorical' for March.
BENJAMIN BLACK (JOHN BANVILLE): The Silver Swan (Henry Holt, $25.00) SIGNED.
BRENDAN DUBOIS: Final Winter (Five Star, $25.95) SIGNED.
CHRISTOPHER G. MOORE: The Risk of Infidelity Index (Atlantic Monthly, $22.00) SIGNED bookplates.
TOM CAIN: The Accident Man (Penguin, $24.95) SIGNED on an otherwise blank page.
SUSAN CHOI: A Person of Interest (Penguin, $24.95) SIGNED.
CHARLIE STELLA: Mafiya (Pegasus, $25.00) SIGNED.
RITA MAE BROWN: The Purrfect Murder (Bantam, $25.00) SIGNED and stamped with the author's Sneaky Pie cat paw stamp.
ELI GOTTLIEB: Now You See Him (HarperCollins, $22.95) SIGNED.
MARTHA GRIMES: Dakota (Viking, $25.95) SIGNED.
MATT BEYNON REES: A Grave in Gaza (Soho, $24.00) SIGNED bookplates.
C.R. CORWIN: The Unraveling of Violeta Bell (Poisoned Pen, $24.95) SIGNED.
DAN FESPERMAN: The Amateur Spy (Knopf, $24.95) SIGNED.
WILL LAVENDER: Obedience (Shaye Areheart, $24.00) SIGNED.
JOHN McEVOY: Close Call (Poisoned Pen, $24.95) SIGNED.
BEVERLE GRAVES MYERS: The Iron Tongue of Midnight (Poisoned Pen, $24.95) SIGNED.
TIM DORSEY: Atomic Lobster (William Morrow, $24.95) SIGNED.
DOUGLAS PRESTON: Blasphemy (Tom Doherty, $25.95) SIGNED.
ELIZABETH BECKA: Unknown Means (Hyperion, $22.95) SIGNED.
ELIAS KHOURY: Yalo (Archipelago, $25.00) SIGNED.
KEN KUHLKEN: The Vagabond Virgins: A Hickey Family Mystery (Poisoned Pen, $24.95) SIGNED.
JAMES O. BORN: Burn Zone (Penguin, $25.95) SIGNED.
C. J. BOX: Blue Heaven (St. Martin's Minotaur, $24.95) SIGNED.
CHARLIE HUSTON: Half the Blood of Brooklyn (Ballantine Del Rey, $13.95 trade paperback original) SIGNED.
WALTER MOSLEY: Diablerie (Bloomsbury, $23.95) SIGNED.
OTTO PENZLER, Editor: The Black Lizard Big Book of Pulps (Vintage Crime/Black Lizard, $25.00, full-sized paperbound original, not signed). Our 'Spotlight On...' pick for December.
MICHAEL WILEY: The Last Striptease (St. Martin's, $23.95) SIGNED.
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Selected SIGNED First Editions (from recent in-store signings, listed most recent first):
JACK O'CONNELL: The Resurrectionist (Algonquin, $24.95) SIGNED.
ADAM MANSBACH: The End of The Jews (Spiegel & Grau, $23.95) SIGNED.
RABIH ALAMEDDINE: Hakawati (Knopf, $25.95) SIGNED.
ALEXANDER McCALL SMITH: The Miracle at Speedy Motors (Pantheon, $21.95) SIGNED.
ALEXANDER McCALL SMITH: Love Over Scotland (Knopf, $13.95 trade paperback original) SIGNED.
BARON BIRTCHER: Angels Fall (Iota, $23.95) SIGNED.
DOMENIC STANSBERRY: The Ancient Rain (St. Martin's Minotaur, $24.95). SIGNED. Our 'Signed&Selected' II pick for April.
CHRISTOPHER RICE: Blind Fall (Simon & Schuster, $26.00) SIGNED.
RICHARD PRICE: Lush Life (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, $26.00) SIGNED.
JODI PICOULT: Change of Heart (Atria, $26.95) SIGNED.
DENISE MINA: Slip of the Knife (Little, Brown, $24.99) SIGNED.
DAVID HAJDU: The Ten-Cent Plague: The Great Comic Book Scare and How It Changed America (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, $26.00) SIGNED. Our
'Spotlight On...' pick.
ANDREW GROSS: The Dark Tide (HarperCollins, $25.95) SIGNED.
STEVEN M. THOMAS: Criminal Paradise (Random House, $25.00) SIGNED.
BRIAN FREEMAN: Stalked (St. Martin's, $24.95) SIGNED.
JOSHILYN JACKSON: The Girl Who Stopped Swimming (Grand Central, $23.99) SIGNED.
RHYS BOWEN: Tell Me, Pretty Maiden (St. Martin's Minotaur, $23.95) SIGNED.
DIANE WEI LIANG: The Eye of Jade (Simon & Schuster, $24.00). SIGNED. Our 'Signed&Selected' I pick for February.
TOM EPPERSON: The Kind One (Five Star, $25.95) SIGNED.
PETER CAREY: His Illegal Self (Knopf, $24.95) SIGNED.
T. JEFFERSON PARKER: L.A. Outlaws (Penguin, $25.95) SIGNED.
CARA BLACK: Murder in the Rue de Paradis (Soho, $24.00) SIGNED.
PARI NOSKIN TAICHERT: The Socorro Blast (University of New Mexico, $24.95) SIGNED.
JOHN LESCROART: Betrayal (Penguin, $26.95) SIGNED.
CHARLES BAXTER: The Soul Thief (Pantheon, $20.00) SIGNED.
STEVE HOCKENSMITH: The Black Dove (St. Martin's Minotaur, $23.95) SIGNED.
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DELUXE EDITIONS
NOW IN: MO HAYDER: Ritual (Scorpion, $160.00) SIGNED deluxe ed. ltd. to 55. With an Appreciation by Margaret Murphy, with special Scorpion Press binding (as in other titles). Quantities limited. See blurb in U.K. NEW FIRST EDITIONS above.
-- ALSO: The U.K. trade edition from Bantam, $39.00, SIGNED.
JAMES LEE BURKE: The Tin Roof Blow-Down - SIGNED Deluxe limited edition of 80, from Scorpion Press. With an Appreciation by Phil Rickman; hand-bound with quarter-leather spines and marble paper sides over boards, coloured top edges and colored end papers($160.00).
-- ALSO: Pegasus Descending (Scorpion, 2006) SIGNED Deluxe limited edition of 80, with an Appreciation by James Sallis; binding, etc., same as above ($150.00).
CARLOS RUIZ ZAFON: The Shadow of the Wind - Publication delayed. Now to be released in June, 2008 by Subterranean Press; in two editions. Pre-order now! This book became an international phenomenon, a best-seller in dozens of countries. (We were honored with the author's visits when he signed the first UK and US trade editions of the English translation, as well as the later reprint.) Subterranean Press -- widely considered to be among the finest specialty publishers in the horror, suspense, and dark mystery genres -- makes this statement: "We consider The Shadow of the Wind to be one of the most important books of the past twenty years, and aim to honor it with the lavish edition it so richly deserves."
-- Limited ed. of 1000, SIGNED and numbered ($75.00) featuring a fine paper (80# Finch or better), deluxe cloth, a sewn binding, and printed in two colors throughout.
CORNELL WOOLRICH: Love & Night: Cornell Woolrich - Unknown Stories edited by Francis M. Nevins (Dennis McMillan, 2007). Edgar Award-winning Woolrich biographer Nevins brings together 15 Woolrich stories, first published between 1926 and 1939 and never reprinted since.
In two formats:
NOW IN: edition of 1,000 Brillianta cloth-bound copies ($35.00) SIGNED by Nevins.
NOW IN: edition of 156 quarter morocco pigskin copies, with handmade Spanish-marbled endpapers, slipcased, at $250.00; SIGNED and lettered by Nevins, with a very informative introduction by editor FRANCIS M. NEVINS.
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