Marty Wingate is starting a new contemporary cozy series called First Edition Library and his opener is THE BODIES IN THE LIBRARY, a deliberate play on an Agatha Christie title.

The First Edition Library is an edifice in Bath, England, run by two women: Mrs. Glynis Woolgar, an old-fashioned and proper, if not downright intimidating assistant, and the curator of the Library, our protagonist, Hayley Burke. The Library is the legacy of one Georgiana Fowling, now deceased, who created a tremendous collection of first edition mysteries and set up the library as a research center for the genre.

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The Insane Clown Posse and their cult of followers annual festivities of filth, the Gathering of the Juggalos, has produced an infinite amount of first-person documents in the world of hipster journalism, but the book Juggalo Country is probably the first full-length tome devoted to the sleazy matter.

Self-proclaimed “gonzo journalist” Craven Rock, along with gout-riddled pal Damon, make it out to a random Gathering, finding themselves the outsiders at this celebration of them; talking to fans, getting drunk and seeing shows are the order of the day for Rock, immersing himself in the whoop-whoop culture the best he can.

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While Ralph Dennis is without question the author, A TALENT FOR KILLING is not a novel Dennis envisioned.

As editor Lee Goldberg notes before the novel begins, “A TALENT FOR KILLING combines and interweaves two Ralph Dennis manuscripts – the novel DEADMAN’S GAME, which was published in paperback in 1976, and KANE #2, the unpublished, long-lost sequel. Both manuscripts were significantly revised to create this new, standalone novel.”

The novel’s strengths and weakness are both apparent in this restructuring.

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PAST TENSE, Lee Child’s 24th novel featuring Jack Reacher, now published in mass-market paperback, features two seemingly unrelated stories that eventually come together in unexpected ways. Thanks to Child’s impressive skills with both character portrayals and plot development, our interest is maintained as both storylines individually progress.

Former Marine cop Jack Reacher sticks his thumb out along the highway as he begins what he thinks will be a trip across America, from Maine to California. But not long after beginning his trip, Reacher sees a country road deep in the New Hampshire woods and a sign to a town called Laconia. Reacher recalls that his father grew up in that town, so he decides to take a detour and explore the town and his father’s background.

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Gustave Flaubert is best known for writing MADAME BOVARY, one of the most influential literary works in history that established the modern realist narration. Revered by the likes of Nabokov, Proust, Henry James and Milan Kundera, it is a remarkable achievement. But what followed this masterpiece was SALAMMBÔ, a novel of indiscriminate violence and sensuality that shocked and appalled his readers. In the English-language world, it remains an obscure work. 

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Editor Jon Chattman’s MOVING FOREWORD: REAL INTRODUCTIONS TO TOTALLY MADE-UP BOOKS is one of those cases in which the title says it all.

Well, almost all.

With approximately 60 pieces contributed by Darrell Hammond, Shirley Manson, Jerry Springer, Adam West, John Oates, Mr. Skin and a potpourri of comedians, musicians, actors and a top-heavy amount of MLB players and journalists, the collection suffers from a tonal schizophrenia that even the best pieces cannot collectively overcome.

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With only four novels to his credit, Louis Malley was not the most prolific of crime fiction authors. But if STOOL PIGEON, originally published in 1953 and reissued as a Black Gat mass paperback, is any indication, Malley is an author well worth discovering.

It is near Christmas, and Tony Statella, a well-known gangster, is found shot in the head behind the wheel of his car in New York City’s Little Italy. Police Detective Vincent Milazzo of Homicide, quickly takes charge of the investigation.

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Alex North’s THE WHISPER MAN has a very promising premise: a series of abductions and murders plaguing a small town, long after the perpetrator was caught and jailed. But an awkward structure and other factors diminish the suspense promised by the premise.

Not long after the death of his wife, Tom Kennedy and his young son Jake move to a house in Featherbank and look forward to a new start. But then Kennedy learns of Fatherbank’s dark past. Twenty years ago a serial killer abducted and killed five residents. Because he whispered to his victims at their windows at night, the killer was nicknamed The Whisper Man. Finally The Whisper Man was revealed as Frank Carter, captured and given a swift prison sentence.

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I don’t often get Nordic noir from Denmark, so I was excited to read Søren Sveistrup’s THE CHESTNUT MAN (translated by Caroline Waight). It’s Sveistrup’s debut novel but he’s had practice before with mysteries, as from 2007 to 2012, he was creator and writer of THE KILLING, which was remade by AMC for this country.

As you could probably guess, the title refers to the name of a serial killer who tortures, mutilates and kills women in their late thirties, then places a little chestnut man, a toy doll made out of chestnuts and sticks, beside the bodies. No one can find any connection between the victims, as they operated in different social spheres, different locations. It makes no sense.

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This may be David Koepp’s debut novel, but one thing’s for sure: The man knows how to tell a story. You may know his name from other things he’s written, like the screenplays for JURASSIC PARK, CARLITO’S WAY, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE, SPIDER-MAN, INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL … and on and on.

He’s also directed films as well, and wouldn’t it be sweet to see his first book, COLD STORAGE, made into such a vehicle? It has a filmic quality to it, but this isn’t just a cinematic horror thriller.

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