The mystery world lost one of its greatest practitioners when Reginald Hill passed away earlier this year. A prolific author who wrote under a number of pseudonyms, including Patrick Ruell, Charles Underhill and Dick Morland, he is known primarily for his two successful series, the Joe Sixsmith books and the fascinating Dalziel & Pascoe cases.
He also wrote a significant number of one-offs, and his last published book, THE WOODCUTTER, is one of these. The title character, Wilfrid “Wolf” Hadda, is a phenomenally rich and successful international business magnate, with a lovely home and a beautiful wife and daughter. Then it all goes wrong when, in a high-profile raid, the police arrest him for possession of, and participation in, child pornography.
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A number of stories intersect in William Dietrich’s BLOOD OF THE REICH, so a bit of plot exposition is in order. In 1938, Kurt Raeder is a good little SS officer in the Nazi hierarchy. He teaches at university but his career has become somewhat stalled. That’s why it’s a little surprising, and indeed scary, to be called to the office of Heinrich Himmler.
But Himmler has a special mission for Raeder: Return to the land of Tibet, where Raeder once undertook a scientific expedition, and discover the secrets of the lost city of Shambhala, secrets that may reveal untold powers which could be useful in, say, any potential war. Raeder leaves with a throng of tough men in tow to do as Himmler asks.
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T. Jefferson Parker’s THE JAGUAR is the fifth novel to feature Charlie Hood, the stoic L.A. sheriff’s deputy who divides his time between local and federal assignments, and has recently been trying to stem the flow of drugs and guns running between the U.S. and the powerful Mexican cartels.
In this latest story, Hood actually shares the narrative with two other characters. The focus may be split, but the result is the most character-driven novel of the series, and easily among Parker’s career finest.
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Prolific thriller author John Lescroart reveals more personal background about Wyatt Hunt in THE HUNTER than any of the two previous novels starring the San Francisco-based P.I. But there’s also plenty of mystery, suspense and unsolved murder to keep Hunt busy. Fans need not worry; his latest is not an attempt to go completely mainstream.
Wyatt Hunt has just finished a lunch meeting with a friend from the SFPD when he receives a cryptic text message on his cell phone from an unidentified sender asking, “How did your mother die?”
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Daniel Judson returns again to his wintry Southampton turf for VOYEUR, a paperback packing a dizzying array of deception, betrayal and greed into a story running under 300 pages.
Remer, the only name we’re given for the protagonist, was once a successful and effective private investigator in Manhattan. His specialty was spying on individuals while they took part in extramarital affairs, and providing the damning evidence for divorce trials as a result. During one such case, however, Remer was set up and captured by hired thugs. They tortured him and left him with a scar he still carries. And that was enough to cause Remer to retire from the P.I. business.
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