CRIME ON MY MIND

Springing into new titles!

It's almost spring (I seem to be stuck on a certain theme these days)and the other good news is that the new spring titles have started arriving! There are some criminously delicious new books from Canadian writers that may already be in the stores...so prepare your lists and start shopping!


From the award-winning Mary Jane Maffini comes a brand new cosy series, co-authored with her daughter, Victoria Maffini under the name of Victoria Abbott -- got all that? It's a Book Collector's series, the first being, The Christie Curse. They will be launching this book along with another award-winner, Barbara Fradkin, whose 9th Inspector Green novel, The Whisper of Legends comes out in April. The date for the celebration is Tues. April 16th. See more details under Events.

Just out, The Poisoned Pawn by Peggy Blair. This second fast-paced crime novel brings Cuban police Inspector Ramirez to Canada. And Gail Bowen continues her successful Rapid Reads series with the fourth Charlie D novel, The Thirteenth Rose.

Also new to the shelves, from West Coast authors kay Stewart and Chris Bullock, the third book in their RCMP Constable Danutia Dranchuk series, Unholy Rites. Stay tuned for a review next weekend.

And coming up:

In April, Jack Batten brings his criminal lawyer Crang back into action, after a long hiatus, in Take Five.
Ottawa author David Whellams second Peter Cammon mystery, The Drowned Man, brings the retired Scotland Yard detective to Canada. It appears in May, as does Twilight is Not Good for Maidens, by Lou Allin. Set on Vancouver Island, BC, this is the third in the RCMP Corporal Holly Martin series, the second series for Allin.

And, there are more! Check out the Crime Writers of Canada website at www.crimewriterscanada.com for a listing of all the new cool Canadian crime that's just happened or is on the way!

Happy mysterious reading!

Linda Wiken/Erika Chase

READ AND BURIED
Berkley Prime Crime, now available
A KILLER READ, also available at your favourite bookstores and online.
Nomianted for an Agatha Award, Best First Novel 2012
COVER STORY available for pre-order; coming Aug. 2013.

MYSTERY REVIEW

KALEIDOSCOPE
By Gail Bowen
McClelland & Stewart




By this point in her career, Gail Bowen’s books shouldn’t need reviews. But that’s what’s expected, so I can unequivocally say that Kaleidoscope, book #13 in the Joanne Kilbourn series, is every bit as excellent as you’d expect!

That Bowen knows Joanne inside out by this point is undeniable. But she also gives us subtleties that show she’s just as into Zack Shreve and Taylor and Meika and the boys also. These characters have been woven into the growth of the Joanne Kilbourn character and become as familiar to us as she is. And now that Joanne has retired from her career as a University professor in Political Science, we enter that new phase of her life…and find another body or two.

This shouldn’t come as a surprise. Joanne is always drawn into at least one murder in each book. The word ‘drawn’ is key here. Because Bowen takes her time easing the reader into the harsh realities of murder. She wants us to become familiar with all the players, to have a vested interest in what’s going on before tragedy strikes. It helps put everything in context. Although, I admit, a murder has been committed before the story opens. It’s the second one that shapes this story. We can feel it coming on just like a summer storm tracking into the city. That’s because Bowen is a master at suspense, making a normal step feel like another step towards the precipice.

The journey starts with the first murder of a worker at a building site in one of Regina’s rougher areas. The two warring gangs have been convinced to join forces as the Warriors to put a stop to the gentrification. A splinter group, the Red Rage takes it to a violent level. Shortly after Joanne and her lawyer husband Zack have dinner with his client, Leland Hunter, the urban developer responsible for the project, their house is bombed.

Then she finds out her eldest daughter, Meika is involved with one of Joanne’s former grad students, Riel Delorme. He’s turned into a firebrand and the vocal leader against the development.

The past returns as the death of her first husband re-surfaces and she must deal with a series of frightening events culminating in a murder that shakes Joanne to the core. Her life is turned upside down and will never be the same. But, as Joanne so succinctly put it on the front of a Tshirt she orders for the widow, 'Being Strong is the Only Option'.



If you’re a Gail Bowen fan, enjoy! If you’re new to her, enjoy catching up with the previous twelve books! You won’t be sorry.

CRIME ON MY MIND

Overwhelmed with TBRs

I try to spend a fair chunk of time each day reading. Partly to have some reviews of upcoming or recently published Canadian mysteries but mainly for the pure pleasure of entering new worlds, visiting new places and meeting new people.

I like to think of my To Be Read (TBR) piles as decorating accessories. What else do you do with stacks of books? I have them in every room of my house, except for the kitchen where cookbooks (a real necessity) are housed. You can't do that with an e-book, I might point out. I love the look of books, the ability to just grab one off the pile and sit down to read or just thumb through it, the reassurance that with that big a TBR, I'll never run out.

However, I obviously haven't been keeping up as I should. What with the steady stream of advance reading copies from publishers, and my own choices for either research or a total change of pace, there are now often two stacks right next to each other, where only last week there was one.

Bloody Words contributed to that growth in very positive ways, except when it came to getting the books home. The book bags that attendees were handed proved that publishers are getting far more generous these days. I hear the siren call of William Deverell's latest, Arthur Ellis nominated novel, I'll See You in My Dreams. Robert Rotenberg's The Guilty Plea is there, too along with Boston Cream by Howard Shrier! How can a gal choose where to begin?

I've just finished the wonderful Gail Bowen's newest, Kaleidoscope, which I'll review next weekend. C.B. Forrest will review Deryn Collier's Confined Space this weekend (it was next on my list, but he beat me to it!). ALso coming up are Gold Mountain by Vicki Delany (I am behind in my reviews, I admit it!), Spoiled Rotten by Mary Jackman, Bloodman by Robert Pobi and Whiskey Creek by Dave Hugelschaffer. Then, low and behold, in my mailbox yesterday -- Brad Smith's September release, Crow's Landing (and you might remember how I do look forward to his books!)

What's a girl to do? So many books, so little time! And all those bookish cliches. It's going to be a bookfest summer. Happy reading to us all!

Linda Wiken/Erika Chase

A KILLER READ
Berkley Prime Crime, now available
READ & BURIED, coming Dec., 2012
www.erikachase.com

WICKED WEDNESDAYS

The masters of crime....

April is also the release month for another Canadian mystery author, one far better known than Erika Chase, whose contribution to the Canadian crime writing scene is immense.

Gail Bowen's 13th novel in the Joanne Kilbourn series, Kaleidoscope, will be released later this month. That's an amazing feat from the viewpoint of someone just starting to populate the shelves.

Gail's first book, Deadly Appearances appeared in 1990 and I was hooked. I loved the Joanne Kilbourn character, the recent widow of a political aide, who becomes enmeshed in the murder of a politician they both knew. She was a clever, warm, convincing person, mother of two, and if I recall correctly, teaching part-time at the university. My apologies, Gail if I've gotten the teaching part wrong. I obviously need to go back and start at the beginning again. I'd enjoy that!

In subsequent novels, Joanne Kilbourn has grown on all fronts -- as a mother, teacher, lover and once again, married but always, a sleuth who is passionate about helping her friends and writing wrongs. That sounds trite but Joanne has a strong sense of morality and integrity, both propelling her to search for the truth.

The novels have grown in depth and breadth, all to the benefit of the Canadian mystery writing scene, emerging authors, and the ever-demanding readers.

We owe Gail Bowen an enormous amount of respect. Just as we also owe Peter Robinson, William Deverell, and those giants of crime writing, Eric Wright, Howard Engel, L.R. Wright, Laurence Gough and Medora Sale. Those were the authors who led the charge to making the crime and mystery writing genre a relevant piece of the cultural landscape in this country. Of course, there were others and I should go on but I know I'll always leave out a name of importance.

Perhaps you can help me? Who would you add to this list? And, I'm thinking, authors who started their careers in the 70's, 80's and 90's.

Linda Wiken/Erika Chase
A Killer Read
Berkley Prime Crime
www.erikachase.com