mystery/thriller

When a polygamist leader and his bodyguard are murdered, the anti-polygamy squad of the Salt Lake Police Department faces the mixed messages which come from the police, the politicians, and powerful polygamous leaders. Art Oveson, deputy sheriff, is caught in the middle of these forces.  He has strong feelings about the evils of the polygamous sects and takes it upon himself to care for a young mute girl found at the scene of the crime. She seems to be at the center of the conflict. Oveson attempts to solve the crime and thwart the dealings of the various sects who are now moving down to the Utah-Arizona border. He is passionately opposed to plural marriage and the illegal actions of the groups. His passion puts him into danger along with his friends and the young people he tries to protect. Andrew Hunt may live in Canada but his knowledge of Salt Lake City, Utah, and Mormon history makes the mystery come alive.  Those who live in Utah will enjoy the picture of the state in 1934 and those who know nothing about Utah will read this as a picture of a curious place and curious people. An action novel, it is also a discerning look at the violence that can result from religious extremism and a warning to those who ignore that violence. – Wendy Foster Leigh

Solomon Creed just walked away from a plane crash and only knows his name because it is sewn into the jacket he’s wearing. His past is clouded and his future could be very uncertain indeed because the town he’s walking towards, Redemption, Arizona, holds many secrets—secrets he must uncover to save a man named James Coronado, someone he has never met. While Solomon may have some unusual skills, time travel isn’t one of them, which is a shame because James Coronado was buried that morning. All Solomon has to help him is a book by the Reverend Jack Cassidy, Redemption’s founder, and Coronado’s widow, Holly. The plane had been carrying a precious cargo and the man that cargo was destined for will raze the town to the ground himself to get it. Toyne, author of the Sanctus series, gives us the start of another taut page turning trilogy. – Paula Longhurst

Lovers of black and white noir films will identify with the tone and plot of The Reflection, set in 1948 New York. Psychiatrist David Manne rents an upscale office simply for show and is satisfied picking up jobs from the police—during one of which he is convinced that something is not quite right with the suspect he is to interview. His curiosity gets the better of him, and he attempts to aid the suspect and investigate the strange hospital to which he has been sent.  Through a series of twists and turns Manne ends up with the man’s ID, trapped in the hospital and in the role of the patient, involved in a case of mistaken identity or amnesia or, perhaps, paranoia. The book caters to the human fear of losing a personal identity—one where the psychiatrist as the patient is unable to convince others of his sanity. Hugo Wilcken has created a sympathetic character in this well-written thriller. – Wendy Foster Leigh

A collection of ghost stories perfect for dark winter nights, Ghostly features haunted houses, haunted cottages, paintings that move, magic and cats—to name just a few ghastly details, all told by masters of the genre including Poe, M.R James, Kelly Link, Neil Gaiman, P.G. Wodehouse, Saki and Niffenegger herself. Whether you want that sense of creeping unease, full-on scares or a laugh or two there’s something for everyone here. – Paula Longhurst

Detective Sargent Barbara Havers has been forced to sign a transfer request to Berwick-upon-Tweed which Detective Superintendent Isabelle Ardery keeps on her desk waiting for Havers’ next wrong move. Havers, on the other hand, is frantic to get back into the game of solving murders and is willing to risk the horrors of a transfer to do so. When a prominent feminist dies of an apparent heart attack, Havers is drawn into examining the death, which is more complicated than it appears. Lynley does his best to guide her in a prudent direction during the investigation, but, as usual, she goes her own way. In the process, she uncovers more than enough motives to incriminate a cast of murderers. Once again, George has given us, the reader, ample opportunity to escape into the world of Lynley and Havers as well as to delve into murder most vile. Terrific. – Barbara Hoagland

Retirement isn’t a reward for Inspector Chopra who has been forced into a long-term holiday by a weak heart and a forceful wife. But he will not go willingly as he sees a new case in the form of a drowned boy whose mother demands justice for her son. She is battling the power of the political world and the higher echelon of the police department, and Inspector Chopra becomes not only her champion but also that of a baby elephant left to him by his uncle. The elephant, Ganesha, won’t eat, looks sad, and mopes around the yard and finally the living room where the maternal instincts of Poppy Chopra, who may not have wanted an elephant in the apartment, take over. The elephant is a key player in the tale, as is Mumbai and its teeming neighborhoods, as Inspector Chopra and Ganesha walk the streets of the city searching for justice for the drowned boy and his mother. They meet the poorest of the poor and the most corrupt of the rich in a mystery that contains both the sadness of the world and the lightness of a detective who knows how to manipulate authority until he gets what he wants. – Wendy Foster Leigh

What do a prosecutor, an IT nerd, and a disgraced former cop have in common? They're planning the perfect crime, a simple cash grab that won't be reported and could net them a cool hundred grand. The problem is there's no such thing as the perfect crime. Also, one of the would-be criminals is a sociopath. When robbery turns to murder even a sociopath can lose control of the situation. A twisty little standalone from the author of the Hugo Marston series with an antihero you can't help rooting for. – Paula Longhurst

Trigger Mortis slots in neatly between Fleming’s Goldfinger and Thunderball. Bond has whisked Pussy Galore back to London with him but their affair is rapidly losing its luster. A new assignment, protecting England’s most famous racing driver, beckons. During his training and the race Bond encounters driver Logan Fairfax and motoring journalist Jeopardy Lane. SMERSH rears its ugly Russian head and causes Bond to focus on their associate Jason Sin, a Korean millionaire who deals death using a pack of cards. Sin has photographs of a U.S. Vanguard rocket, and Bond suspects sabotage. He doesn’t know how wrong he is. Trigger Mortis is vintage Bond, with all the style, girls, car chases, and thrills Fleming’s fans could ask for. – Paula Longhurst

The title says it all—Constance Kopp is the girl, and the sheriff gives her the gun to defend her family from the bullying of a powerful silk-factory owner. Amy Stewart has plucked a true story from the headlines of the day and imagined the details which take it into the realm of fiction. During this time period the automobile is replacing the buggy, and factory owners are exploiting the poor. The Kopp family, caught in the middle of these major changes, is comprised of three women, living on a remote farm. Having hidden their family secrets from the world, they are thrust into the spotlight when Constance insists that the silk-factory owner reimburse her for the damages to their buggy occasioned when he and his rowdy friends crashed into them threatening their safety. Only through the support of the local sheriff do they get any help; society is not sympathetic toward uppity women, and Constance and her sisters are too much the individualists to fit in Paterson, New Jersey society. Women may be the heroes of the book but the sheriff stands out as a brave man who not only changes the life of Constance Kopp but opens doors for women in the future. Girl Waits with Gun is a page-turner and a rousing read for anyone who has felt "different." – Wendy Foster Leigh

When a polygamist leader and his bodyguard are murdered, the anti-polygamy squad of the Salt Lake Police Department faces the mixed messages from the police, the politicians, and powerful polygamous leaders. Art Oveson, a Salt Lake City deputy sheriff caught in the middle of these forces, has strong feelings about the evils of the polygamous sects. He takes it upon himself to care for a young, mute girl found at the scene of the crime who seems to be at the center of the conflict. Oveson’s passion for justice puts him in danger along with his friends and the young people he tries to protect. Andrew Hunt may live in Canada but his knowledge of Salt Lake City, Utah, and Mormon history make the mystery come alive. Those who live in Utah will enjoy the picture of the state in 1934 and those who know nothing about Utah will read this as a picture of a curious place and curious people. It is an action novel that also looks at the violence that can result from religious extremism and offers a warning to those who ignore that violence. – Wendy Foster Leigh