- Categories:
Announcing the Mystery Autumn 2002 Book Sense 76 Top Ten
![Printer-friendly version Printer-friendly version](https://www.bookweb.org/sites/all/modules/contrib/print/icons/print_icon.png)
The pad is on press now and will be in the October white box mailing. You can also click here for the list in PDF format. Thanks!
Carl
[email protected]
1. THE NO. 1 LADIES' DETECTIVE AGENCY, by Alexander McCall Smith (Anchor, $11.95 paper, 1400031346) "The detective, a good-hearted, ample Botswanan lady, unravels local crimes with keen logic. Her description of life in a small African town is winning as well. Just wonderful books." -- Blanchette Bailey, Baileywick Books, New Milford, CT (The sequels are also coming in new Anchor editions at $11.95. Out now, The Tears of the Giraffe; coming November 8, Morality for Beautiful Girls.)
2. DARK END OF THE STREET, by Ace Atkins (Morrow, $23.95, 0060004606) "An engrossing music mystery that takes Atkins' New Orleans blues scholar to Memphis and the Delta. People who haven't yet read Atkins can pick up this third entry without missing anything. This is Atkins' best book by a mile, and I think he's poised on the brink of bestsellerdom. Discover him now." -- Ted O'Brien, Garden District Book Shop, New Orleans, LA Also a HarperAudio (0060526955)
3. NO GOOD DEED, by Manda Scott (Bantam, $22.95, 0553802674) "Orla McLeod is as deep undercover as you can get in a den of drug dealers, when she is rescued from certain death by a nine-year-old boy. The line between good and evil is blurred, as a Special Branch operation goes horribly wrong. Great characters and a dizzying plot pull you into the dark and gritty world of the Scottish drug scene." -- Kathy Magruder, Lee Booksellers, Lincoln, NE
4. DO NO HARM, by Gregg Andrew Hurwitz (Morrow, $24.95, 0060008865) "This is an old-fashioned, riveting page-turner, with fascinating characters from both the medical and law enforcement worlds, each with their own agenda for the villain. A guaranteed winner." -- Betty Shine, Brookline Booksmith, Brookline, MA
5. CRIME SCHOOL, by Carol O'Connell (Putnam, $24.95, 0399149287) "O'Connell is terrific. I felt I was one of the detectives and 'part of the game,' following the many leads. The characters are fascinating, especially, of course, Kathy Mallory, NYPD detective." -- Sheryl Cutleur, A Clean Well-Lighted Place for Books, San Francisco, CA
6. LAW OF GRAVITY, by Stephen Horn (HarperCollins, $24.95, 0060194413) "Philip Barkley is barely hanging on to his job at the Justice Department. Assigned to 'look into' the disappearance of a Senate aide, but not too closely, he does find something. This has an ending that will surprise even hard-core mystery fans. Don't start this if you have anything else on your schedule." -- Teresa Speir, Coast Books, Gulfport, MS
7. BLACK RIVER, by G.M. Ford (Morrow, $24, 0380978741) "This is a tough, atmospheric crime novel with a complex, realistically rendered protagonist who, unlike many 'hardboiled' characters, avoids caricature. Ford's dialogue is top-notch, and, while there's enough of Ford's dark dry wit to appease fans of his earlier work, this novel should introduce the author to a whole new audience." -- Patrick Millikin, Poisoned Pen, Scottsdale, AZ
8. THE LAST TEMPTATION, by Val McDermid (St. Martin's/Minotaur, $24.95, 0312290896) "British D.I. Carol Jordan has been recruited for an undercover job in Germany. Two gripping plots unwind simultaneously, with a famous serial killer profiler providing the connection. A phenomenal novel." -- Megan O'Bryan, Scott's Bookstore, Mt. Vernon, WA
9. BLOOD ON THE TONGUE, by Stephen Booth (Scribner, $25, 0743236181) "English detectives Cooper and Fry are on the case of three dead bodies and a missing baby, along with a mystery unsolved since 1945. Stephen Booth has to be one of the best new English mystery writers. This book is great." -- Caddy Flaherty, The Toadstool Bookshop, Milford, NH
10. THE FRACTAL MURDERS, by Mark Cohen (Muddy Gap Press, $13.95 paper, 097189860X) "This is a first novel from a small press that is a real find. It follows an investigation into three seemingly unrelated deaths in three different states that appear to involve fractal geometry. It is full of suspense and wit that pulls you along; it is fun, quick, intelligent, and compelling." -- Douglas A. Carlsen, Whitman College Bookstore, Walla Walla, WA
Here are some rediscoveries:
|
The Poisoned Pen Bookstore in Scottsdale, AZ, has its own thriving publishing arm. Just a few of its recent offerings:
|