Reviewed By Liz

ISBN: 0758215525

Kensington
Hardcover - 5/1/08

POISENED TARTS - A Savannah Reid Mystery - What happens when too rich and too thin becomes too deadly? Voluptuous P.I. Savannah Reid is about to find out as she delves into the disappearance of a celebrity hanger-on that soon leads to something more sinister. As Halloween draws near, Savannah will have to learn a killer’s deadly “tricks” before someone else is “treated” to murder…
Halloween in Southern California just doesn’t have the frosty bite Savannah’s used to, although her latest job promises chills aplenty. The Skeleton Key Three, a celebutante clique so named by the media because of their super-skinny figures and fat trust funds, are in the spotlight again–but this time, it’s for something more than partying. It seems the one member of the Three who was neither wealthy nor particularly svelte hasn’t been heard from in days.

The missing girl’s name is Daisy O’Neil, and by all accounts, she had little in common with her so-called friends Tiffy, Kiki, and Bunny. Chubby, smart, and less-than-privileged, Daisy’s role in the Three seems to have been primarily to be the victim of their vicious jibes and pranks. When Savannah learns that Tiffy’s acting aspirations were threatened by Daisy’s genuine talent, the poor little rich girl begins to look big-time guilty.

But just when Savannah thinks she has it all figured out–except where the body is stashed–the vibe surrounding the Skeleton Key Three changes from vacuous and suspicious to downright murderous. As preparations are being made for a monster Halloween party, to be held on the Dante compound, the patriarch himself is spotted dressed as Dracula, laid out in his coffin, complete with a real stake through his no-longer-beating heart. Now, with the party seriously pooped and the tabloids on a tear, Savannah will have to put her Halloween candy on the shelf until she’s deserving of a reward. And that means finding a killer–fast–before more Hollywood money becomes buried treasure…

Since publication of her first novel in 1986, Sonja Massie has authored over fifty published works, including the best selling FAR AND AWAY and the critically acclaimed SAVANNAH REID MYSTERY SERIES, under the pseudonym  G. A. McKevett.

Check out G. A. McKevett’s web site at www. sonjamassie.com.

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New book releases are a feature provided for our readers by reviewedbyliz, but are not written by us. Where available, the descriptions of the books are those provided by the Author or publisher.

ISBN: 1416537384

Pocket Star
Mass Market Paperback - 4/29/08

ONE WRONG STEP - A Borderline Mystery - SHE NEVER PLANNED TO GET INVOLVED WITH HER EX AGAIN, ESPECIALLY NOT IN HIS MURDER….
But that’s just what happens when Celie Wells has an encounter with her former husband, and he turns up dead an hour later. Now, after working hard to distance herself from his crooked ways and shady connections, she finds she’s smack dab in the middle of his murder investigation. And it isn’t just the police who have their eye on her, but an enraged drug lord who is seeking payback.The only person who seems to be on her side is old acquaintance John McAllister. But the sexy reporter has a nose for news, as well as a reputation as a playboy. Is he helping Celie out because he wants a story…or a one-night stand? She knows John’s interest is potentially hazardous to her heart. But not accepting his help could put her life at even greater risk — and she can’t afford one wrong step.

Laura Griffin started her career in journalism before venturing into the world of writing romantic suspense. Her articles have appeared in numerous newspapers and magazines, and her fiction work has garnered awards from writing competitions throughout the country. Laura currently lives in Austin, where she is working on her next romantic suspense novel.

Check out Laura’s web site at www. lauragriffin.com.

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New book releases are a feature provided for our readers by reviewedbyliz, but are not written by us. Where available, the descriptions of the books are those provided by the Author or publisher.

ISBN: 0441015891

Ace
Hardcover - 5/6/08

FROM DEAD TO WORSE - Southern Vampire Mysteries, Book 8 - After the natural disaster of Hurricane Katrina and the manmade explosion at the vampire summit, everyone—human and otherwise—is stressed, including Louisiana cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse, who is trying to cope with the fact that her boyfriend Quinn has gone missing.

It’s clear that things are changing—whether the weres and vamps of her corner of Louisiana like it or not. And Sookie—Friend to the Pack and blood-bonded to Eric Northman, leader of the local vampire community—is caught up in the changes.

In the ensuing battles, Sookie faces danger, death, and once more, betrayal by someone she loves. And when the fur has finished flying and the cold blood finished flowing, her world will be forever altered. 

Charlaine Harris has been a published novelist for over twenty-five years. A native of the Mississippi Delta, she grew up in the middle of a cotton field. Now she lives in southern Arkansas with her husband, her three children, three dogs, and a duck. The duck stays outside.
Though her early output consisted largely of ghost stories, by the time she hit college (Rhodes, in Memphis) Charlaine was writing poetry and plays. After holding down some low-level jobs, she had the opportunity to stay home and write, and the resulting two stand-alones were published by Houghton Mifflin. After a child-producing sabbatical, Charlaine latched on to the trend of writing mystery series, and soon had her own traditional books about a Georgia librarian, Aurora Teagarden. Her first Teagarden, REAL MURDERS, garnered an Agatha nomination.
Soon Charlaine was looking for another challenge, and the result was the much darker Lily Bard series. The books, set in Shakespeare, Arkansas, feature a heroine who has survived a terrible attack and is learning to live with its consequences.
When Charlaine began to realize that neither of those series was ever going to set the literary world on fire, she regrouped and decided to write the book she’d always wanted to write. Not a traditional mystery, nor yet pure science fiction or romance, DEAD UNTIL DARK broke genre boundaries to appeal to a wide audience of people who just enjoy a good adventure. Each subsequent book about Sookie Stackhouse, telepathic Louisiana barmaid and friend to vampires, werewolves, and various other odd creatures, has drawn more readers. The southern vampire books are published in Japan, Great Britain, Greece, Germany, Thailand, Spain, France, and Russia.
In addition to Sookie, Charlaine has another heroine with a strange ability. Harper Connelly, lightning-struck and strange, can find corpses . . . and that’s how she makes her living.
In addition to her work as a writer, Charlaine is the past senior warden of St. James Episcopal Church, a board member of Mystery Writers of America, a past board member of Sisters in Crime, a member of the American Crime Writers League, and past president of the Arkansas Mystery Writers Alliance. She spends her “spare” time reading, watching her daughter play sports, traveling, and going to the movies.

Check out Charlaine’s web site at www.charlaineharris.com.

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New book releases are a feature provided for our readers by reviewedbyliz, but are not written by us. Where available, the descriptions of the books are those provided by the Author or publisher.

ISBN: 312378750

St. Martin’s Minotaur
Hardcover - 5/13/08

TELL NO LIES - As an assistant district attorney in St. Louis, Jack Hilliard appears to have it all: intelligence, good looks, a great job, and a solid marriage with his wife, Claire. But he finds himself at a crossroads in his life when, on the same night his boss announces his resignation as DA, his subterranean flirtation with his enigmatic lawyer friend Jenny bubbles to the surface. Jack soon learns how easy it is to compromise his values and comfortable life for ambition and desire. Despite Claire’s counsel to stand by his beliefs, Jack misrepresents his position on the death penalty to secure the top spot at the DA’s office. As the pressures of the campaign mount, he struggles to deny his growing obsession with Jenny, who supports his ambitions at whatever cost. When Jenny is charged with the heinous murder of a client, and Jack is the only one who can prove her innocence, he must make a Hobson’s choice: save Jenny by speaking out, or save his marriage and career by remaining silent. Kirkus Reviews gives the novel a starred review and says, “Compton’s debut is a taut, tense cautionary tale complete with courtroom drama and a surprise ending.”

Julie Compton was born in St. Louis, Missouri (the setting for TELL NO LIES), and is a graduate of Washington University School of Law. Though she practiced in St. Louis for several years, Julie has most recently worked as a trial attorney for the US Department of Justice in Delaware, where she worked on some of the largest corporate bankruptcies in the nation. she now live in Florida with her husband and two daughters and writes full time. TELL NO LIES is Julie’s first novel.

Check out Julie’s web site at www.julie-compton.com.

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New book releases are a feature provided for our readers by reviewedbyliz, but are not written by us. Where available, the descriptions of the books are those provided by the Author or publisher.

Welcome to Sample Chapter Sunday!

For those of you have been here before, welcome back!

Sample Chapter Sunday is the cure for the boring Sunday afternoons when you have no new reading material. You can swing by here and find links to sample chapters of mysteries by favorite authors and authors you haven’t read before.

Any mystery author is welcome to put a link to their online sample chapter by leaving a comment on this post. Hopefully, they will also give us their name, title of the book, and a brief description or synopsis to pique our interest. Tell your friends to come read and your favorite authors to come show off their sample chapters!

To see the access the sample chapters that the authors have posted links to, click on the COMMENTS link below (if you are an author, this is also the place you add a comment and post your book description and sample chapter links).

ISBN: 1933515139

Ocean View
Hardcover - 5/1/08

THE DEAL - Not long ago, Jonah Gray was your typical cutthroat, rainmaking New York City commercial real estate broker. He craved the opulence, the power and the seven-figure income. He bedded models, romped the globe on weekends and saw the world as his for the taking. Jonah felt he had it all. Even if he was unsure what it really was.
Three weeks ago all of that changed. Now Jonah has been forced to question every aspect of his existence. An existence he can never go back to.

It seemed to be the deal of a lifetime. A long standing family friend, a Russian named Andreu Zhamovsky who controls one of the largest natural gas conglomerates in the world, showed up in Manhattan looking to drop half a billion dollars on prime office buildings; part of his firm’s ‘risk aversion strategy’ for the future. Only this was a far different transaction than Jonah ever contemplated. Along with the deal, mysteriously, came one of the world’s rarest antiques planted in his briefcase. Within days he stood at the center of both international and personal scandals. Answers only bred more questions. No one could be ruled out. Not his partners, not his own father, not his new romantic interest, not Andreu Zhamovsky, no one.
With the stolen artifact came secrets, lies and ultimately the murder of Stan Gray, Jonah’s father—a man with secrets of his own. Jonah’s entire world changed. No longer could his past or future be certain, orderly or clear. Danger, and maybe death, now lurked around every corner.
Jonah reacted the only way he knows. He chose to defend both his integrity and those he loves in any way he could. Some say he became a criminal. Others say he became a man. Jonah would tell you he evolved into something far more complex. He finally became someone he could respect, and in the process gave everyone who crossed him exactly what they deserved.

Adam Gittlin was born in New Jersey in 1972, and enjoys a career as a commercial real estate executive in New York City. Growing up, Mr. Gittlin always envisioned a professional life in the business world. What he never expected was that writing would become something he wanted to pursue as well. When looking at his upbringing, it is easy to understand why both became so important to him: his father –a successful businessman—not only gave Gittlin a window into his own career but also encouraged Gittlin from a young age to be inquisitive.  As for the right side of his brain, his mother’s love of story opened him up to all types of books and films, and her work as an artist showed him the joy of creative expression. 
Gittlin has written two screenplays that have garnered attention, but books are in fact his passion. During his senior year at Syracuse University, where he earned a BA in Psychology, Gittlin penned his first novel—a psychological thriller entitled Dead End—and has been writing ever since. He went on to earn an MBA in International Business, also from Syracuse, but before diving into his career wrote the first draft of The Men Downstairs, ultimately released in 2004. As his real estate career grew, so did his desire to create the same types of thought-provoking, bold novels he always found fascinating. He decided to combine his professional experience with the thriller genre which led to the inception of The Deal.
Gittlin is currently hard at work on his next project, a yet-to-be titled financial thriller that will again use aspects of the commercial real estate industry (land acquisition, mixed-use development, environmental issues, etc) along with elements from the financial sector.  He resides in Manhattan with his wife, Raina, a producer with ABC’s Good Morning America.

Check out Adam’s web site at www.adamgittlin.com.

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New book releases are a feature provided for our readers by reviewedbyliz, but are not written by us. Where available, the descriptions of the books are those provided by the Author or publisher.

ISBN: 0738712256

MIDNIGHT INK
Paperback - 5/1/08

MURDER TALKS TURKEY - A Yooper Mystery - It’s spring in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula — an exciting season of rising temperatures, budding romances, and the turkey-hunting opener. But for sheer adrenaline value, neither love nor turkeys can compete with the Credit Union being held up at gunpoint. It’s not the best planning to commit a robbery in a town where everyone is armed for combat, and the gunman is shot dead in a room full of witnesses — but the stolen money has disappeared right in front of their eyes.
Faster than you can say “Tom Turkey,” Gertie, Cora Mae, and Kitty are on the case, in this hoot of a whodunit.

Deb Tells us about herself: I was born on a cold and snowy March day in Escanaba, Michigan, mere miles from the setting for my Gertie Johnson mystery series. Growing up with the Swedes and Finns who settled in the area gave me a unique perspective on their strange and mysterious ways. Who knew that one day I would be sharing them with you?
Anyway, after the born-and-raised part, I ended up at the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee working on a degree, one of my lifetime and seemingly unreachable goals.
Did I mention that I’m a late bloomer?
Late bloomer is loosely defined as someone who eventually attains full maturity and competence. In other words, I finally became good at things that other people had already become good at long before I figured it out. For example, I didn’t manage to attain a college degree until shortly after my forty-fifth birthday. Yes, it took me over twenty-five years of on-again, off-again attempts to finally collect that diploma.
Why so long? Indecision. I changed my major as many times as I celebrated birthdays. Math, engineering, architecture, education. Nothing felt right. But finally, I found my way into the English department and into the creative writing program, and I haven’t looked back since.
Returning to the late bloomer thing.
I married in my thirties and had my last child when I was thirty-eight years old. I think it’s a little-known fact that if you have late-bloomer tendencies, they appear early in life and stay with you forever.
So far I’ve had a great time, surrounded by family, friends, felines, and canines. An avid animal lover, I once had twelve sled dogs living in my back yard and raced a team of six eager Alaskan Huskies through a circuit of sprint races that spanned northern Michigan and Wisconsin. Gertie’s wild ride in Murder Passes the Buck is nothing compared to some of my early experiences. In fact, the first year I lost my team within minutes of leaving the starting chute every single time.
Somewhere in all this trying to catch up to everyone else, I spent fourteen glorious months in Scottsdale, Arizona, soaking up the sun, eating green chile stew, sipping Margaritas, and climbing Camelback Mountain. Hence, the setting for my Gretchen Birch doll collecting mystery series.
I have to admit it was a long winding road to publication, but the journey has been well worth it. After several of my short stories appeared in literary magazines, I made the jump to longer fiction. Although Murder Passes the Buck was my first full-length novel, the manuscript spent years and years in rewrites before it was ready for full-frontal viewing.
Like anything else worth doing, it took practice and perseverance.
My break came when I entered the manuscript in the Authorlink International First Novelist Contest and it won, not only the mystery category, but also Best of Show! That led to my wonderful agent and an offer from Berkley to write the doll series.
Sometimes life, like a fine red wine, really does improve with age!

Check out Deb’s web site at www.debbakerbooks.com.

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New book releases are a feature provided for our readers by reviewedbyliz, but are not written by us. Where available, the descriptions of the books are those provided by the Author or publisher.

ISBN: 1593154747

Vanguard Press
Hardcover - 4/28/08

ESCAPE - A Butch Karp/Marlene Ciampi Series - From New York Times bestselling author Robert K. Tanenbaum comes Escape, the twentieth and most explosive book in the Butch Karp/Marlene Ciampi series. This riveting thriller races from inside the courtroom to the mean streets of Manhattan, as New York District Attorney Roger Butch Karp faces two seemingly different situations that will ultimately prove to be shockingly alike.

Robert K. Tanenbaum is the USA Today, Los Angeles Times, and New York Times bestselling author of twenty novels, including Counterplay, Fury, Hoax, Absolute Rage, Enemy Within, True Justice, Act of Revenge, Reckless Endangerment, and Malice. He is also the author of the true-crime books Badge of the Assassin and The Piano Teacher: The True Story of a Psychotic Killer. He lives in Los Angeles.

Check out Robert’s web site at www.escapethebook.com.

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New book releases are a feature provided for our readers by reviewedbyliz, but are not written by us. Where available, the descriptions of the books are those provided by the Author or publisher.

ISBN 1894917332

Rendezvous Crime - Paperback
September 1st, 2007

MEMORIES ARE MURDER is a Belle Palmer mystery. Belle is a woman of a certain age who runs a small real estate business in Northern Ontario. Her short but vital peak season is off to a poor start when her co-worker is called away to tend to an injured paramour and she arranges an unusual replacement for herself - a sassy young pregnant woman nicknamed Yoyo. Needless to say, it takes Belle and Yoyo a while to thrash out a comfortable working relationship.

Belle also rents her neighbors’ house to a mysterious stranger - and then discovers that he is actually the boy she dated in high school. They just have time to catch up on each other’s lives before Gary is found dead. Gary, a zoologist and professor, had come north to study the behavior of elk in the area. Belle knows that accidents in remote areas can be fatal, but something about Gary’s death doesn’t sit right with her. When Gary’s death is followed by other unusual incidents, Belle and her new ally Yoyo take matters into their own hands.

MEMORIES ARE MURDER is an interesting blend. On one hand, it is a treasure trove of information about Northern Ontario. Belle Palmer is very in touch with her surroundings and describes for the reader the flora and fauna around her. She also tells us the human history in the area and how people have interacted with the land and animals there. Then there is Belle herself, who is struggling with her business and a father in his declining years. And when Gary re-enters her life, her worldview gets somewhat tilted as she has to reassess past events in light of new information. All in all, an interesting book that makes me want to visit the area - with lots of bug spray.

Favorite character? Probably Yoyo because she is unexpected. Did I guess it? Some of it. Will I read another? Yes. How can you pass up a title like BUSH POODLES ARE MURDER?

Check out Lou’s web site at www.louallin.com.

Mystery Book Reviews by Liz at http://reviewedbyliz.com ©2008

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ISBN 0312377703

St. Martin’s Minotaur - Hardcover
January 8th 2008

I am hoping that DEATH WAS THE OTHER WOMAN will turn out to be the first book in a series about Kitty Pangborn. Kitty has taken a job as the secretary for PI Dex Theroux in Depression Era L.A. This is a big step down for the young society woman and it was forced upon her by the loss of the family fortune and her father’s suicide after the stock market crash. While it might seem that Kitty has the weight of the world on her shoulders, she is soldiering on bravely and appreciates that she could do a lot worse in current economic climate. And she is quite fond of Dex, a mook on the outside, but a war vet who’s experiences have left him fragile and who brings out Kitty’s protective instincts, rather than her romantic ones.

When Dex’s drinking causes Kitty to worry that he will crack up the car on his way to a stakeout, she insists on driving him. But the two of them end up falling asleep in the car during the long wait and awake to find a murdered man. What started off as a simple tail job on a straying lover becomes complicated when the body disappears and the police show up to question Dex and he and Kitty are dragged into a quagmire.

Dialog in historical mysteries is an interesting thing. The author has to walk a fine line between capturing the way people of the day thought and spoke and disturbing the modern reader by appearing fake. I find that the dialog in noir genre has a tendency to sound goofy as characters talk about torpedoes fighting over lettuce with their roscoes (those are hired killers, money, and pistols to you and me). But the spin that Richards puts on this noir tale - telling it from the point of view of the outsider girl Friday - gives the story a kind of quirkiness that allows the lingo to go by without much trouble.

Did I guess it? Some of it. Favorite character? Dex’s buddy, Mustard, a born fixer. Will I read another? Yes. The odd pairing of Kitty and Dex makes this book - hopefully a series - a winner.

Check out Linda’s web site at http://lindalrichards.com/.

Mystery Book Reviews by Liz at http://reviewedbyliz.com ©2008

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