  Recently Signed - In Stock
86 East Third Ave., San Mateo, CA 94401 Phone: 650-401-8077
OR Toll Free outside Bay Area: 888-405-8077
last updated: July 18th, 2011 |
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ABOUT THIS ARCHIVE
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This archive of signed first editions lists
our current stock of RECENT releases.
They are alphabetical by author,
and are kept on the list for approximately
six weeks. These listings are updated weekly.
If you are looking for older signed books, or
specialty categories, use the catalogs on our
web site. We have six catalogs on our home
page (see buttons at left).
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How to Order
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To place an order:
email usor phone us (650)401-8077 (888)405-8077 toll free We accept Visa, MC, Amex and checks by arrangement We ship USPS Media mail within the US and USPS International Priority for overseas addresses Shipping rates: In the US - $6.50 for the first book $1.35 each additional book Overseas - email us to discuss the options |
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OWEN SMITH POSTERS
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OWEN SMITH, nationally recognized artist known for his artworks for The New Yorker and Rolling Stone as well as numerous book covers, was commissioned by the San Francisco Arts Commission in 2008 to create original works based on a theme for display in special kiosks on Market Street. Most recently, he did the cover illustration for Mark Coggins' new book, The Big Wake-Up, and appeared at "M" for that book event with the author. These posters are from Smith's "Dashiell Hammett's San Francisco" series. Each is SIGNED by the artist; 12" x 18" on heavy glossy stock, at $12.00 each.
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 Recently Signed - In Stock
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MEGAN ABBOTT - The End of Everything
|  (Reagan Arthur, $23.99).
"Thirteen-year-old Lizzie Hood is the last person to see her best friend, Evie, before she disappears. They've been inseparable for years, and Lizzie knows everything about her -- or does she? Lizzie knows enough to pursue clues the police dismiss, but in all her reflections there are flashes of darker moments and unsettling questions. Her narration is full of quick glimpses of another story, just there on the edges, that create layers of suspense. . . . Edgar Award winner Abbott (Queenpin) offers a fascinating twist on the coming-of-age story, blending a tale of young women just discovering their sexuality with suspense and plenty of plot twists," said Library Journal. |
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ACE ATKINS - The Ranger
|  (Putnam, $25.95)
"Best known for historical thrillers like Infamous, Atkins kicks off a new series with a solid action-packed yarn featuring U.S. Army Ranger Quinn Colson. When Colson returns home to Jericho, Miss., from his most recent tour of duty in Afghanistan for his uncle's funeral, he's surprised to learn that his uncle, former sheriff Hampton Beckett, shot himself to death. An old friend, Deputy Lillie Virgil, suspects that Beckett was actually murdered. Colson's efforts to prove that theory bring him up against both the violent and the corrupt. During Colson's time away, his rural community has been overrun with meth dealers, whose blight affects those close to him. . ." said PW. And Library Journal said: "for Stephen Hunter fans who like fast-moving plots and decisive good guys facing down evil." |
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JULIET BLACKWELL Hexes and Hemlines
|  (Signet, $7.99 paperback original).
Lily gets called away from her vintage clothing store to give police a witch's take on how the leader of a rationalist society could be murdered, surrounded by superstitions he discredited. Evidence points to dark witchcraft. Lily's determined to use magic of her own to find the murderer, before everyone's luck runs out. "The third novel in Juliet Blackwell's Witchcraft series is as delectable as the previous two . . . A cleverly written, top-notch cozy mystery," said Romantic Times.
ALSO, buy the new one plus any of the following and get 10% off!:
--  'A Cast-Off Coven' (Penguin, 2010, $6.99) As New. Signed. Mass Market Original.
-- 'Secondhand Spirits' (Penguin, 2009, $6.99) As New. Signed. Mass Market Original.
-- 'Arsenic & Old Paint' (Perseverance Press, 2010, $14.95) Writing as Hailey Lind. As New. Signed. Trade Paperback Original. |
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LAWRENCE BLOCK - A Drop of the Hard Stuff
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 (Mulholland, $25.99).
Grandmaster Lawrence Block brings his 17th Matthew Scudder novel, in which he takes the recovering alcoholic ex-cop private eye back to the early years of his sobriety. He recalls how, when still shaky in his new life, he encounters Jack Ellery, another former heavy drinker slowly ascending the A.A. steps of recovery. When his friend is murdered, that chance convergence becomes a disturbing conundrum: Who killed the man struggling to get back on the right path? A critical episode in the life's journey of Block's most popular protagonist. Wide critical raves, including this from Kirkus: "Matthew Scudder looks back at his first year off the sauce to recall that making amends can be murder.... this lonesome, wintry, compassionate tale is guaranteed to get under your skin, and make you thirsty to boot."
ALSO:
--  'Burglars Can't Be Choosers' (Dutton, 1977, $22.00) NF+/F-. Signed. Light creasing at bottom left edge of spine. DJ very slight wrinkling.
-- 'A Long Line of Dead Men' (William Morrow, 1994, $7.00) F/F. Signed.
-- 'One Night Stands & Lost Weekends' (Harper, 2008, $29.00) Trade paperback. As New. Signed. |
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GERALDINE BROOKS - Caleb's Crossing
|  (Viking, $26.95).
"In 1965, Caleb Cheeshahteaumuck of Martha's Vineyard graduated from Harvard, whose 1650 charter describes its mission as 'the education of the English and Indian youth of this country.' That much is fact. That Caleb befriended Bethia Mayfield, the free-spirited daughter of the island's preacher, is of course fiction -- but it's luscious fiction in the capable hands of Pulitzer Prize winner Brooks (March). As one might expect from Brooks, Bethia is a keen and rebellious lass, indignant that she should be kept from book learning when her slower brother gets the benefit of an education.... Writing in Bethia's voice, Brooks offers a lyric and elevated narrative that effectively replicates the language of the era; she takes on the obvious issues of white arrogance, cultural difference, and the debased role of women without settling into jeremiad. The result is sweet and aching. Highly recommended," said Library Journal.
ALSO buy the new one plus the following and get 10% off both:
-- 'People of the Book' (Viking, 2008, $20.00) F/F. Signed. |
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ANDREA CAMILLERI - The Track of Sand
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 (Mantle UK, $37.00)
Inspector Montalbano rises one morning to find the carcass of a horse on the beach in front of his seaside home. But no sooner do his men arrive, than the body has mysteriously vanished, leaving behind only a trail in the sand. Before long Rachele, a beguiling equestrian champion, turns up at police headquarters to report her horse missing. She had been keeping it at the stables of a certain Saverio Lo Duca, one of the richest men in Sicily. Montalbano investigates, entering the strange, unfamiliar world of horse-racing. Maneuvering his way through the colorful demimonde of eccentric aristocrats and high-rolling bourgeois, Montalbano must once again call upon his special blend of intuition, analysis, play-acting and Proustian memory for good food, if he is to uncover this latest mystery. |
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BONNIE JO CAMPBELL - Once Upon A River
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 (W.W. Norton, $25.95).
Booklist starred: "A dramatic and rhapsodic American odyssey. A female Huckleberry Finn. A wild-child-to-caring-woman story as intricately meshed with the natural life of the river as a myth. . . . A glorious novel destined to entrance and provoke." And Library Journal said: "This second novel by National Book Award finalist Campbell (American Salvage) is set in Murrayville, a rural Michigan town far removed from the modern world. Inhabitants have lived off the Stark River for generations, including 16-year-old Margo Crane's family. . . . Her river odyssey ultimately leads to self-preservation on her terms. A truthful and deeply human story that pulls us in and won't let go. Readers looking for superior fiction are in for an uplifting, first-rate story." |
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REBECCA CANTRELL - A Game of Lies
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 (Forge, $24.99).
"Set in 1936, Cantrell's well-paced third mystery featuring German crime reporter Hannah Vogel returns to the high level of her debut, 2009's A Trace of Smoke. Sought by the Gestapo for kidnapping the son of a high-ranking Nazi official, Vogel has assumed the alias of Adelheid Zinsli, a Swiss reporter, to cover the Olympic Games while spying for the British. . . . Her search for the truth, aided by an SS officer of uncertain trustworthiness, leads her to a deadly secret. . . . Cantrell does a fine job evoking the period," said PW. |
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LINDA CASTILLO - Breaking Silence
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 (Minotaur $24.99).
Booklist starred: "In addition to creating exceptionally well drawn characters and crafting a gripping plot that takes some shocking turns to a heart-pounding conclusion, Castillo probes with keen sensitivity the emotional toll taken by police work. The third in this series of thrillers (after Sworn to Silence, 2009, and Pray for Silence, 2010) is another winner." Kirkus said: "Kate's third offers plenty of violence, a surprise ending and some insight into the Amish way of life." And PW also praised: "Castillo melds deeply flawed characters with a glimpse into a unique community in which isolation can hide a plethora of secrets." |
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MAX ALLAN COLLINS - Kiss Her Goodbye
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 (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $25.00).
"Set in the 1970s, Collins's impressive third posthumous collaboration with Spillane (after 2010's The Big Bang) finds 'an older, ailing Mike Hammer returning to New York and finding it (and himself) changed,' though readers will see little evidence by the bloody climax that the notoriously violent PI has lost a step to age or illness. . . . Collins's mastery of the character demonstrates that whenever he runs out of original material to work from he would be more than capable of continuing the saga on his own." And Library Journal concluded: "Spillane may have dreamed up these books, but Collins does a bang-up job writing them." |
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CAROLYN COOKE - Daughters of the Revolution
|  (Knopf, $24.95).
"For lack of a life jacket, the trajectory of several lives is altered in this smart, sexy, sarcastic, sophisticated novel from Cooke (The Bostons, a New York Times Notable Book). The Goode School, a prestigious New England bastion of male-only education, designed to prepare its wealthy students to become masters of the universe, . . . In 1968, a typing error results in a scholarship offer to the first Negro female in the school's history, . . . Cooke's unique novel defies genre comparisons but has particular relevance as our country's financial woes exacerbate the gap between the power brokers and the rest of us. This cautionary tale deserves wide readership," said Library Journal. |
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THOMAS H. COOK - The Quest For Anna Klein
|  (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $27.00).
Mystorical for June. Thomas Danforth has lived a fortunate life. The son of a wealthy importer, he traveled the world in his youth, and now, in his twenties, he lives in New York City and runs the family business. It is 1939, and the world is on the brink of war, but Danforth's life is untroubled, his future assured. Then, on a snowy evening walk along Gramercy Park, a friend poses a fateful question. As it turns out, this friend has a dangerous idea that can change the world. Danforth is to provide a place where a "brilliant woman" can receive training in firearms and explosives. This is to be the beginning of an international plot carried out by the mysterious Anna Klein -- a plot that will ensnare Danforth in more ways than one. |
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JEFFERY DEAVER - Carte Blanche: A James Bond Novel
|  (Simon & Schuster, $26.99).
Jeffery Deaver was selected by Ian Fleming Publications to write the new James Bond thriller. We are thrilled to welcome back the international number-one bestselling author of more than two dozen other suspense novels. Raves from the U.K. press: "There have been other Fleming impersonators, including Kingsley Amis and Sebastian Faulks, but the author of The Bone Collector is the biggest international name to take the job. He is also one of the world's smoothest, most devious, thriller writers -- a far better craftsman than Fleming, in fact. So could he assume Fleming's identity rather than write another Jeffery Deaver novel only with a hero called Bond? And could he, for that matter, resist thriller publishing's current obsession with relentless action inspired by the success of the Bourne movie franchise -- and indeed Quantum Of Solace? The answers are emphatically 'Yes' " (The Telegraph). And from The Sunday Express: "Fleming was a master of succinct plotting and deft characterization, his books deceptively slim but containing so much. Deaver too is a genius and this publishing marriage was truly made in heaven. . . . and, by the way, it is going to make a great movie."
ALSO:
-- 'The Burning Wire' (Simon & Schuster, 2009, $14.00) NF/F. Signed, Wrinkling at bottom edge of spine.
-- 'Edge' (Simon & Schuster, 2010, $26.99) As New. Signed. |
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PAUL DOIRON - Trespasser
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 (Minotaur, $24.99).
In this follow-up to Doiron's Edgar Award-nominated novel, The Poacher's Son, Maine game warden Mike Bowditch's quest to find a missing woman leads him through a forest of lies in search of a killer who may have gotten away with murder once before. Booklist starred: ""Doiron delivers another perfectly plotted mystery peopled with multidimensional characters, but, in addition, his writing has matured. His descriptions of Maine's midcoast are incredibly evocative of the sights, sounds, and smells of early spring, and the heart-pounding account of Mike's fourwheeling chase through the woods is a masterpiece of high-octane narrative. Suggest this series to fans of C. J. Box and Nevada Barr." A starred review also from 'Library Journal': "Doiron serves up a tense thriller that stars a memorable main character and brings the rugged Maine landscape vividly to life." |
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KEITH DONOHUE - Centuries of June
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 (Crown, $24.00).
"A tour de force in its mastery of styles, the book also has moments of high silliness -- though toward the end Donohue weaves the threads of plot together in a surprising and affecting way," said Kirkus. And Library Journal praised: "A man's late-night visit to the bathroom results in a fall, opening a hole in his head through which a parade of women from his past lives enter one by one. Each woman bears a grievous anger toward the narrator, who, in the course of their relationship, deserted or destroyed her. Centuries of American history are viewed through these relationships, and each chapter of his previous lives is beautifully reported in the prose of the day. . . . Donohue's tour de force blends aspects of time travel and reincarnation genres into a witty whole. With a touch of David Mitchell and Audrey Niffenegger, but a witty style uniquely the author's own, . . ., is a pleasure to read." |
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JANET EVANOVICH - Smokin' Seventeen
|  (Bantam, $28.00).
Dead bodies are showing up in shallow graves on the empty construction lot of Vincent Plum Bail Bonds. No one is sure who the killer is, or why the victims have been offed, but what is clear is that Stephanie's name is on the killer's list. Short on time to find evidence proving the killer's identity, Stephanie faces further complications when her family and friends decide that it's time for her to choose between her longtime off-again-on-again boyfriend, Trenton cop Joe Morelli, and the bad boy in her life, security expert Ranger. Stephanie's mom is encouraging Stephanie to dump them both and choose a former high school football star who's just returned to town.
ALSO:
-- 'Four to Score' (St. Martin's, 1998, $29.00) F/F. Signed and inscribed "To Kay, sally forth!"
-- 'Plum Lucky (St. Martin's, 2008, $6.00) F/F.
-- 'Visions of Sugar Plums' (St. Martin's, 2002, $5.00) F/F.
-- 'Wicked Appetite' (St. Martin's, 2010, $27.99) As New. Signed.
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JOSEPH FINDER - Buried Secrets
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 (St. Martin's, $25.99).
"Bestseller Finder's compulsively readable sequel to Vanished opens fast and never slows down. When 17-year-old Alexa Marcus, the spoiled daughter of Marshall Marcus, a wildly successful money manager, is kidnapped from a Boston club and buried alive in a coffin equipped with an air hose and a video camera (for Internet streaming, of course!), Marshall asks his old intelligence expert friend, Nick Heller, to find her. . . . A number of characters from 'Vanished,'. . . lend support. Self-effacing, wry, and ridiculously competent, Heller makes a reasonably engaging protagonist, but this thriller's real star is the suspenseful, expertly paced plot," said PW. |
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EVA GABRIELSSON - There Are Things I Want You To Know..
|  (Seven Stories Press, $23.95).
PW starred: "In this candid, moving work, Gabrielsson chronicles her life's journey with her longtime companion, Stieg Larsson, the Swedish creator of the Millennium trilogy who died suddenly at age 50, in 2004, before the first volume of his phenomenally successful work (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, in English) was even published. Gabrielsson tells that she had little legal recourse in Sweden to claim his literary and intellectual property even though the childless couple had lived together in Stockholm for 30 years and shared passions for science fiction and political activism; . . . . The rights to Larsson's literary trilogy fell posthumously to his father and brother, who shut Gabrielsson out. . . . Gabrielsson, evidently [is] the person who understood him as few did, warmly, lovingly depicts in this spirited defense of their relationship." |
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TESS GERRITSEN - The Silent Girl
|  (Ballantine, $26.00).
"In Gerritsen's gripping ninth Rizzoli & Isles novel (after Ice Cold), a severed hand found on a Chinatown street leads Det. Jane Rizzoli, Boston PD, to a rooftop, where she discovers a female body with a slit throat and without a hand. About the only clues to the Jane Doe's identity are silvery hairs on the victim's clothes that may not be human. Rizzoli and her team uncover a link to a 19-year-old murder/suicide case, . . . . Meanwhile, in a strange coincidence, two missing girls turn out to be related to victims of the Red Phoenix massacre. Medical examiner Maura Isles plays a supporting role, though both women deal with personal and family issues that reveal their humanity and lend credibility to this deft thriller," said PW.
ALSO:
-- 'The Keepsake' (Ballantine, 2008, $11.00) Second printing. Signed. F/F. |
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SARA GRAN - Claire DeWitt & The City of the Dead
|  (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $24.00).
"In this captivating first in a projected series from Gran (Dope), PI Claire DeWitt comes to New Orleans to help a client, Leon Salvatore, find his ADA uncle, Vic Willing, who went missing at the time of Hurricane Katrina. Claire relies often on the 'maddening... notoriously difficult' Détection by legendary French detective Jacques Silette . . . .The haunting atmosphere of post-Katrina New Orleans lingers long after the revelation of Vic's fate," said PW. And Library Journal concluded: "This is not to be missed -- Claire is a moody, hip, and meticulous investigator. Gran builds an addictive sense of anticipation with a fantastical frame. Alternately gritty and dreamy,. . . " |
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STEVE HAMILTON - Misery Bay
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 (Minotaur, $24.99).
PW starred, calling the Edgar-winner's eighth in series "superb . . . PI Alex McKnight looks into the murders of three young people, all made to look like suicides. McKnight, a retired Detroit cop who lives quietly in rural Paradise, Mich., receives an unexpected visit from Sault Ste. Marie police chief Roy Maven, his professional nemesis. . . The stark frozen landscape of Lake Superior is beautifully drawn as are the characters of McKnight and Maven, who develop an unlikely bond. Assured prose, a thrilling plot, and a surprising, satisfying conclusion make this a winner." And George Pelecanos said: "Hamilton writes tough, passionate novels. . . This is crime writing at its very best." |
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JOHN HART - Iron House
|  (Thomas Dunne, $25.99).
Booklist starred, calling it "An unforgettable novel from a master of popular fiction." And PW also starred: "This rich, impressive contemporary thriller from two-time Edgar-winner Hart ('The Last Child') focuses on two brothers, Michael and Julian, both raised and abused at the Iron House of the title, an orphanage in the mountains of North Carolina. . . . [The book's] powerful themes and its beautiful prose will delight Hart's fans -- and should earn him many new ones." |
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J.A. JANCE - Betrayal of Trust
|  (Wm. Morrow, $25.99).
PW starred: "In Jance's solid if a tad sentimental 20th J.P. Beamont novel (after Fire and Ice), the creaky-kneed Seattle detective and his third wife, Mel, both working for the Washington attorney general's unfortunately acronymed Special Homicide Investigation Team, have to probe a potentially explosive scandal: . . . . Jance's denunciation of adolescent bullying and adult hypocrisy rings true, a testimony to the fundamental decency of cops like Beau and Mel who walk the mean streets the rest of their society would rather not explore except in fiction." |
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ALICE LAPLANTE - Turn Of Mind
|  (Atlantic Monthly, $24.00).
A stunning first novel, both literary and thriller, about a retired orthopedic surgeon with dementia. Booklist starred: "Haunting . . . [A] startling portrait of a fiercely intelligent woman struggling mightily to hold on to her sense of self. . . . This masterfully written debut is fascinating on so many levels, from its poignant and inventive depiction of a harrowing illness to its knowing portrayal of the dark complexities of friendship and marriage." Library Journal also starred: "Heartbreaking and stunning, this is both compelling and painful to read." And PW also starred, calling it "Impressive . . . A subtle literary novel." |
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ERIK LARSON - In The Garden of Beasts
|  (Crown, $26.00).
"[Larson's] best and most enthralling work of novelistic history. . . there has been nothing quite like Mr. Larson's story of the four Dodds, characters straight out of a 1930s family drama, transporting their shortcomings to a new world full of nasty surprises. . . The Dodds' story is rich with incident, populated by fascinating secondary characters, tinged with rising peril and pityingly persuasive about the futility of Dodd's mission," said Janet Maslin in the New York Times. And PW starred: "In this mesmerizing portrait of the Nazi capital, Larson plumbs a far more diabolical urban cauldron than in his bestselling The Devil in the White City . . . a vivid, atmospheric panorama of the Third Reich and its leaders, including murderous Nazi factional infighting, through the accretion of small crimes and petty thuggery." |
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SOPHIE LITTLEFIELD A Bad Day For Scandal
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 (Minotaur, $24.99).
When Prosper homegirl turned big-city businesswoman Priss Porter returns to town with a body in her trunk, she calls Stella Hardesty to dispose of it. Her uppity ways don't convince Stella to take the job, and Priss attempts to blackmail her with a snapshot of Stella doing what she does best: curing woman-beaters by the use of force. PW said: "Littlefield's eccentric cast of characters grows richer with each book, and Stella continues to dazzle with her wit, charm, and ease with firearms." 'Booklist' concurred: "Fiftyish Stella . . . continues to carry the day, as always, in this sassy mix of comedy and mystery." And Library Journal as well: "Littlefield's zesty dialog and astute observations make this irreverent third series entry (after A Bad Day for Sorry and A Bad Day for Pretty) fly by. The zaniness evokes Janet Evanovich or Harley Jane Kozak; . . ."
ALSO, buy the new one plus any of the following and get 10% off!:
-- 'Aftertime' (Luna, 2011, $14.95) As New. Signed. TPBO.
-- 'A Bad Day For Pretty' (Minotaur, 2010, $24.99) As New. Signed.
-- 'Banished' (Delacorte, 2010, $16.99) As New. Signed. |
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BILL LOEHFELM - The Devil She Knows
|  (FSG, $26.00).
PW starred: "a terrific drama. . . Loehfelm expertly ramps up the suspense, taking the reader on a dark ride . . . " And Booklist also starred: "Character drives this follow-up to Loehfelm's fine Bloodroot (2009); the deeply conflicted Maureen, in particular, is brilliantly developed -- as compelling a character as this reviewer expects to see this year. . . . a must for crime-fiction lovers." |
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PETER LOVESEY - Stagestruck
|  (Soho Crime, $25.00).
"At the start of Lovesey's superb 11th mystery featuring Det. Supt. Peter Diamond, pop singer turned actress Clarion Calhoun collapses on stage at Bath's Theatre Royal, the victim of some chemical preparation that disfigures her face. . . After the clever reveal of the main criminal, many readers will go back to the beginning to see how artfully a major clue was planted. Once again, Lovesey proves he has few peers as a crafter of contemporary fair-play whodunits," said PW. CWA's Silver, Gold and Diamond Daggers, along with numerous US honors.
ALSO, buy the new one plus the following and get 10% off!:
-- 'Skeleton Hill' (Soho Press, 2009, $24.00) As New. Signed. |
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PAUL MALMONT - The Astounding, The Amazing, and The Unknown
|  (Simon & Schuster, $26.00).
"Delightful . . . Madcap . . . It's so much fun that it virtually defines what light fiction should be." said Library Journal in its starred review. And PW said: "A wild trip . . . Malmont lovingly embraces the fact-fiction synthesis employed by the writers he brings to life . . . Fans of the original pulps will surely enjoy the ride." In 1943, when the United States learns that Germany is on the verge of a deadly innovation that could tip the balance of the war, the government turns to an unlikely source for help: the nation's top science fiction writers. Installed at a covert military lab within the Philadelphia Naval Yard are the most brilliant of these young visionaries. The unruly band is led by Robert Heinlein, the dashing and complicated master of the genre. |
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BETH MCMULLEN - Original Sin
|  (Hyperion, $24.99).
"Retired spy Lucy Hamilton, currently a San Francisco stay-at-home mom, proves herself to be 'a fabulous multitasker,' capable of both playing cowboys with her three-year-old son and tangling with international terrorists, in McMullen's diverting debut. When Simon Still, her former boss at the United States Agency for Weapons of Mass Destruction, calls Lucy back to active duty, Lucy is trying hard to forget a career that her husband knows nothing about and succeeding -- except when she slips up and accidentally decks her yoga instructor or Simon's assignment stirs long-buried memories. . . . What no one anticipates is the fury of a mother's protective instinct in this promising light thriller," said PW. |
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KEN MERCER - East On Sunset
|  (Minotaur, $25.99).
Publishers Weekly starred: "Former narcotics detective Will Magowan, who was fired from the LAPD for substance abuse, has a lot to be happy about in Mercer's stellar follow-up to 'Slow Fire' (2010). Besides getting back together with his wife, Laurie, and having a baby on the way, baseball fan Will has a new job as a security guard for the L.A. Dodgers. Meanwhile, Erik Crandall, who was put behind bars five years earlier after a drug bust, is now free and seeking payback -- from Will. . . . Mercer masterfully ratchets up the suspense as the flawed, fully human Will strives to clear his name and protect his family at any cost." |
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BILL MOODY - Fade to Blue
|  (Poisoned Pen, $24.95).
Jazz pianist Evan Horne, settled into the San Francisco jazz scene, takes a gig in Los Angeles, where he's offered his most unusual job yet. Mega movie star Ryan Stiles hires Evan to teach him to look like he's playing piano for an upcoming film role. Evan stays at Stiles' lush Malibu home for the tutoring, but suddenly things go wrong with the arrogant, spoiled star. Stiles' adversarial relationship with the paparazzi explodes when a photographers is killed. Was it an accident or is Stiles himself a suspect? Evan wants out, but Stiles' manager dangles the opportunity for Evan to score the film if he stays. With help from his FBI girlfriend, Andie Lawrence, and Lt. Danny Cooper, Evan launches his own investigation to help clear Stiles. To further complicate things, Evan's old nemesis, serial killer Gillian Sims escapes from prison. |
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JO NESBO - The Snowman
|  (Knopf, $25.95).
"In this chilling installment in Nesbø's Insp. Harry Hole crime series (The Devil's Star, etc.), a snowman left in the front yard of Birte Becker's Oslo house is the only clue to the woman's disappearance. Nesbø breathes new life into the serial killer subgenre, giving it a Norwegian twist and never losing his laconic hero in the process," said PW. And Library Journal concluded: "Nesbø is being hailed as the next Stieg Larsson or Henning Mankell; this work is being compared to Peter Høeg's Smilla's Sense of Snow, among others. Apt comparisons, but they don't go far enough. This is simply the best detective novel this reviewer has read in years." Jo Nesbø is a musician, songwriter, economist, and author. His previous Harry Hole novels include The Redbreast, Nemesis, and The Devil's Star. His books, translated into forty languages, have sold more than six million copies worldwide, and he has received the Glass Key Award for best Nordic crime novel (previously awarded to Stieg Larsson and Henning Mankell). |
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BOBBIE O'KEEFE - Family Skeletons
|  (Five Star, $25.95).
"Preparing her family home for sale, a San Francisco realtor faces painful old memories and surprising new opportunities. Sunny Corday's life hasn't always lived up to the promise of her nickname. After her father left and tried to disown her, then disappeared, the angry teenager turned to pills for comfort. Her strong-willed mother Roberta managed to get her first marriage annulled; Sunny was only 16 and her 18-year-old husband was as drug-addled as she. Even rehab didn't help much. . . O'Keefe (Second Thoughts, 2009) straddles the fence nicely between mystery and romance, keeping the relationship in the forefront but incorporating a genuine puzzle," said Kirkus. |
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PERRI O'SHAUGHNESSY - Dreams of the Dead
|  (Gallery, $25.00).
"O'Shaughnessy's suspenseful 13th Nina Reilly novel revisits one of the most painful episodes in the Lake Tahoe attorney's life. Philip Strong arrives one day at Nina's office with some disturbing news related to his son Jim. Two years earlier, Jim murdered his wife after finding out that she had had an affair with Philip; Jim also killed Nina's husband, then vanished and was believed dead. . . . Two brutal murders possibly related to the Strong family up the ante. This solid page-turner packs more than one surprise," said PW. Perri O'Shaughnessy is the pen name for two sisters, Pamela and Mary O'Shaughnessy. Together they have written twelve Nina Reilly legal thrillers, a stand-alone thriller, and one short story collection. |
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THOMAS PERRY - The Informant
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 (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $27.00)
PW starred: "Edgar-winner Perry's excellent third Butcher's Boy novel (after 'Sleeping Dogs') pits the Butcher's Boy (aka Michael Schaeffer), an impeccably effective hit man, against his old nemesis, Elizabeth Waring, an impeccably honest Justice Department official.... Perry offers a compelling, rapid-fire plot, credible Mafia and FBI secondary characters, an indictment of self-serving officialdom, and the old soul-shattering moral dilemma: what is truth?" And Kirkus also starred: "Beneath the sky-high body count, the twisty plot is powered by Perry's relentless focus on the question of where the next threat is coming from and how to survive it."
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TONY PIAZZA - Anything Short of Murder
|  (Dog Ear, $14.99).
Trade Paperback Original. Logan was a former L.A.P.D. cop unceremoniously discharged from the force because of his honesty. A bootlegger had tossed him some money to look the other way, and in response he tossed the criminal. Logan was a hardboiled, two-fisted, no nonsense kind of guy that would rather take it on the chin than get his hands dirty with tainted mob money. Ousted from the force, he decides to set up his own business as a gumshoe in a town known for glitter, glamour, and girls. |
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BILL PRONZINI - Camouflage
|  (Forge, $24.99).
Nameless may not like David Virden, but the case is simple enough: find his ex-wife -- and they know where she is. Deliver some papers to her and it's all done. But she refuses the papers, sends a message to Virden to never contact her again, and slams the door. His colleague, Tamara, tells Nameless that Virden threatens to sue, stops payment on his checks, and claims that the woman they located isn't his wife. Then he disappears and his fiancée hires Nameless to find out why. Clearly, someone is trying to make Nameless the monkey in the middle.
ALSO:
-- 'Problems Solved' (Crippen & Landrau, 2003, $25.00) As New. Overprint. Limited Edition. Signed. With pamphlet inserted "Do I Dare To Eat A Peach?"
-- 'Burgade's Crossing' (Five Star, 2003, $47.00) As New. Signed. |
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JOSH RITTER - Bright's Passage
|  (Dial Press, $22.00).
"War is hell, and so is Henry Bright's homecoming from the trenches of WWI in songwriter Ritter's appropriately lyrical debut. Bright is a half-shattered veteran whose ordeal in combat continues with the death of his young wife in childbirth. Spurred on by an angel who speaks to him through his livestock, Henry torches the cabin where his wife died, using the family Bible to spark the blaze. Soon, the angel tells Henry his infant son is the Future King of Heaven, a replacement for the one 'who has soaked the world in blood.' Henry's desolation is believably crushing, sometimes darkly funny, and rendered with a lyricist's delicacy: against the backdrop of the forest fire sparked by the cabin's blaze, Henry, the child, horse, and a goat make their way to town, dodging his wife's psychotic family, who blame him for her death. . . " said PW. |
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MICHAEL ROBERTSON - The Brothers of Baker Street
|  (Minotaur, $24.99)
S&S II for June. Booklist starred: "Sherlock Holmes isn't back, but Dr. Moriarty is, sort of, in this delightful romp that offers more tension and suspense than a dozen fat thrillers with bloody knives on the cover. It still manages to be funny, rather in the Kingsley Amis manner. Set in modern London, . . . .[with] two failing lawyers. Their offices are on the 200 block of Baker Street, and their lease requires that they answer all mail addressed to Sherlock Holmes. Naturally, that leads to the occasional spot of sleuthing. . . . For anglophiles, crime-o-philes, and all fans of wonderful writing." And PW also starred: "Set in 1997, Robertson's second mystery featuring barrister Reggie Heath, whose chambers are located at Sherlock Holmes's legendary address, offers pacing, prose, and plotting at a level far above that of its predecessor, 2009's The Baker Street Letters... An extremely clever evil scheme will delight readers." |
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JAMES ROLLINS - The Devil Colony
|  (Wm. Morrow, $27.99).
The recent volcanic eruption in southern Iceland is eerily similar to a major plot point in Rollins' new thriller, which touches on the truth behind diverse and seemingly unconnected events. "A secret from the past threatens to destroy the modern world in bestseller Rollins's riveting seventh Sigma Force novel. . . . When the members of the special forces unit known as Sigma, led by Painter Crowe, investigate, they uncover a massive conspiracy that has its roots in Mormonism, Native American legends, Thomas Jefferson, and explorer Meriwether Lewis, to name just a few of the fascinating characters and scientific threads that stitch this intricate action thriller together. Rollins gets better with each book, and his position at the top of this particular subgenre remains unshaken," said PW. And Lee Child said: "Terrible secrets, the sweep of history, an epic canvas, breathless action. . . nobody -- and I mean nobody -- does this stuff better than Rollins."
ALSO:
-- 'Jake Ransom & the Howling Sphinx' (Harper, $16.99). As New. Signed. |
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ADAM ROSS - Ladies & Gentlemen
|  (Knopf, $25.95).
After his widely celebrated debut, Mr. Peanut, Adam Ross now presents a darkly compelling collection of stories about brothers, loners, lovers, and lives full of good intentions, misunderstandings, and obscured motives. And when two college kids goad each other on in an escalating series of breathtaking dares, the outcome is as tragic as it is ambiguous. Laced with glimmers of redemption, youthful energy, and hard-won wisdom, these noirish stories unspool purposefully and fluidly; together they confirm the arrival of -- as Michiko Kakutani put it in The New York Times -- "an enormously talented writer." |
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JOHN SCALZI - Fuzzy Nation
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 (Tor, $24.99).
"In this gripping estate-authorized reboot of H. Beam Piper's Hugo-nominated 1962 classic Little Fuzzy, Scalzi (Old Man's War) changes the hero from a grandfatherly miner to a handsome hunk and updates the plot with new events while retaining the prescient focus on ecological concerns. . . . A perfectly executed plot clicks its way to a stunning courtroom showdown in a cathartic finish that will thrill Fuzzy fans old and new," said PW. John Scalzi is a prolific journalist, columnist, and non-fiction writer whose books include The Rough Guide to the Universe and The Book of the Dumb. His web journal The Whatever is one of the longest-established and most widely-read weblogs on the net. |
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LISA SEE - Dreams of Joy
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 (Random House, $26.00).
"This is the eagerly anticipated sequel to See's Shanghai Girls, and what a sequel it is! Continuing the story of Pearl and May Chin, who escaped the Japanese invasion of China during the 1930s, the novel centers on Joy, the daughter that both women have raised, one as aunt, one as mother. . . . Readers of historical fiction will appreciate the authentic details that See weaves into her novel. You don't have to read Shanghai Girls to love this book, but if you have, this sequel will make you want to reread its predecessor," said Library Journal. And PW concluded: "As always, See creates an immersive atmosphere -- her rural China is far from postcard pretty -- but Joy's education is a stellar example of finding new life in a familiar setup, and See's many readers will be pleased to see the continued development of Pearl and May's relationship." |
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CHEVY STEVENS - Never Knowing
|  (St. Martin's, $24.99).
Stevens's unnerving stand-alone thriller about a woman's search for her birth parents matches the intensity of her impressive debut, Still Missing. Growing up on Vancouver Island, Sara Gallagher felt emotionally detached from her adoptive family. Now 33, Sara finally locates her birth mother, university professor Julia Laroche, but is devastated when Julia wants nothing to do with her. Sara learns that she was conceived when her birth mother was attacked by the Campsite Killer, a serial killer responsible for a 40-year reign of terror, who has never been caught. . . . Stevens chillingly portrays a woman searching for her identity who's not just horrified by the results but fearful she or her child has inherited violent tendencies. . . . the skillful storytelling never flags," said PW. |
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J. COURTNEY SULLIVAN - Maine
| ( Knopf, $25.95).
"Everyone has dark secrets. It's why God invented confession and booze, two balms frequently employed in Sullivan's well-wrought sophomore effort. Alice Brennan is Irish American through and through, the daughter of a cop, a good Catholic girl so outwardly pure that she's a candidate for the papacy. . . . As Sullivan's tale unfolds, there are plenty of reasons that Alice might wish to avoid taking too close a look at her life: There's tragedy and heartbreak around every corner, as there is in every life. . . . Mature, thoughtful, even meditative at times -- but also quite entertaining," said Kirkus. And Library Journal praised: "At the heart of this compelling novel of three generations of women emotionally stunted by fate and willful stubbornness is the family vacation property in Cape Neddick, ME, where the Kellehers have convened for six decades. . . . Sullivan brilliantly lays out the case for the nearly futile task of these three generations of badly damaged Irish Catholic women seeking acceptance from one another." |
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DUANE SWIERCZYNSKI - Fun & Games
|  (Mulholland, $14.95 trade paperback original).
The first of three explosive pulp thrillers arriving back-to-back from cult crime fiction sensation and Marvel Comics scribe Duane Swierczynski. Charlie Hardie, an ex-cop still reeling from the revenge killing of his former partner's entire family, fears one thing above all else: that he'll suffer the same fate. In her New York Times crime column, Marilyn Stasio said: "The premise may be absurd, but it's good enough to propel the breathless action scenes that make Swierczynski's cinematic novels so much fun to read . . ." |
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STEVE ULFELDER - Purgatory Chasm
| ( Minotaur, $23.99).
"Ulfelder couples precise, evocative prose with an original private investigator in his compelling hard-boiled debut. . . . Ulfelder smoothly navigates the many plot twists, and effortlessly introduces wrinkles in his protagonist's backstory that enhance the character. Fans of Michael Koryta's PI crime novels will find a lot to like," said 'PW.' And 'Library Journal' also praised: "Conway Sax is a former race car driver who lost everything because of his alcohol addiction. . . . This outstanding debut by a former journalist and racing enthusiast is gritty and fast-paced, with an intriguing plot and believable characters. Ulfelder has introduced a solid new protagonist, and the many race car anecdotes add to the novel's allure. It will appeal strongly to readers of Loren D. Estleman and Ross MacDonald and those who enjoy hard-boiled detective mysteries." |
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S.J. WATSON - Before I Go To Sleep
|  (Harper, $25.99).
Three starred reviews, starting with Kirkus: ""Watson's debut novel unwinds as a story that is both complicated and compellingly hypnotic. . . . Watson's pitch-perfect writing propels the story to a frenzied climax that will haunt readers long after they've closed the cover on this remarkable book." From Booklist: "This mesmerizing, skillfully written debut novel works on multiple levels. It is both an affecting portrait of the profound impact of a debilitating illness and a pulse-pounding thriller whose outcome no one could predict." And PW called it a ". . . haunting, twisted debut. . . . Watson handles what could have turned into a cheap narrative gimmick brilliantly, building to a chillingly unexpected climax."
ALSO:
-- 'Before I Go To Sleep' (Doubleday UK, $39.00) As New. Not Signed.
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MICHAEL WILEY - A Bad Night's Sleep
|  (Minotaur, $24.99).
"Fans of gritty PI novels will relish Shamus-finalist Wiley's third mystery featuring Chicago detective Joe Kozmarski (after 2010's The Bad Kitty Lounge). Early one morning, while staked out at a construction site to prevent thefts of building materials and equipment, Kozmarski spots two uniformed patrolmen pull up in a police cruiser. When he observes the cops helping a gang that arrives soon after make off with spools of copper wire, the gumshoe calls 911. Four squad cars pull up within minutes, and a firefight erupts. One of the resulting deaths puts Kozmarski, a former cop who was cashiered from the force in disgrace, in a difficult position. His only way out of the mess involves him infiltrating a wide-ranging conspiracy. Kozmarski, a well-developed flawed hero, would be right at home in a Chandler or Hammett novel. The relentless pacing makes the pages fly by, and the hard-edged prose is bracing," said PW. |
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