  This Week at "M"
86 East Third Ave., San Mateo, CA 94401 Phone: 650-401-8077
OR Toll Free outside Bay Area: 888-405-8077
August 22nd, 2011 |
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Store Hours! MONDAY - SATURDAY 10:30 AM to 6:00 PM SUNDAY 12 Noon to 6:00 PM
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| Greetings! |
EVENTS: Friday evening meet MAX ALLAN COLLINS and BARBARA ALLAN. This husband-and-wife event features the diverse worlds of the acclaimed new Chicago PI Nate Heller mystery, and the latest clever entry in the antique-business sleuthing series, to round out August events. And, NEW: the blurbs for September events (below), off to a flying start after Labor Day, with a noon-time Laurie King event!
"M" ON THE WEB: Last week we announced a recently acquired large collection of first editions (many signed, including a number of series in depth). Since then, listings added include such top authors as James Lee Burke, C.J. Box, Nevada Barr, and many more! So be sure to check out www.MforMystery.com and scroll down to the Catalogs, where ALL titles have a convenient shopping cart option.
. . . AND IN STORE: check out the newly-added 100+ titles in our Used mass market section -- including some hard-to-finds (Bill Fitzhugh and Dashiell Hammett) and some early series titles by Carl Hiaasen and Julie Smith.
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How to Order
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3 WAYS TO PLACE AN ORDER: BY PHONE: (650) 401-8077 or (888) 405-8077 toll free outside Bay Area EMAIL: info@mformystery.com USE the SHOPPING CART feature with PayPal!
PLEASE NOTE: All hardcovers are shipped with Brodart mylar covers to protect the integrity of the dust jacket. All packages are shipped with bubble wrap to secure the book(s) during transport to insure quality every time! COMPLETE SHIPPING INFO IS AT END OF NEWSLETTER.
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 Upcoming Author Events
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REMEMBER . . . It is never too soon to reserve your copy of ANY forthcoming book, whether the author is signing in-store or otherwise. These first editions, especially once signed, are limited in quantity. Orders may be placed by email (info@mformystery.com) any time, or telephone (650-401-8077) during store hours.
All events are free and open to the public. To be in the signing line you must buy the new book from us.
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Wed., Aug. 24th DROP BY: LEV GROSSMAN
|  The Magician King (Viking, $26.95).
"Now a king in the magical land of Fillory, Quentin embarks on a quest to save the universe in Grossman's searing sequel to The Magicians (2009, etc.). It's been two years since Quentin assumed one of Fillory's four crowns along with Eliot and Janet, fellow graduates of the Brakebills College for Magical Pedagogy, and Quentin's high-school friend Julia, a Brakebills reject who managed to acquire magical powers on her own. . . . Echoes from The Chronicles of Narnia, in particular The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, continue to reverberate, but Grossman's psychologically complex characters and grim reckoning with tragic sacrifice far surpass anything in C.S. Lewis' pat Christian allegory," said Kirkus. Lev Grossman is a senior writer and book critic for Time magazine. He is also the author of the international bestselling novel Codex, the creator of the Time blog Techland, and a graduate of Harvard and Yale.
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Fri., Aug. 26th at 7:00 PM: MAX ALLAN COLLINS and BARBARA ALLAN
|  Bye Bye, Baby (Forge Books, $24.99).
"Set in 1962, Collins's excellent 13th novel featuring Chicago PI Nate Heller (last seen in 2002's Chicago Confidential) finds Heller . . . looking into the death of Hollywood icon Marilyn Monroe. The book's first half covers the movie star's last two months. . . . By the time a drug overdose claims her, there's no shortage of people who wanted her dead. Heller, Monroe's sometime lover, who refuses to buy the official line that she committed suicide, steps on powerful toes with his usual tenacity and stubbornness to reach the truth. Collins convincingly portrays the real-life players in the drama, who include Jimmy Hoffa and Frank Sinatra. Readers with a taste for hard-boiled romance will hope that more Heller is in the offing," offered PW.
ALSO:
--  'Kiss Her Goodbye' (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $25.00) As New. Signed.
 BARBARA ALLAN - Antiques Knock-Off (Kensington, $22.00).
"When blackmailer Connie Grimes is found stabbed to death, antiques dealer Brandy Borne's mom becomes the primary suspect. . . But is Vivian protecting someone else? With her pet shih tzu, Brandy investigates. This fifth cozy series entry (after Antiques Bizarre) displays the versatility of husband and wife Max Allan Collins and Barbara Collins. Scenes of Midwestern small-town life, informative tidbits about the antiques business, and clever dialog make this essential for those who like unusual amateur sleuths," said Library Journal.
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Tues., August 30th at 7:00 PM: "M" is for Mystery Bookclub
| This m onth's book is The Lock Artist by Steve Hamilton.
Join us every last Tuesday of the month for lively discussion about selected books! Please note: This is not an author event and the author will not be present.
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Wed., Sept. 7th at NOON: LAURIE R. KING
|  The Pirate King (Random House, $25.00).
Booklist starred: "Brilliant and beautifully complex. . . . This one's tangled web includes some very high comedy from Gilbert and Sullivan, pirates, and early moviemaking. . . . Her descriptions of locale are voluptuous, and her continued delineation of the relationship of Russell and Holmes exquisitely portrays the eroticism of intellectual give-and-take." And Library Journal concluded: "In the latest volume of Mary Russell's memoirs (after God of the Hive), Sherlock Holmes's young wife is sent to Lisbon by Scotland Yard. . . . Her mission: investigate possible criminal activities of the Fflytte Film Company and the whereabouts of the studio's one-time secretary. Mary's strong personality and wit, on which fans of the series have come to rely, serve her well. . . . while her crime-solving collaboration with Holmes, as always, gives readers a taste of their sharp intellect and clever deductions."
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Wed., Sept. 7th at 7:00 PM: DOUBLE AUTHOR EVENT!
|  ELLEN CROSBY - The Sauvignon Secret (Simon & Schuster, $24.00).
"In Crosby's solid sixth wine country mystery (after 2010's Viognier Vendetta), the apparent suicide of Paul Noble, a wine importer and distributor with lots of enemies, takes Virginia vineyard owner Lucie Montgomery to the vineyards of California's Napa and Sonoma valleys in search of answers. . . . wine aficionados and those fond of the San Francisco Bay Area will be well rewarded," said PW.
ALSO:
-- 'Viognier Vendetta' (Simon $ Schuster, $24.00) As New. Signed.
 DENISE HAMILTON - Damage Control (Simon & Schuster, $27.00).
"In this excellent stand-alone from Hamilton (The Last Embrace), 33-year-old Maggie Silver works for 'the top crisis management firm in L.A.,' which represents movie stars and famous athletes and makes sure the client's version of a story gets told every time. . . . The suspenseful denouement should please Hamilton fans," said PW. And Library Journal praised: "Her characters are believable, her plots draw on conflicts of class and identity, and her portrayal of the less-than-glamorous side of Southern California is compelling. Highly recommended."
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Thurs., Sept. 8th DROP BY: GEORGE PELECANOS
|  The Cut (Reagan Arthur, $25.99).
Booklist's Bill Ott starred: "Pelecanos' last few stand-alone novels have been more about working-class lives in Washington, D.C., than about the crime and criminals that so often surround those lives. This time, though, he's back in the wheelhouse of his early work, with the first novel in what will be a series about Spero Lucas, an Iraqi War vet and a young man with appetites, who has carved for himself a Travis McGee-like career of recovering stolen property, from which he takes a 40 percent cut. . . . Familar and right for Spero and also for Pelecanos' fans." From PW: "Pelecanos's excellent first in a new crime series introduces Spero Lucas, a 29-year-old Iraq War vet who does investigative work for a Washington, D.C., defense attorney. . . . Both vital and timely, this remarkable novel also connects D.C.'s past and present as only Pelecanos does. Readers will want to see a lot more of Lucas."
We also have signed first editions of 10 earlier books by Pelecanos.
For a listing of previous works please visit our catalog by clicking here!
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Thurs., Sept. 8th at 7:00 PM: CHERYL CRANE
|  The Bad Always Die Twice (Kensington, $25.00).
"Crane, the daughter of movie icon Lana Turner, makes her promising fiction debut with the first in a new series featuring Hollywood realtor Nikki Harper. When the corpse of 1950s TV star Rex March turns up in the bed of Nikki's promiscuous real estate partner. . . the discovery is a double shock as Rex apparently died in a plane crash six months earlier. . . . An amusing and ingenious finale wraps up this good-humored mystery," said PW. And James Ellroy praised: ''Cheryl Crane has written a superb mystery: rich in milieu, deep in plot twists, constant in the exercise of suspense and surprise. This book is a veritable primer on why people read and love crime fiction.''
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Sat., 10th from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM: visit "M" booth at 36th Annual Fall Garden Tour
|  Visit "M" booth at 36th Annual Fall Garden Tour (full details TBA); general info at: San Mateo Arboretum Society Website
This is the San Mateo Arboretum's 36th Annual Fall Garden Tour. Proceeds from this event help fund the gardens in San Mateo Central Park. |
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Tues., Sept. 13th at 7:00 PM: KELLI STANLEY
|  City of Secrets (St. Martin's, $24.99).
"Welcome back captivating and tough-talking PI Miranda Corbie (City of Dragons), who's determined to find out who killed stage performer Pandora Blake and defiled her body with an anti-Semitic epithet. . . . Most notably, Stanley brings 1940s San Francisco to life with her meticulously detailed, hard-boiled novel. She transports us to a world on the eve of massive change. It's neo-noir in a classical five-act structure, starring one of crime's most arresting heroines: angry, big-hearted, and fearless Miranda Corbie," said Library Journal. And PW praised: "In best pulp fiction style, suspects lounge about with slick hair and cheap suits, blondes are chain-smoking broads, and the nightclubs are smoky and languid."
ALSO:
-- 'City of Dragons' (Minotaur, 2010, $24.99) As New. Signed.
-- 'Curse Maker' (Minotaur, $24.99) As New. Signed.
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Wed., Sept. 14th at 7:00 PM: RHYS BOWEN
|  Naughty in Nice (Penguin, $25.95).
"Don't miss a trip to the French Riviera when Lady Georgiana (Royal Blood) is sent by the Queen on a new secret mission. Add a dash of Coco Chanel and a murder or two -- how can you pass up the fifth treat in this delectable series?," said Library Journal. And PW praised: "Fans of Peter Lovesey's hilarious books transforming the future Edward VII into an unlikely sleuth will relish Bowen's whimsical fifth Royal Spyness mystery starring Lady Georgiana Rannoch, 34th in line to the British throne. In 1933, the destitute Rannoch, who's been helping out at a London soup kitchen, welcomes the chance to escape to the French Riviera after the queen offers to finance her trip there to recover a snuff box stolen by an odious bounder, the aptly named Sir Toby Groper. . . . Bowen successfully melds a whodunit with comedy as few contemporary writers can."
ALSO:
-- 'Bless the Bride' (Minotaur, $24.99) As New. Signed.
-- 'Royal Flush' (Berkley, 2009, $24.95) As New. Signed.
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Sat., Sept. 17th at 2:00 PM: ERIN MORGENSTERN
|  The Night Circus (Knopf, $26.95).
Booklist starred: "This big and no, not bulky compelling first novel ushers in a menacing tone with its first sentence: The circus arrives without warning. Why would a circus arrive so quietly in town, and why would anyone need warning about this particular one? The time span here is 30 years, from 1873 to 1903, and the settings range from America to Europe. To a famous magician is delivered a little girl who. . . is possessed of magical powers. As it also happens, this magician has an archrival, who. . . seeks a young person for him to train to rival her. . . . How will their destiny play out?" And Library Journal concluded: "A literary 'Mr. Toad's Wild Ride', this read is completely magical."
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Mon., Sept. 19that the BELMONT LIBRARY at 7:00 PM: DEON MEYER
| The BELMONT LIBRARY is located at 1110 Alameda de las Pulgas, two blocks south of Ralston.
 Trackers (Grove/Atlantic, $24.00).
PW praised: "Meyer's ambition matches his execution in this brilliantly complex stand-alone thriller set in his native South Africa. . . . This powerhouse read. . . should be the American breakthrough book this talented author deserves." Library Journal added: "Milla Strachan, a discontented, fortyish housewife. . . leaves her suburban family and takes a job writing security reports for the secretive Presidential Intelligence Agency. She becomes involved with a man who is being chased by her bosses and the CIA. . . Meanwhile, Lemmer, a professional bodyguard last seen in Blood Safari, is fighting gangsters while inadvertently smuggling black rhinos. Muslim terrorists lurk in the background of both plots. . . . Highly recommended."
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Tues., Sept. 20th at 7:00 PM: ANDREW GROSS
|  Eyes Wide Open (HarperCollins, $25.99).
"In his fifth solo outing (after Reckless and five number one best sellers coauthored with James Patterson), Gross employs two events from his own life -- the suicide of a nephew and a chance encounter with a notorious mass killer -- to craft a gripping psychological thriller in which past family secrets return to haunt those least able to bear the horror. . . . no melodrama, just a menacing tale with effective twists, perfect pacing, intriguing characters, and heart-gripping suspense," said Library Journal. And Kirkus starred: "An emotional, frightening study of evil with believable characters and a relentless pace. Readers who wear pacemakers will want to check their batteries before they open the book."
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Wed., Sept. 21st at 7:00 PM: GIANRICO CAROFIGLIO
|  Temporary Perfections (Rizzoli, $24.95).
"With a fine eye for detail, an unflattering image of South African culture, and clear sympathy for the downtrodden, Meyer still never loses his focus on page-turning suspense and riveting mystery. Highly recommended," said Library Journal. And praise from PW: "Guido Guerrieri looks into a cold case. . . . Six months after beautiful 22-year-old Manuela Ferraro disappeared on her way home to Bari from Rome, where she was a college student, Manuela's parents are desperate. The carabinieri who handled the investigation are about to give up. As a favor to a fellow lawyer, Guerrieri agrees to help, though it means doing more detective work than usual. . . . A satisfyingly complex protagonist," said PW. A bestseller in Italy, this is its first English translation. Carofiglio is a former Italian prosecutor whose protagonist, Guido Guerrieri, is a defense lawyer practicing in Bari.
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Thurs., Sept. 22nd at 7:00 PM: WILLIAM KENT KRUEGER
|  Northwest Angle (Atria, $24.99).
"The eleventh novel starring. . . Cork O'Connor is part adventure, part mystery, and all knockout thriller. Krueger takes the catastrophic storm system known as a derecho. . . as his catalyst. With O'Connor and his family still reeling from the. . . death of his wife two years before, he decides to make a stab at reuniting them. . . . Catch-your-breath suspense throughout," said Booklist. And Library Journal concluded: "Mystery readers. . . will appreciate this fascinating adventure interwoven with folklore. Krueger builds upon previous series titles to develop his characters and plot lines creatively and thoughtfully." PW called it ". . . superb . . . . Krueger never writes the same book twice as each installment finds him delving deeper into Cork's psyche."
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Sun., Sept. 25th DROP BY: DAVE BARRY and RIDLEY PEARSON
|  The Bridge to Never Land (Hyperion, $18.99). [Y/A, 9-12].
"Bringing the Starcatchers series into the twenty-first century, this chapter book features Sarah and her brother, Aidan [now ages 17 and 15, respectively], who find a cryptic note in an antique desk and follow the clues to London, Princeton, and Orlando. Along the way, they clash with evil Lord Ombra, find an ally in Molly Darling's great-great-great nephew, and discover Einstein's part in the plan. The plot is a thrill ride of action and adventure," said Booklist. And PW added: "The book's joyful sense of adventure and wonder is tempered somewhat by the constant pursuit of authorities and parental figures, as well as scenes set in Disney World that seem to be designed to remind readers that runaway children are serious business in this day and age. Nonetheless, it's a worthy complement to the series."
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October 2011: (Asterisk indicates name added since last week.)
| Sat., Oct. 1st at 2:00 PM: MARCOS MCPEEK VILLATORA - 'Blood Daughters' - Cick Here to Pre-Order!
Tues., Oct. 4th DROP BY: RUSSELL BANKS - 'Lost Memory of Skin' - Cick Here to Pre-Order!
Sun., Oct. 9th at 2:00 PM: MICHAEL STANLEY - 'Death of the Mantis' (TPBO) - Click Here to Pre-Order!
Fri., Oct. 14th at 7:00 PM: DENISE MINA - 'The End of Wasp Season' - Click Here to Pre-Order!
Wed., Oct. 19th at 7:30 PM: VENDELA VIDA - 'The Lovers' - Click Here to Pre-Order!
Thurs., Oct. 20th DROP BY: AMITAV GHOSH - 'River of Smoke' - Click Here to Pre-Order!
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Coming Attractions
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| FALL 2011 PREVIEW: (Asterisk indicates name added since last week.) | JOHN CONNOLLY / * ANTHONY HOROWITZ / DAVID VANN /
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| Signed First Editions - Just Arrived | back to top
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LAURA LIPPMAN - The Most Dangerous Thing
|  (Wm. Morrow, $25.99).
"Superb storyteller Lippman continues her trenchant investigation into the malleability of memory and the unexpected ripple effect of crime in another superb stand-alone novel similar in its flashback approach to I'd Know You Anywhere (2010). . . . a powerful novel beyond category," said Booklist. And Kirkus praised: "Childhood playmates can't quite put their past behind them in Lippman's tale of growing up too fast but not at all. . . . No one explores the delicate interplay between children and the adults they grow into better than Lippman." And from PW: ". . . series lead, Tess Monaghan, makes a brief appearance, but this stand-alone belongs to the children, their memories, and everything dangerous that lives in the woods."
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LISA UNGER - Darkness My Old Friend
|  (Crown, $24.00).
Library Journal starred: "Excellent characterization makes this one of Unger's best thrillers yet." And PW praised: "In Unger's gripping psychological thriller, a sequel to Fragile, 15-year-old Willow Graves, a recent Manhattan transplant along with her author mother, considers the sleepy upstate New York town of the Hollows the antithesis of cool. Life becomes more interesting after Willow spots caver Michael Holt in the woods, digging what she fears is a grave. . . . his mother disappeared more than 25 years earlier when he was 14, and he's eager finally to solve the cold case after his father's recent death. . . . the secluded nature of the town easily lends itself to long-gestating secrets, which Unger handles much better in this follow-up that's as much about uncovering the past as it is about accepting the future."
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| Signed & Selected | back to top
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S&S I: CARSON MORTON - Stealing Mona Lisa
|  (Mulholland Books, $25.99).
Starred review from Library Journal: "With all the careful brushstrokes of a classic, Morton gives us a historical tale of deception and theft surrounding the actual 1911 theft of Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa. . . . You'll never look at museum art in quite the same way. Great characters, a captivating tale, and vivid descriptions of old Paris make this debut a pleasurable read. Morton's screenwriter/playwright background ensures sparkling dialog. . . . Tremendous crossover appeal for historical fiction (think Susan Vreeland) and romance readers, too." And Kirkus also starred: "Like La Jaconde, Carson's debut novel is set in an elegant frame -- a newspaper reporter wrests story from the dying Valfierno -- that still isn't as finely crafted as what lies inside." More praise, from Booklist: "Based on the actual theft of the Mona Lisa in 1911, Morton's first novel is a canny heist story with fine characterizations and skillful plotting, and it isn't hurt one bit by all the shimmering Parisian ambience. . ."
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S&S II: CATRIONA MCPHERSON - Dandy Gilver and the Proper Treatment of Bloodstains
|  (Minotaur, $23.99).
"Agatha Christie meets Upstairs, Downstairs in McPherson's charming fifth interwar whodunit featuring Edinburgh sleuth Dandy Gilver (after 2008's The Winter Ground). One morning the aristocratic detective opens a letter from Walburga Balfour, who writes, "My husband is going to kill me, and I would rather he didn't," said PW. Library Journal said: "With witty dialog and low-key humor, McPherson's series is a great choice for Jacqueline Winspear, Carola Dunn, and Amy Patricia Meade fans. A strong traditional offering with sly humor, a love of dogs, and not too much violence. A real contender for the Agathas!" And Kirkus concluded: "McPherson's charmingly witty heroine once again keeps you guessing while you enjoy the historical tidbits."
ALSO:
-- 'Dandy Gilver and an Unsuitable Day For A Murder' (Hodder & Stoughton UK, 2010, $29.00) As New. Signed Bookplate.
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Mystorical: AMOR TOWLES - The Rules of Civility
|  (Penguin, $26.95).
"This rhapsodic tribute to a bygone era conjures up mesmerizing images of 1930s New York. Two worlds collide on New Year's Eve 1937, and three lives will never be the same. Discerning readers will draw parallels between Towles and the ominously ironic Edith Wharton while relishing the fact that the snappy dialogue and descriptive prose are wrapped in a compelling narrative," said Booklist. And PW called it a "smashing debut . . . His first effort is remarkable for its strong narrative, original characters and a voice influenced by Fitzgerald and Capote, but clearly true to itself." From Kirkus: "Towles' buzzed-about first novel is an affectionate return to the post-Jazz Age years, and the literary style that grew out of it (though seasoned with expletives). . . An elegant, pithy performance by a first-time novelist who couldn't seem more familiar with his characters or territory."
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Recent Signed Arrivals
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These are the signed first editions that arrived or were signed here, in the past two weeks of which we have current stock. Complete blurbs for these titles can be found on our updated Archive ; link to it on this newsletter by clicking on the gold button above, left.
MICHAEL BAMBERGER & ALAN SHIPNUCK - The Swinger - Buy Now!
C.J. BOX - Back of Beyond - Buy Now!
CAROL CULVER - A Good Day To Pie - Buy Now!
ARNE DAHL - Misterioso - Buy Now!
CAROLE NELSON DOUGLAS - Cat in a Vegas Gold Vendetta - Buy Now!
DAVID LEVIEN - 13 Million Dollar Pop - Buy Now!
DAVID LISS - The Twelfth Enchantment - Buy Now!
SEBASTIAN ROTELLA - Triple Crossing - Buy Now!
ELIZABETH SPELLER - The Return of Captain John Emmett (signed bookplates) - Buy Now!
DON WINSLOW - The Gentlemen's Hour - Buy Now!
THOMAS W. YOUNG - Silent Enemy - Buy Now!
KEVIN WILSON - The Family Fang - Buy Now!
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Signed First Editions - Expected Soon
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| MYSTERY, CRIME AND GENERAL FICTION | ANY BOOK SIGNED ONLY ON A TIPPED-IN PAGE IS SO INDICATED.
Asterisk indicates name added since last week.
RITA MAE BROWN - Murder Unleashed - Click Here to Pre-Purchase!
JAMES LEE BURKE - Feast Day of Fools - Click Here to Pre-Purchase!
COLIN COTTERILL - Killed at the Whim of a Hat - Click Here to Pre-Purchase!
ROGER EBERT - Life Itself - Click Here to Pre-Purchase!
R.J. ELLORY - A Simple Act of Violence - Click Here to Pre-Purchase!
R.J. ELLORY - Bad Signs ($150 Scorpion Deluxe Edition) with an introduction by Lawrence Block
JOYCE CAROL OATES (editor) - New Jersey Noir - Click Here to Pre-Purchase!
LOUISE PENNY - A Trick of the Light - Click Here to Pre-Purchase!
KATHY REICHS - Flash & Bones - Click Here to Pre-Purchase!
DAN SIMMONS - Flashback - Click Here to Pre-Purchase!
DAN SIMMONS - Phases of Gravity ($60 Subterranean Press Limited Edition)
* JASON WEBSTER - Or the Bull Kills You (signed bookplates) - Click Here to Pre-Purchase!
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UK EDITIONS - Just In!
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BENJAMIN BLACK - A Death in Summer
|  (Mantle, $44.00) ". . . with Quirke, he has made a fascinating addition to the ranks of the defective detective in books that combine respectful reading of the genre with brightly original writing" (The Guardian). The Chicago Tribune called it "a quick read, building in intensity like the heat of a July day before tapering off to a cooler twilight of revelation and reconciliation. If it's mysteries you crave, and if shimmering sentences refresh you even more reliably than would a two-week vacation at the shore, then Quirke -- mournful, shambling, guilt-ridden, whiskey-soaked and irresistible -- is just the ticket." And the Los Angeles Times praised: "A swift, hopscotching murder mystery . . . A beach read for the brainy."
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SIMON BRETT - Blotto, Twinks and the Rodents of the Riviera
|  (Constable, $48.00). Consternation at Tawcester Towers! While giving a guided tour of the house's Long Gallery Blotto is stunned to discover that two of the family portraits -- a Gainsborough and a Reynolds -- are missing. Tawcester Towers has been the victim of art thieves! Blotto is forced to summon his brilliantly intelligent sister Twinks who instantly deduces that the paintings have been stolen by a gang of international art thieves based in Paris. So Blotto and Twinks instantly set off in the former's Lagonda for France. The Guardian said, "One of British crime's most assured craftsmen. . . .Crime writing just like in the good old days, and perfect entertainment."
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KARIN FOSSUM - The Caller
|  (Harvill Secker, $43.00, trade paperback original). The new Inspector Sejer novel from the award-winning Norwegian Queen of Crime. One mild summer evening Lily and her husband are enjoying a meal while their baby daughter sleeps peacefully in her pram beneath a maple tree. But when Lily steps outside she is paralysed with terror. The child is bathed in blood. Inspector Sejer is called to the hospital to meet the family. Mercifully, the baby is unharmed, but her parents are deeply shaken, and Sejer spends the evening trying to comprehend why anyone would carry out such a sinister prank. Then, just before midnight, somebody rings his doorbell. . .
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GEORGE R.R. MARTIN - A Dance With Dragons
|  (HarperCollins UK, $69.00). The fifth volume in what has been called the greatest epic work of the modern age. The future of the Seven Kingdoms hangs in the balance. In the east, Daenerys, last scion of House Targaryen, her dragons grown to terrifying maturity, rules as queen of a city built on dust and death, beset by enemies. Now that her whereabouts are known many are seeking Daenerys and her dragons. Among them the dwarf, Tyrion Lannister, who has escaped King's Landing with a price on his head, wrongfully condemned to death for the murder of his nephew, King Joffrey. But not before killing his hated father, Lord Tywin.
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MICHAEL ROBOTHAM - The Wreckage
|  (Sphere, $44.00). In London, ex-cop Vincent Ruiz rescues a young woman from a violent boyfriend but wakes next morning to find that he's been set up and robbed. As he tracks down the thieves, he discovers the boyfriend's tortured body and learns that powerful men are looking for the girl. What did Holly Knight steal that is so important to them? Meanwhile in Baghdad, the bank robbery capital of the world, billions of dollars in reconstruction funds have gone missing and Pulitzer prize-winning Journalist Luca Terracini is trying to 'follow the money'. Michael Robotham is the pseudonymous author of 10 best-selling non-fiction titles, involving prominent figures in the military, the arts, sport and science. He lives in Sydney.
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HARRY SIDEBOTTOM - The Caspian Gates
|  (Michael Joseph, $44.00) SIGNED. AD 262: the Imperium is in turmoil after the struggle for the throne. Furthermore, Ephesus, Asia's metropolis, lies in ruins, shattered by a mighty earthquake. Its citizens live in fear as the mob overwhelms the city, baying for blood to avenge the gods who have punished them. Yet an even greater threat to the Empire advances from the North. The barbaric Goth tribes sail towards Ephesus, determined to pillage the city. Only Ballista, Warrior of Rome, knows the ways of the barbarians, and only he can defeat them. The Goths' appetite for brutality and destruction is limitless and before long Ballista is locked into a deadly blood feud, with an enemy that has sworn to destroy him -- and the Imperium -- at all costs.
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L.C. TYLER - Herring on the Nile
|  (Macmillan UK, $46.00) SIGNED. The author's first novel, The Herring Seller's Apprentice (2007), was nominated in the US for an Edgar and was short-listed in the UK for the Last Laugh Award. Subsequent novels in the series are Ten Little Herrings (2009) and The Herring in the Library (2010). The latest was called ". . . a witty and wonderful pastiche of Agatha Christie's classic murder stories. . . . Funny, with an intriguing mystery at its heart," by the 'Lancashire Evening Post.' In this darkly funny tribute to Agatha Christie and the golden age of crime fiction, crime novelist Ethelred Tressider decides to set his new book in Egypt and embarks on a 'research trip' with his literary agent, Elsie Thirkettle, in tow. No sooner has their cruise on the Nile begun, however, than an attempt is made on Ethelred's life.
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DELUXE & LIMITED EDITIONS
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MARGARET COEL - Watching Eagles Soar: Stories from the Wind River and Beyond
|  (A.S.A.P. Publishing, $45.00).
This deluxe 432-page limited edition has an Introduction by Craig Johnson, and an Afterword by William Kent Krueger. Artist Phil Parks created the wrap-around dustjacket and 66 full-page illustrations; there are also eleven photographs, some from Margaret's personal collection. The back cover essay is by Tony Hillerman. This is the first anthology of Margaret's short stories. Featured are: All ten of the Arapaho Commandments short stories, three other Father John-Vicky short stories, six other stories; the novella Molly Brown and Cleopatra's Diamond; two essays on writing and on writing about the West: Stories in the World and The West of Ghosts.
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ROBERT SILVERBERG - A Little Intelligence
| ( Crippen & Landrau, 2009, $42.00).
by Silverberg and Randall Garrett. Deluxe hardcover, edition limited to 200 copies, signed and numbered by Silverberg. Introduction by Robert Silverberg. He and Randall Garrett wrote these mystery short stories under the joint pseudonym of Robert Randall. With many of the seven stories set in the future, they explore the topics of morality, theology, and humanity within their mysteries. Included is a separately bound 23 page short story pamphlet, Human Reaction, by Randall Garrett (1927-1987). |
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USED BOOKS NOW IN STOCK!
| Be sure to browse our Used mass market paperback section, where we've recently added a rather large selection of authors such as Mary Higgins Clark, Dean R. Koontz, Agatha Christie, Tom Clancy, Len Deighton, Barry Eisler, Erle Stanley Gardner, Donna Leon, Rex Stout, and Donald Westlake (Richard Stark) and many more! These are all very good-condition copies, priced from $2.25 to $3.25. Not to be missed!
We also have a fine selection of trade paperback and hardcover used books, $4-$5, all in fine condition. An excellent selection of titles including authors such as Frederic Brown, Andrea Camilleri, Alexander McCall Smith, Carol O'Connell, Stuart Woods, Sue Grafton, Janet Evanovich, and Donald Westlake (Richard Stark!
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Shipping Info:
We ship USPS Media mail within the US and USPS International Priority for overseas addresses
Shipping rates: Standard Media Mail (in the mainland US ONLY) - $6.00 for the first book $1.35 each additional book
Priority Mail Domestic - email us to discuss the options
Overseas - email us to discuss the options
We accept Visa, MC, Amex and checks by arrangement
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STORE HOURS:
| | MONDAY - SATURDAY from 10:30 AM to 6:00 PM,
SUNDAY from 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM,
and evenings until approximately 9:00PM when an author is scheduled to appear at 7:00PM.
PH.: (650) 401-8077 or Toll Free outside Bay Area: 888- 405-8077
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