Library Journal : Escaping to Three Sisters Island to put her life together after an abusive marriage, Nell Channing gradually begins to think that she has finally found a place where she can create a new life. But her husband isn't about to let her go, and when he finally finds her, it takes all her new-found strength and a little help from her "sisters" to deal with his violence. A magnetic hero, a heroine who finds herself, and some memorable secondary characters weave a mesmerizing tale of witchcraft and magic that launches Robert's latest trilogy in fine style. One of the best and most consistent writers in the genre, Roberts (The Villa) is a member of the RWA Hall of Fame and lives in Keedysville, MD.

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Publishers Weekly : The first installment of Roberts's newest trilogy set on Three Sisters island invokes the sensitive characterizations and magic that distinguished her previous trilogy (Jewels of the Sun; Tears of the Moon; Heart of the Sea). An enchanted island off the coast of Massachusetts, Three Sisters was formed as a sanctuary by three frightened witches fleeing persecution. Although the witches found peace on the island, each of them entered into an ill-fated relationship and died tragically. Now their descendants Nell Channing, Ripley Todd and Mia Devlin have to break the pattern set by their foremothers, or the island will sink. This first book focuses on Nell, a newcomer to the island who escaped her abusive husband by staging her death. Nell is unaware that she's a witch, but she is instinctively drawn to the island and secures a job as a chef in the caf? owned by Mia. Between coping with her bleak memories and deciding whether she can give her heart to Zach Todd, Ripley's brother and the island sheriff, Nell has little time to digest the discovery that she's a witch. In the end, however, Nell will have to come to terms with her newfound powers so that she can fight her all-too-demented husband. It's probably witchcraft that Roberts can turn out so many books and still create something that's sexy and charming, but in this tale, it's evident that she hasn't lost her fairy touch. (June 5)Forecast: No stranger to bestseller lists, Roberts triumphed in 2000 with the release of two hardcovers and eight mass market paperbacks, seven of which sold in the millions. National radio advertising and print advertisements in USA Today will ensure that her latest hits the big time as well.

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Library Journal : Three half-sisters come together at their late father's ranch in Montana. The terms of his will dictate that all three women must live together at the ranch for one year. If not, his enormous estate will be given to charity. Willa has lived all her life on the ranch and feels anger and resentment at her father's decision. Tess is a glamorous Hollywood screenwriter. She merely wants the cash and a quick escape from the desolate countryside. Lily, trying to hide from an abusive ex-husband, is only too happy to have the opportunity to stay in one place. Their evolving relationships with each other make up the heart of the story. It wouldn't be a Roberts novel if during their year of forced togetherness each sister didn't become romantically involved with tall, handsome cowboys. All six of the major characters are wonderfully written, with just the right touch of genuineness, warmth, and distinctiveness to make readers emotionally invest in their stories. Highly recommended for all libraries.-Margaret Hanes, Sterling Hts. P.L., Mich.

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Publisher's Weekly : Having published 100 novels in 15 years, Roberts (True Betrayals) just keeps getting better. In life, Jack Mercy, owner of the 25,000-acre Mercy Ranch, garnered more enemies than friends. His death promises to do the same, since his will forces his three grown daughters, half-sisters and virtual strangers to one another, to live together at the Montana ranch for a year or forfeit his estate, worth up to $20 million. If any die during the year, the survivor(s) will inherit the fortune, assuming they last the 12 months. Giving it a go are bossy Willa, part Blackfoot Indian, the only sister who lived on the ranch and is capable of running it; Tess, a sassy Hollywood scriptwriter who wants money but balks at a family reunion; and meek, divorced Lily, grateful for refuge. As the siblings settle in, someone begins committing barbaric acts against animals and then humans: Are these the random crimes of a psychopath? Or are they a devious distraction in a sinister game plan? Roberts balances the tension and sometimes gruesome action with three romances, crackling dialogue and a snappy infusion of humor. Setting her rich narrative against majestic scenery integral to the plot, she again demonstrates why, in 1986, she was the first author inducted into the Romance Writers of America's Hall of Fame. 150,000 first printing; $200,000 ad/promo; Literary Guild featured alternate; author tour.

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Publishers Weekly : ``Making his fiction debut, `Sandford,' a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist using a pseudonym his real name is John Camp, has taken a stock suspense plot--a dedicated cop pursuing an ingenious serial killer--and dressed it up into the kind of pulse-quickening, irresistibly readable thriller that many of the genre's best-known authors would be proud to call their own,'' stated PW.

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Library Journal : The seventh in the author's best-selling "Prey" series (e.g., Night Prey, LJ 5/15/94).

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Publishers Weekly : Minneapolis PD Deputy Chief Lucas Davenport, seen last in Night Prey, carries on as a smart, quirky hero in the seventh ``Prey'' book. When psychiatrist Andi Manette and her two young daughters are kidnapped, Lucas must discover whether it's a ransom snatch, the work of one of Andi's ex-patients or the ruse of someone in her life who might benefit from her death. (Her father, stepmother, estranged husband and medical partner are all good suspects.) Readers know the kidnapper is John Mail, a scary ex-patient who's entertained nasty dreams of Andi for years. He enacts his violent sex fantasies with the imprisoned Andi; it seems only a matter of time before he will go after the girls. Lucas, meanwhile, draws on all available resources, including his own computer game company, to flush out Mail, a gamer who enjoys taunting Lucas with phone calls. During this time, Andi has been trying to maintain an element of control and contrive an escape. Sandford expertly ratchets up the suspense from beginning to the brutal finish. Lucas does get his villain, but no one comes out of this experience unscarred. Literary Guild main; Doubleday Book Club alternate.

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Publishers Weekly : This whodunit rides the crest of today's styles: a female detective, a remote locale and the conflict between the traditional way of life (in this case Aleut) and modern America. Detective Kate Shugak became the top investigator for the Anchorage District Attorney's Office. But after getting her throat cut while apprehending a child abuser, she has retired to the Park, 20 million acres of Alaskan wilderness, snow and eccentrics--yet the children's cries keep reverberating in her head. When a park ranger--a congressman's son--disappears, as does the investigator sent after him, the FBI and Shugak's old boss ask for her help. In the process Shugak gets shot at twice and readers get a guided tour of the local landmarks, including Shugak's manipulative grandmother's house in Niniltna (pop. 800) and Bernie's Roadhouse, site of a hilarious showdown between two drunken pipeline workers with a stolen 30-ton excavating machine and a helicopter-flying state trooper. Stabenow's ( Second Star ) tale lacks tension, and Shugak's unfocused anger at the world seems a bit forced, but overall this is an enjoyable and well-written yarn.

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School Library Journal : YA-- Up in the cold Alaskan countryside, a young National Park Ranger disappears. When the investigator on the case also vanishes, it's time for detective Kate Shugak to start hunting for answers. For those who like murder mysteries, female sleuths, and books set in Alaska, this is the one.

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Library Journal : The Alaskan spring brings problems and new hope for Kate Shugak. She must investigate a murder near home even as she takes over the role of clan leader from her Aleut grandmother. A wonderful series.

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Publishers Weekly : Early spring in Alaska is breakup season: the temperature rises, animals and humans come out of hibernation and the state "melts into a 586,412-square mile pile of slush." This book describes breakup in detail, but if you're looking for a competent Kate Shugak detective story, give it a miss. Stabenow, returning to the milieu of A Fatal Thaw (1992), offers too many picturesque breakup stories and not enough mystery. In an exciting beginning, a jet engine falls out of the sky and smashes into Kate's isolated cabin in the national park, bearing a body in the wreckage. Later, Kate, an Aleut freelance investigator, finds a tourist killed by a bear. Eventually, she realizes that the deaths are related murders and, amidst the hurley-burley of breakup, identifies the culprit. In addition, the strongminded Kate is unwillingly pulled into tribal politics as the Niniltna Native Association expects her to assume the leadership role of her late grandmother Ekaterina. Stabenow writes lively, intriguing descriptions of the magnificence of the Alaska wilderness, its quirky inhabitants and Aleut cultural traditions. But the mystery seems almost an afterthought in this disappointing entry in the Shugak series.

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Library Journal : Redheaded, free-spirited private detective Carlotta Carlyle returns ( A Trouble of Fools) for another unforgettable Boston excursion. Simultaneously juggling two cases, Carlotta searches for a 14-year-old runaway girl and a blond hooker with a snake tattoo on her leg. Because of a mother's seeming indifference to her daughter's plight, the runaway's fate preempts most of the skillfully interwoven plot, even though a policeman's career depends on the hooker's testimony. The narrative moves right along, however, featuring sprightly dialogue, offbeat characters, upbeat action, and Combat Zone surroundings. Bright, witty, and a touch sarcastic.-- REK

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Publishers Weekly : The award-winning author of A Trouble of Fools rekindles her 61 redheaded female private eye, Carlotta Carlyle, in a rivetingly well-told story. Her old friend, Lieutenant Mooney of the Boston police, is under investigation for excessive brutality and Carlyle is trying to track down the lone witness who can clear his name, a blonde hooker with a snake tattoo. While on surveillance in Boston's Combat Zone, Carlyle (who drives a cab to make ends meet) accidentally gets a fare and a second case; a troubled teenage boy, freshly rolled for his wallet, tumbles into her cab and involves her in his search for a missing classmate. The boy's case takes Carlyle to the Emerson School, a mini-Harvard prep school, whose putting-green grass and stately buildings seem worlds removed from the Combat Zone's alleys and three-story flophouses. But after she discovers the body of Emerson's drama teacher, Carlyle realizes the spotless image is a facade. There are surprises at the finish, made all the more potent by the novel's unforced paced and charm. Mystery Guild main selection.

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Publishers Weekly : For those who missed Bissell's well-received debut thriller, In the Forest of Harm, Bissell briefly sums it up at the beginning of her second offering. Atlanta prosecutor Mary Crow, while at the wedding of her dearest friend, Alexandria McCrimmon, reflects on the horrific events that unfolded 14 months before: "Alex had accompanied Mary on a camping trip in the Nantahalah Forest. The trip had turned bad when Alex had been abducted by a psychopathic trapper. Ultimately she'd been airlifted from the Appalachian forests, half-naked and nearly beaten to death." If that sounds like a bad trip, the goings-on this time are even worse. A powerful, secretive right-wing cabal called FaithAmerica which has its eyes on the U.S. presidency has been using students at Camp Unakawaya, a last-chance military school for teenage boys, to knock off federal judges who veer too far to the left in terms of legislating racial equality. One of the school's students the only one ever to win the coveted Black Feather for total dedication goes too far and messily beheads a female judge, calling undue attention to the previous deaths. The next victim appears to be Mary's friend and mentor, Judge Irene Hannah, but Hannah stubbornly refuses protection, so of course Mary is the only one who can save her. This takes her back into the woods and the arms of her former lover, the enigmatic Jonathan Walkingstick, and finally underground into some dank caverns where truth and justice lie. Bissell's narrative drive should carry readers right along, despite some farfetched aspects to the story.

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Library Journal : Bissell's debut novel is a fast-paced story with well-drawn characters. Assistant D.A. Mary Crow joins law school buddies Alexandra and Joan for a weekend of hiking and camping in the North Carolina mountains. There, they find themselves stalked by a killer seeking revenge. Part of the book's eerieness comes from the location itself. Bissell's descriptions of the Nantahala National Forest, where a clear view can be replaced by dense fog in only a few steps, give the text an unearthly and primordial feel. The ability to draw on inner strength in a time of crisis is not a new theme, but the struggle of these women to survive will not be easily forgotten. Recommended for all but the most conservative libraries (there is some violence). [Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 9/1/00.]--Karin Mentz, Dr. Gertrude A. Barber Ctr. Lib., Erie, PA

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Publishers Weekly : An assistant DA returns to the North Carolina mountain country of her youth in Bissell's hair-raising camping-trip-gone-wrong debut thriller. Half-Cherokee Mary Crow, Atlanta's hottest young prosecutor, has just won her sixth murder case when she decides to take her two best friends, Joan and Alex, along with her on a hiking vacation near Little Jump Off, N.C. She has hidden motives for revisiting her one-horse hometown: her mother was raped and murdered 12 years ago in the country store she managed, and Mary needs to come to terms with her death. But death still haunts the cursed countryside, and the three women find themselves in perilous situations, fighting for their lives with both a crazed mountain man and the obsessed brother of the Atlanta murderer, bent on revenge. When Alex is spirited away and Joan is raped, Mary must muster the strength to match wits with two deranged killers, calling upon her old tracking skills and deep knowledge of the forest. Meanwhile, her high school sweetheart, Jonathan Walkingstick, realizes something has gone wrong, and heads after the women up the mountain. Gory scenes abound in this punched-up female version of Deliverance, but Bissell is particularly good in describing how Alex, Joan and Mary's friendship sustains them and is strengthened over the course of their harrowing adventures. Even though the three women pop up cartoonishly each time they are felled, and their pursuers are supernaturally crafty, the tale compels with its depiction of desperate camaraderie and descriptions of gorgeous mountain scenery. A sequel seems likely, and the title is a natural for film or TV adaptation. Agents, Robbie Anna Hare and Ron Goldfarb. Rights sold in Germany, Japan and the Netherlands. (Jan. 2)

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Publishers Weekly : In her second appearance, after Track of the Cat , National Park Service ranger Anna Pigeon is posted to an island in Lake Superior, where her interest in wildlife is fully engaged by the local population of humans. Two scuba-diving tourists exploring an old, submerged wreck discover a recent addition: the body of Denny Castle, who ran a commercial diving concession in the park. This makes Anna uneasy about the mysterious disappearance of Donna Butkus, wife of fellow ranger Scotty Butkus. Hawk Bradshaw, who worked with Denny, suggests that there was a link between Denny and Donna, but Hawk is less revealing about the nature of the relationship he and his twin sister had with the dead man and the impact Denny's recent marriage (to yet another woman) had on it. The Bradshaws aren't the only reticent ones here; indeed, Barr's characters hide enough unsavory secrets to keep a soap opera humming for months. Despite the wealth of personal intrigue, FBI agent Frederic Stanton looks for a drug connection to the murder: ``I'm all for drugs . . . Takes the guesswork out of law enforcement.'' The levelheaded Anna is again a treat as she and a couple of minor characters whose lives don't verge on melodrama keep the story from floundering on the rocks. Mystery Guild alternate; paperback rights to Avon.

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School Library Journal : YA-Transferring to a ranger position at Isle Royale National Park in Michigan, Anna Pigeon misses the Texas sun and heat of her former park. She cringes at the damp, penetrating cold that accompanies the foggy, gray days on Lake Superior. She swaps her horse for a boat but continues to be surrounded by dead bodies in her second mystery. The strange corpse she encounters on her new job is that of a well-known diver. She finds it in the engine room of a ship that sank at the turn of the century with the five original crew still aboard. Those corpses have been preserved by the frigid lake waters and are a grim ``tourist attraction'' for scuba divers. As Anna seeks the identity of the killer, she is never far from the northern woods, characterized by their earthy scents, lingering midday chill, and multitude of flora and fauna. While detecting, she tries to sort out her feelings about life, her status as a widow, and her need for solitude interspersed with friendships. She is a captivating, daredevil detective whose adventures will delight mystery readers.-Pam Spencer, Thomas Jefferson Sci-Tech, Fairfax County, VA

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Library Journal : The transient Jack Reacher finds himself in tiny Margrave, Georgia, and is almost immediately arrested, if briefly, as a murder suspect. Imagine his surprise when he discovers that one of the victims is his brother, a brilliant U.S. Treasury agent. Reacher himself is no slouch; a former military policeman, he can dispatch villains with an astonishing array of weapons, including various parts of his body. In the company of a straight-arrow detective and a beautiful lady cop, Reacher soon unearths a conspiracy stretching through the little town and beyond. Blood flows freely, terrible threats are made and carried out, and body parts accumulate. First novelist Child, a former television writer, stretches coincidence outrageously in this would-be noir outing, whose hero is creepily amoral, violent, and generally unpleasant. Only large pop fiction collections need consider.

Elsa Pendleton, Boeing Information Svcs., Ridgecrest, Cal. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions Inc. Terms

Publishers Weekly : Although the tale is built around a coincidence as big as the author's talent, beautifully detailed action scenes and fascinating arcana about currency and counterfeiting enliven this taut and tough-minded first novel by British TV writer Child. Out of sheer restlessness and rootlessness, 36-year-old ex-military policeman Jack Reacher persuades a Greyhound bus driver to make an unscheduled stop in Margrave, the small Georgia town where Reacher's brother, a U.S. Treasury official, just happens to have been murdered a few hours earlier. Reacher doesn't know about his brother's death or suspect his presence in the town. Indeed, when he's arrested in a local diner for being a conspicuously mysterious stranger, Reacher tells the detective who interviews him that he dropped off the bus to investigate the death of Blind Blake, a guitar player murdered in Margrave 60 years ago. Downsized out of the military, Reacher has cutting-edge investigative and killing skills that come in handy the moment he learns of his brother's murder. This combination of events is so unbelievably convenient that it almost overwhelms the book's solid writing. The reader expects the other shoe to drop-for Reacher to be revealed as an undercover agent, or some such; but it never does. Otherwise, Child writes with a hand as strong and steady as steel. Margrave is a wonderful creation, a seemingly picture- perfect community under the care of a mysterious foundation where the streets are always swept and the people who run the tiny local businesses get grants of $1000 a week to stay open. Two scenes of brutal violence in a nearby prison are rendered with exquisite precision, as is a stalking murder inside the baggage area of the Atlanta airport, and the vast counterfeiting conspiracy that Reacher's brother was probing is wholly credible.

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Library Journal : In the year 2006, Argentina seizes British research stations in Antarctica, aiming to take over the entire South Pole and its rich mineral deposits. Commander Amanda Garrett, boss of the high-tech stealth destroyer U.S.S. Cunningham, is ordered to Antarctica to prevent the Argentineans from supplying their invasion force. With the nearest U.S. naval forces a week's sailing away, Garrett must defend her ship and crew against wave after wave of attacks. She uses her ingenuity, the advanced stealth features of her ship, and the ship's considerable arsenal to combat the enemy. First novelist Cobb, a member of the U.S. Naval Institute and the Navy League, has written a taut military thriller that grabs the reader's attention and holds it to the last word. This page turner is as hot as a Sea SLAM missile with target lock. Buy this book: that's an order. For all fiction collections.

Grant A. Fredericksen, Illinois Prairie Dist. P.L., Metamora Distributed by Syndetic Solutions Inc. Terms

Publisher's Weekly : Cobb brings feminism and environmentalism to the naval thriller--and does it remarkably well in this lightning-paced and well-informed tale of a lone U.S. destroyer holding off an Argentine incursion into Antarctica. Amanda Garrett captains the USS Cunningham, a stealthy, well-armed vessel with the best technology available in the year 2006. The ship is on patrol off Antarctica when a surprise invasion by Argentina (seeking mineral wealth and prepared to abrogate existing international treaties) leaves her as the only defense for treaty partners and for the ecologically fragile continent itself. As captain, Amanda uses her seamanship and her knowledge of the talents of her staff in a breathtaking sea battle fought in one of the most challenging environments on earth. Cobb not only demonstrates his control of action and plot but also incorporates intriguing military and political topics that couldn't be more timely. Best of all, he allows Amanda to command her ship as a woman--not as a manly soul in a woman's body. Her strengths are a willingness to listen to all points of view, respect for each participant, evenhanded consideration of proposals and, finally, firm and objective decision-making. This is the rare military thriller whose message is gender-blind and leading-edge.

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Publishers Weekly : Commander Amanda Lee Garrett and her stealthy destroyer, the USS Cunningham, are drawn into an incipient war between Taiwan and the People's Republic of China in this action-packed sequel to Choosers of the Slain. All of the resources of the ship are summoned into action as Amanda, during a heart-stopping battle and sea rescue in hostile waters, first gathers evidence of Chinese submarine movements and nuclear preparations. Worried by her secret romance with helicopter pilot Vince Arkady, Amanda struggles valiantly to fulfill her duties as a captain, making life-and-death decisions far away from higher command. From the first fire-fighting drill to the moment the ship limps into port, the story has the compelling logic of a whodunit, as the crew of the Cunningham sifts through a mass of seemingly innocent details to identify a lethal threat. Cobb is a military buff par excellence, and his technical maritime knowledge lets him speculate credibly on the near future of Naval special operations. As lively as the work of Dean Ing and Dale Brown, leaner than Clancy's novels, Cobb's books are sure to find enthusiastic readers of the genre.

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Library Journal : A wonderful sense of humor, an eye for detail, and a self-deprecating narrative endow Stephanie Plum with the easy-to-swallow believability that accounts for her appeal as heroine. Spontaneity and financial desperation push her into the life of a bounty hunter, a job that pits her inexperience against the charming wiles of her one-time high school seducer, who is now a purported murderer. Maneuvering around the scrappy environs of Trenton, New Jersey, Stephanie runs the gauntlet of recalcitrant criminals and puts up with a match-making Jewish mother to boot. A witty, well-written, and gutsy debut.

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Publishers Weekly : First novels this funny and self-assured come along rarely; dialogue this astute and raunchy is equally unusual. The gutsy heroine introduced here is Stephanie Plum of Trenton, N.J., a recently laid-off lingerie buyer who has no job, no car and no furniture. She does have a hamster, a deranged grandmother, two caring parents and several pairs of biking shorts and sports bras. Finding work with her cousin Vinnie, she becomes a bond hunter and scrounges money enough to buy a gun, a Chevy Nova and some Mace. Her first assignment is to locate a cop accused of murder. Joe Morelli grew up in Stephanie's neighborhood. Possessed of legendary charm, he relieved Stephanie of her virginity when she was 16 (she later ran over him with a car). In her search, Stephanie catches her prey, loses him and grills a psychotic prizefighter, the employer of the man Morelli shot. She steals Morelli's car and then installs an alarm so he can't steal it back. Resourceful and tough, Stephanie has less difficulty finding her man than deciding what she wants to do with him once she's got him. While the link between the fighter and the cop isn't clear until too late in the plot, Evanovich's debut is a delightful romp and Stephanie flaunts a rough-edged appeal. Mystery Guild alternate; author tour; film rights optioned to Tri-Star.

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Library Journal : Like her creator, Fairstein (Sexual Violence, LJ 9/15/93), Alexandra Cooper is New York City's assistant district attorney for sex crimes prosecution. A Hollywood actress staying at Alex's vacation home on Martha's Vineyard and driving a rental car charged to Alex's credit card is murdered. Was Alex really the intended victim and the murderer someone she had once prosecuted? Is that why she's been receiving anonymous nocturnal telephone calls? Or was the actress done in by her estranged lover? Why is Alex's own current lover, an investment banker and former Senate candidate, trying to cover up his own involvement with the actress? This thriller, which will keep readers asking questions and turning pages, has the potential to be one of the summer's big hits. Recommended for popular collections. [Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 2/1/96.]-Charles Michaud, Turner Free Lib., Randolph, Mass.

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Publisher's Weekly : The crusading longtime chief of Manhattan's Sex Crimes Prosecutions Unit brings to her exciting first novel the same passion and insights into the criminal and crime-busting minds that marked her memoir, Sexual Violence (1994). Fairstein also brings herself to the novel-or at least an alter ego of a narrator, Alexandra Cooper, who's also a middle-aged blonde heading the borough's prosecution of sex offenders. Cooper's typical day of counseling victims and working with the NYPD on sex crimes would probably keep readers fascinated, but her latest problem-the shooting murder of glamorous movie star Isabella Lascar at Cooper's getaway home on Martha's Vineyard-pitches the plot at high intensity right away. Though Cooper is warned by the DA not to play cop, she and homicide detective Mike Chapman, who's assigned to bodyguard her, work together unofficially to solve the crime, carrying on a sort of anti-romance all the while. Fairstein isn't a gifted stylist-her dialogue is as wooden as a judge's gavel-and the details of Cooper's professional and personal lives drive the story forward with more vigor than the murder investigation does. Some readers will be disappointed, too, that Cooper, like any victim, has to be rescued in the end by her fiercely protective and ingenious friends on the NYPD. But then this heroine's greatest appeal lies in the warmth of her friendships, the humanness of her mistakes and her unswerving devotion to protecting the next female from harm. As a woman with grave responsibilities who still puts her pantyhose on one leg at a time, she makes a memorable debut. Literary Guild and Mystery Guild main selections; Doubleday Book Club alternate; author tour.

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Publishers Weekly : Ever since they met as children at the annual summer festival on the border of their two countries, Judith Hampton of England has been fast friends with Frances Catherine Kirkaldy of Scotland. Despite the enmity between the two lands in this period (the late 12th century), Judith is determined to attend the birth of Frances Catherine'sstet both names first child and find her father, a Scottish laird she has never seen (when they finally meet, it is not in the fashion she had anticipated). En route to her friend's Highland home, Judith charms her escort, Frances Catherine's brother-in-law Iain Maitland. So she is baffled when Iain withdraws into his role of clan laird. Equally confusing is Frances Catherine's claim that after years with the Maitlands, she is still an outsider. But Judith determinedly forges friendships and reexerts her charms over Iain, leading to a lively, unconventional wedding. Woven into Judith's story is an intriguing, almost heretical message for a romance novel: a woman needs more than the right man to have a full, happy life. That Garwood ( Guardian Angel ) can argue this point and still deliver a delightful tale is an accomplishment.

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School Library Journal : YA-- Vivacious Judith, a Brit, visits her friend in the untamed Scottish highlands of 1200. Little does she suspect that she will fall in love, marry, bring women's lib to her new village, and find her previously unknown father. The simple plot offers a pleasant blend of historical fiction and uncomplicated mystery. With well-developed, amusing characters, this entertaining novel pulls readers back in time to an unusual era, and is difficult to put down.

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Publisher's Weekly : A woman seeks revenge on the drug cartel that maimed her and killed her husband and child.

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Library Journal : Not a police officer per se, rural Georgia's Jo Beth Sidden, a breeder and trainer of bloodhounds, collects clues in much the same way. Despite-or because of-her efficiency and resourcefulness in tracking missing persons for the police, she appears abrasive and outspoken, qualities that mask her fear of abusive ex-husband Bubba, who began stalking her the moment he left prison. Literate, well-modulated prose, satisfyingly detailed descriptions, elements of Southern decadence, and a leisurely pace punctuated by thrilling moments of action all characterize a very appealing first novel.

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Publishers Weekly : Lanier's anecdotal debut, melding good-old-boy humor and action-packed adventure, tracks the personal and professional life of Georgia bloodhound trainer Jo Beth Sidden. Working the three counties bordering the Okefenokee Swamp, Jo Beth conducts harrowing searches for missing persons, among them a retarded boy, two fishermen and an elderly man. In between, the outspoken, engaging heroine deals with a mysterious inheritance from her renowned painter father and the vengeful, murderous intentions of her former husband, Bubba. She also finds time to help old friends enmeshed in crime. The latter effort backfires, however, when Bubba is beaten nearly to death and Jo Beth can't give the police an alibi for fear of incriminating herself and a friend. Indicted for attempted murder, she must prove her innocence without divulging where she was or what she was doing. Lanier gives readers a thorough, insider's look at a unique occupation and a detailed view of Southern life near the swamp.

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Publishers Weekly : A wild-goose chase for the legendary Amber Room--a collection of 18th-century Russian artifacts that vanished after WWII--provides the backdrop for Lowell's (Winter Fire) fun but forgettable contemporary romantic thriller. Gem trader and suspected murderer Kyle Donovan is missing, along with a panel rumored to have been part of the Amber Room, and officials from Russia, Lithuania and the U.S. are hot on his trail. His sister Honor--a sassy, naive jewelry designer--is determined to find Kyle first and prove that her brother is neither a thief nor a killer. When Honor hires one J. Jacob Mallory to teach her how to "fish" the Puget Sound, he pretends not to know that she actually wants to learn how to pilot her brother's boat well enough to search for Kyle on the surrounding islands. And Honor is clueless that hunky Jake is her brother's business associate, who is suspected of conspiring to appropriate the stolen amber. Constant bickering doesn't stave off their mutual attraction, and they end up in the sack only hours before Honor realizes she's been duped. Meanwhile, a busload of incidental international players has arrived at the scene, complicating the already convoluted political intrigue. Still, the moderately paced plot, solid main characters and an up-to-the-minute premise fortify a satisfactory, if unexceptional, romance.

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Library Journal : When Kyle Donovan, adventurer and youngest son of an international trading family, agrees to make the acquaintance of Lianne Blakely, jade expert and bastard daughter of the powerful Tang family, in order to avert a national incident, he has no idea that she has been commanded by her father to do the same, but for quite different reasons. Fast-paced and frankly sensual, this romance is peopled with intelligent, larger-than-life, yet appealing protagonists and a fascinating, well-plotted story that beautifully conveys the legendary mystique and appeal of jade as well as providing an insightful portrait of the overt and subtle differences between Eastern and Western cultures. A sequel to Amber Beach (Avon, 1997), this continues the Donovan family series, and Lowell's many fans will be waiting. Lowell is a best-selling romance writer of both contemporary and historical romances and lives in the Seattle area. She also writes under her own name, Ann Maxwell, and jointly with her husband, Evan, as A.E. Maxwell.

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Publishers Weekly : In a departure from her popular Kathleen Mallory suspense series (most recently Stone Angel), O'Connell's chilling tale of a murderer who preys on children compensates for a muddled plot with its clear-eyed look at the heights and depths of human behavior. When two remarkable fifth-grade girls--Gwen Hubble, the beautiful daughter of the lieutenant governor, and Sadie Green, an imaginative and plucky child obsessed with horror comics and movies--are kidnapped from the St. Ursula's Academy, two adults afflicted by their own tragedies are drawn into the investigation. Forensic psychologist Ali Cray draws stares both for her slit skirts and for a disfiguring facial scar, the result of a secret childhood trauma. Policeman Rouge Kendall is haunted by the memory of his twin sister's murder 15 years earlier. The killer was supposedly caught, but similarities between the old murder and the current case make Cray begin to doubt. In the earlier case, the killer used a note from one captured child (the Judas child) to lure a friend; the reader knows that this is again the pattern, just as we know--or think we know--where the girls are being held. As the investigation continues and the girls attempt to escape, O'Connell introduces vivid minor characters, including a 10-year-old boy almost too shy to speak and one of Cray's ex-lovers, a cop who expresses his thwarted yearning for her through insult contests. O'Connell's prose occasionally veers toward the florid, but the main problem here is a supernatural twist (perhaps a trend? see Firebird above) that leaves readers somewhat adrift. In the end, however, O'Connell's subtle characterization of people who face tragedy with resilience and spirit makes for a moving novel.

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Library Journal : The investigation of a series of murders of wealthy, elderly women from the Gramercy Park area intensifies when Louis Markowitz, the head of the NYPD Special Crimes Section, is found dead with the third victim. Kathleen Mallory, his adopted daughter and a policewoman assigned to office duty, is beautiful, intelligent, fiercely independent, and obsessed with finding the killer. Mallory's computer skills supplement the street-survival savvy she learned before her adoption and the ``wall'' of clues and case details left by Markowitz. All of this leads her to seances, magic acts, dysfunctional families, insider trading, and, eventually, the knowledge her father had at his death. Mallory is the major, but not the only, complex and successfully realized character to emerge in this skillfull debut, which has the international publishing world's attention. Highly recommended. [Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 4/15/ 94; BOMC and Quality Paperback Book Club selections.]-V. Louise Saylor, Eastern Washington Univ. Lib., Cheney

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Publishers Weekly : Serial killing, insider trading, the occult and the vices of wealthy Manhattan widows are the themes that collide in this heavy-handed first novel starring an unusual policewoman. Kathleen Mallory was an 11-year-old thief living on the streets of New York City when Detective Louis Markowitz rescued her and raised her in his home. The novel opens a decade later when Markowitz, a widower, is found dead beside the third in a series of Gramercy Park dowagers slashed and murdered in broad daylight. Mallory, whose early criminal instincts and keen intelligence have been loosely channeled into computer science, is forced to take a leave from the department and decides to seek vengeance on her own. O'Connell peoples her tale with colorful characters, both Mallory's allies and suspects, but there is little nuance to any of them. Particularly lacking in dimension is the heroine herself, who proceeds through the plot with a robot-like, if intense, predictability; the voices of Markowitz's friends repeatedly refer to Mallory's brilliance and appeal, but little in her actions suggests notable insight or charm. The broadly stroked narrative of this much-publicized debut has commercial potential, but the absence of subtlety or consistency suggests a short shelf life. 50,000 first printing; BOMC and QPB selections.

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Library Journal : A superb new writer introduces her intrepid heroine to crime fiction. Dr. Tempe Brennan, a trowel-packing forensic anthropologist from North Carolina, works in Montreal's Laboratoire de Medecine Legale examining recovered bodies to help police solve missing-persons cases and murders. It's clear to Tempe that the remains of several women killed and savagely mutilated point to a sadistic serial killer, but she can't convince the police. Determined to prevent more brutal deaths, she sleuths solo, tracking her quarry through Montreal's seedy underworld of hookers, where her anthropologist friend Gabby, doing her own scary research, is being stalked by a creep. Despite her ability to work among fetid, putrefying smells that "leap out and grab" and her "go-to-hell attitude" with seasoned cops, Tempe is as vulnerable as a soft Carolina morning. When a grinning skull is planted in her garden, her investigation turns personal and escalates to an intense and satisfying conclusion. Except for imparting an excess of lab information, Reichs, also a forensic anthropologist, drives the pace at a heady clip. A first-class writer, she dazzles readers with sensory imagery that is apt, fresh, and funny (e.g., "fingers felt cold and limp, like carrots kept too long in a cooler bin"). Recommended for all fiction collections, this read is sure to be in demand. [Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 5/1/97.]--Molly Gorman, San Marino, Cal.

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Publishers Weekly : With this assured and intelligent debut, Reichs introduces herself as a prodigious new talent in the crime game. Someone is murdering and dismembering women in Montreal, and forensic anthropologist Temperance "Tempe" Brennan, a middle-aged North Carolina transplant, is having a tough time convincing the Canadian version of the old boy network that the grizzly slayings are the work of a single killer. Since no one believes her theories, Tempe is left pretty much on her own to track the killer, following a trail that leads through demimondes of prostitution, religion and animal research. When a spreadsheet listing past victims--and including Tempe's name--is discovered in the home of a suspect, even the dyspeptic Constable Claudel is forced to admit that Tempe might be on the right track. Reichs handles the tension between Tempe and the men deftly, allowing the reader to despise their unfair treatment of her while understanding that an expert in such a field can be intimidating. A master of nimble phrasing, Reichs herself entertains readers even as she educates them in some of the finer points of forensics. Tempe is as comfortable negotiating the meaner streets of Montreal as she is talking about the myriadtypes of saws available to those with a penchant for dismembering their fellow human beings. The final confrontation scene is as gripping as anything in recent suspense fiction, and it is impossible not to like the vulnerable, observant and competent Tempe, who refreshingly admits to never having "gotten used to" the maggots that abandon corpses on the cutting table: "the seething blanket of pale yellow... dropping from the body to the table to the floor, in a slow but steady drizzle." Major ad/promo; simultaneous audio; foreign rights sold in 12 countries; BOMC main selection; author tour. (Sept.) FYI: Reichs, like her heroine, is a forensic anthropologist in North Carolina and Canada, and a professor.

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Publishers Weekly : Konrath's fourth drink-inspired mystery to feature Lt. Jacqueline Jack Daniels (after 2006's Rusty Nail) is a particularly potent mix of equal parts mirth and mayhem with a dash of sex and a twist (or two) of plot. When an extortionist prefaces his demands for a payoff from the city of Chicago by spreading enough botulism toxin to cause more than 30 deaths, Jack's previous successes and her resultant celebrity are enough to put her in charge of the case. The poisoner has more tricks up his sleeve and unleashes an almost unimaginable arsenal of toxins. Despite a horrific death count, Konrath infuses plenty of humor. Best of all, he gives the reader ample opportunities to stay abreast of or even ahead of his sleuth, but it will take a clever reader to unravel the subtle clues embedded in the story. Konrath's latest should be taken straight, no chaser needed. (July)

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Library Journal : While cleaning a funeral home late one night, Summer McAfee is taken hostage when a nude male body leaps off a preparing table. Over the next few days, Summer and the badly beaten, left-for-dead Steve Calhoun struggle to elude the bad guys, which include the police. Summer moves from fearing for her life to finding the love of her life. Despite skillful plot twists, humor, and clever use of a guardian ghost (Deedee, Steve's former lover), the book has a serious flaw. Although Walking is billed as a romantic thriller, Steve's initially cruel and brutal treatment of Summer is alarming. Veteran writer Robards (Maggy's Child, LJ 1/94) should know better than to perpetuate the myth that women unconsciously want to be dominated and victimized. Not recommended, despite its other qualities. [Doubleday Book Club main selection and Literary Guild alternate; previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 10/1/94.].-Rebecca S. Kelm, Northern Kentucky Univ. Lib., Highland Heights

Copyright 1994 Cahners Business Information, Inc. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions Inc. Terms

Publishers Weekly : With intriguing twists and turns, Robards's (Maggie's Child) latest is a fast-paced romantic thriller, peopled by down-to-earth characters. The heroine, Summer McAfee-proud owner of Daisy Fresh, a janitorial company-has no inkling of the crazy spin her life will take late one Saturday night as she cleans the Harmon Brothers Funeral Home. Unnerved by the obviously spooky environment, she nevertheless is brave enough to investigate a noise. Before she can blink, she's nabbed by a corpse who turns out to be badly beaten but not yet dead. ``Frankenstein'' as she will call him, is none other than the infamous Steve Calhoun, a former detective who is now on the run not only from drug dealers but also from the ghost of Deedee, his former mistress, whose purported suicide in his office was the cause of his very public disgrace and divorce. Convinced that Deedee was murdered, Steve had been investigating her death when he stumbled on the drug dealers-crooks who have day jobs on the Tennessee State Police force. As Steve continues to outwit their pursuers, Summer begins to see beyond his rough exterior. Grudging respect becomes mutual admiration and, eventually, love. Dialogue laced with surprising humor makes this fine blend of ghost story, romance and mystery a diverting read. Doubleday Book Club main selection; Literary Guild alternate.

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Publishers Weekly : Spencer-Fleming's second cozy-cum-thriller to feature the Reverend Clare Fergusson, an ex-army helicopter pilot turned Anglican priest, is every bit as riveting as her first, In the Bleak Midwinter (2002). A series of gay bashings, the discovery of PCBs in a local elementary school playground and a brutal murder heat up the Adirondacks town of Millers Kill, N.Y., hotter than the July weather. Clare, rector of St. Alban's Episcopal Church, and the very much married police chief Russ Van Alstyne, who have spent the last six months avoiding each other in hopes of dispelling their mutual attraction, find themselves working together on a perilous murder investigation. With eloquent exposition and natural dialogue, the precisely constructed plot moves effortlessly to its dramatic conclusion. The poignant reflections of Clare and Russ as they examine their own hearts and struggle with their feelings never detract from the crime solving. Amid a host of memorable characters, Clare stands out, whether daring to drive a sports car instead of a safer four-wheel-drive vehicle or donning her vestments to perform the evening service of Compline in an empty church lit with candles. Not just fans of ecclesiastical mysteries will have reason to rejoice.

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Publishers Weekly : With some 60 novels, including 40-plus bestsellers already to her credit, it seems a sure bet that this new romantic thriller will not blemish Brown's phenomenal track record. On a whim, the same day she is artificially inseminated at a Dallas fertility clinic, Gillian Lloyd switches places with her identical twin sister, Melina, a professional celebrity escort assigned to chauffeur astronaut Col. Christopher Hart (or "Chief," as he is called by his NASA cohorts because his mother was a Native American). It's lust at first sight. Swept away by Chief, Gillian is caught up in a marathon frenzy of lovemaking in his hotel room. Slipping out in the wee hours of the night, she is found brutally butchered in her own bed the next morning. From an obscene blood-smeared scrawl on the bedroom wall, her sister realizes that the killing was related to Gillian's love tryst with the astronaut. Hours later, the killer, an employee at the fertility clinic, commits suicide. The resulting investigation connects him to Brother Gabriel, the charismatic, egomaniacal leader of a powerful TV religious cult who is mysteriously linked in turn to artificial insemination clinics nationwide. Determined to avenge Gillian's murder, Melina and Chief become the targets of professional assassins masquerading as FBI agents. Potential witnesses are murdered as the trail eventually leads the pair (now fighting to keep their hands off each other) cross-country to Brother Gabriel's mountain stronghold in the remote reaches of New Mexico. Displaying her talents for fast pacing and tricky plotting, Brown delivers one of her patented twists in the denouement, setting the scene for a breathy, rose-colored climax. 700,000 first printing; major ad/promo.

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Library Journal : Right from the opening scene in which a priest complains about heartburn caused by the cooking of an overzealous nun, this first novel by an anonymous mother and daughter team delivers. Monkeewrench is a software company founded by five college buddies and headed by Grace McBride. After releasing their latest venture, a game called Serial Killer Detective, trouble arises: once it is released on the web, someone starts imitating the murders in real life. Are the killings in Minneapolis related to a church homicide in Wisconsin? Grace and her colleagues start playing the game themselves, analyzing victim profiles and crimes scenes to find the killer. This fun, snappy read features funny, sad, and spirited characters. Beautiful and tough, Grace has a sordid past that she is trying to forget; police detective Magozzi has his own past mistakes to overcome as well. Throw in a hot sheriff from rural Wisconsin, a ten-year-old African American orphan, a dog named Charlie, and the rest of the Monkeewrench crew-along with a serial killer who has just resurfaced after ten years-and you get one nonstop story. Highly recommended for most public libraries.-Marianne Fitzgerald, Independence High Sch., Charlotte, NC

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Publishers Weekly : A mother-daughter writing team pens a soundly plotted thriller that fires on all cylinders. Tracy (the authors' pseudonym) seamlessly weaves together three distinct subplots converging on a Minneapolis software company, Monkeewrench, run by eclectic misfits and founded by the beautiful, bitchy, haunted Grace MacBride, an enigmatic recluse. The slaying of an elderly couple in a Wisconsin church draws Sheriff Michael Halloran and his amorous deputy, Sharon Mueller, into an investigation that brings unprecedented scrutiny to their conservative rural town. At the same time, a string of baffling murders in Minneapolis are driving homicide detectives Leo Magozzi and Gino Rolseth bonkers. Then the folks at Monkeewrench figure out what's going on: a killer is staging a series of exotic murders that duplicate those in their grisly new video game, Serial Killer Detective. Desperate to prevent additional murders (the game has 20), the programmers study the victims to figure out who might be next. Meanwhile, Magozzi's investigation reveals that MacBride and her colleagues created entirely new identities for themselves years earlier, for reasons the FBI won't reveal, but which, Magozzi slowly finds, are connected to another series of murders a decade earlier in Atlanta. Tracy covers all the bases in this debut thriller: an accelerating, unpredictable plot that combines police procedural with techno-geek-speak, an array of well-drawn characters and, most importantly, witty repartee.

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Library Journal : The mother/daughter writing duo of P.J. Tracy (Monkeewrench; Live Bait) has once again penned a furiously paced tale with their trademark humor and quirky characters—only this time there's a personal twist. Deputy Sharon Mueller suspects a serial killer is at work and asks prickly, paranoid Grace McBride and queen-sized sexpot Annie Belinsky of Monkeewrench fame to accompany her from Minneapolis to Green Bay, WI. Their car breaks down in tiny Four Corners, MN, which appears to be recently vacated. They are not alone, however: an extremist paramilitary group has garrisoned the town and is hunting them down with orders to shoot on sight. The men left behind become concerned when Sharon, Grace, and Annie don't arrive in Green Bay; soon, they set out after them, but this is no damsel-in-distress tale. While these women are smart and feisty, a much bigger problem is afoot than they realize. Four Corners is just part of a larger terrorist plot that takes the combined efforts of the sheriff's department, the FBI, and the Monkeewrench crew to resolve. Strongly recommended for all fiction collections.—Stacy Alesi, Palm Beach Cty. Lib. Syst., Boca Raton, FL

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School Library Journal : Adult/High School–Bertie drives a tow truck for her father's auto shop in the small town of Sweet Meadow, GA. All she wants is to live a normal life, to find the man of her dreams, settle down, and escape the wrath of her church's Garden Club members. That's not easy to accomplish when the town's residents view her wrecker as a taxi service and will do anything to get a ride. It's not easy when an airplane rolls over her hand, breaking it, and her brother moves in with her while he's estranged from his wife. And it's definitely not easy when the elderly owner and previous resident of her house constantly sneaks out of the nursing home to visit. If she's lucky, he's in his pajamas. After an accident with a mattress makes the national news, Bertie begins receiving threatening letters full of wacky tips from her stalker, â??Jack.â?? Readers will laugh as she heads downtown to file for a permit to park her vehicle in her driveway, only to discover that the official notices forbidding her to do so were signed by a dead man. Although Wilson's debut novel can sometimes seem over-the-top, it's still a wonderful read. Bertie is a true Southern woman, able to survive at any cost, and to do it with style. Readers will relate to her as she muddles through life and ultimately finds that commitment, love, support, and trust are closer than she thought.–Erin Dennington, Fairfax County Public Library, Chantilly, VA

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Publisher's Weekly : "So perfect, like a Hollywood set," FBI agent James Quinlan thinks as he enters The Cove, a seemingly tranquil, picture-postcard town situated on the Oregon coast. Quinlan has been on Sally Brainerd's trail since her arms-dealing father, Amory St. John, was murdered. Sally is the key witness, and it's Quinlan's job to bring her in. Quinlan, whose cover is working as a PI hired to find an old couple who had mysteriously disappeared three years earlier, quickly learns that when he starts asking questions, bad things start happening. Coulter (The Nightingale Legacy), whose contemporary suspense novels are, unfortunately, few and far between, delivers a fast-paced, solidly structured read despite the occasionally cartoonish characters.

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Library Journal : This debut novel's title refers to the extreme dilation of the pupils that results in the inability to see through open eyesone of the symptoms of belladonna ingestion. It also refers to authorities in a small Georgia town who must track down a serial killer who uses the drug to control his victims as he rapes and tortures them before the kill. As Sara Linton, the town's pediatrician and coroner, and Jeffrey Tolliver, chief of police and Sara's ex-husband, work furiously to find the killer, they realize that they must also face the secrets of their pasts, secrets to which they had turned a blind eye for many years. Only then can they see the killer in their midst. This is an extremely mature first novel, with well-developed characters and a finely tuned plot; it also has a creepy killer and enough gory details to satisfy any Thomas Harris fan. The slightly too-neat ending paves the way for a sequel, which is already planned for 2002. Recommended for all public library thriller collections.Rebecca House Stankowski, Purdue Univ. Calumet Lib., Hammond,

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions Inc. Terms

Publishers Weekly : Billed as "Thomas Harris Meets Patricia Cornwell" and heralded by much advance hoopla in industry magazines, this long-anticipated launching of a scheduled three-book series featuring an attractive Georgia university town pediatrician-coroner marks the debut of a promising young author, but ultimately disappoints, partly due to overly-exorbitant pre-publishing claims. As Dr. Sara Linton leaves her pediatric clinic to meet her 33-year-old younger sister for lunch at a campus eatery, she receives a postcard picturing Atlanta's Emory University, where she interned. The enigmatic biblical message reads, "Why hast thou forsaken me?" At the diner, she goes to the restroom and discovers a young blind university professor who has been raped and brutally slashed with a knife. Too late to save her, Sara calls her ex-husband police chief, who, coincidentally, employs the victim's twin sister, Lena, as a detective. The trail quickly leads to a missing co-ed, and suspicion falls upon her druggie boyfriend. The co-ed is found raped, heavily drugged with belladonna and stretched out nude as if crucified on the hood of Sara's car in the hospital parking lot. Soon after, Lena is abducted by the killer. Fighting her attraction to her ex, Sara begins to suspect the rape-murders are tied to her own rape in the Emory parking lot 12 years ago. At the end, little suspense remains. Sara Linton is no Kay Scarpetta and her villain is a mere shadow of the complex, chilling Hannibal Lecter, but forgiving inept, trivia-cluttered dialogue and manifest lack of firsthand fluency in the medical arena the offbeat characters and setting are engaging enough to leave readers awaiting a sequel. (Sept. 17)Forecast: The hype including a blurb from George Pelecanos plus major advertising and a 5-city author tour should sell this early on, but the uneven execution may weaken demand for Slaughter's next book. Blindsighted is an alternate selection of the Book-of-the-Month Club, the Doubleday Book Club and the Mystery Guild, and foreign rights have been sold in Great Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Denmark and Norway.

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Library Journal : This outstanding debut by the former chair of the Young & Rubicam advertising agency is one of those rare novels that more than lives up to the usual PR puffery and author blurbs. Alexander Hawke, a descendant of pirates, is a British billionaire, a former Royal Navy commander, and a man frequently called on by the U.S. and British governments to carry out covert assignments. Although he has repressed the memory, when he was seven he witnessed the murder of his parents aboard their yacht in the Caribbean. Now he's back in the region in search of two things-a boomerang-shaped stealth sub carrying 40 long-range ballistic missiles and a treasure buried by his legendary ancestor, Blackhawke. Before he's through, however, Hawke will confront the three men who killed his parents, help lead a raid to rescue the woman he loves, and thwart a preemptive strike against the United States. This rip-roaring tale is made entirely believable through convincing detail, with a grand hero in Hawke. Various flawlessly developed story lines contribute to the high-octane pace, and the fully developed characters are delineated through the nuances of voice. In short, this is a commercial blockbuster packed with pleasure. Highly recommended for all public libraries.-Ronnie H. Terpening, Univ. of Arizona, Tucson

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Publishers Weekly : Bell's action-adventure novel actively courts comparisons to Ian Fleming's James Bond novels, even touching down on Thunderball Atoll in the Bahamas, in a nod to Fleming's 1961 Thunderball. Bell's hero is Alex Hawke, a jet-set business mogul who does "highly secret freelance work for the governments of the United States and Britain." Thirty years before the story begins, seven-year-old Alex Hawke watches from a hiding place as his mother and father are slaughtered by three modern-day pirates. The adult Hawke, descendant of the famous English pirate, Blackhawke, owns the finest of the world's goods, makes love to the most beautiful women and defeats the world's most heinous villains. He is, in short, a cartoon. When his friend and ex-lover, Consuelo de los Reyes, the beautiful and foul-mouthed secretary of state, asks him to save America with a difficult and exceedingly dangerous piece of derring-do, he leaps at the chance. The assignment involves a cabal of Cubans who have deposed Castro, bought themselves a secret submarine from the Russians and are preparing to launch 40 nuclear missiles at the United States. Hawke assembles an arsenal of cool weapons and exotic machinery, calls in a squad of deadly ex-SEAL anti-terrorist pals and saves the world. Along the way, he avenges his parents' brutal murder. Bell's first effort, Nick of Time, was a well-received pirate book for boys. This novel is a pirate book for adult boys. It's a fast, fun read, but the elaborately constructed homage to the master-Fleming and the inimitable Bond-tips over into unintentional parody more often than it should.

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Publishers Weekly : Gosling ( Death Penalties ) sets up a subtle variation on a locked-room mystery on tiny Paradise Island in the Great Lakes, as Midwest detective Jack Stryker puzzles with an array of subplots and suggestions of psychological menace lurking in the backwoods (or, here, backwaters). On remote Paradise, the cottages are generally handed down among the island's original families; a narrow bridge keeps out most of the rest of the world, while the pungent, boglike Mush nearby turns away developers. Stryker, recovering from a gunshot wound, is there with his girlfriend; Daria Gray, an artist, has returned from New York to escape her psychotic husband, who, she says, is hunting her. Meanwhile, a mysterious bid is made for the Mush and the secretive Wilberforces move in, building fences and hiring security men and guard dogs. Fluidly cutting from one plot to another, Gosling adeptly juggles business intrigue, small-town gossip and psychological trickery. Stryker remains a genuine, low-key pleasure and the islanders represent a beguiling cross-section of society.

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Library Journal : Detective Marshall "Mars" Bahr, known to co-workers as "Candy Man" (but not because of his name), reports directly to the Minneapolis police chief, especially when a young woman of impeccable background is murdered near the newly renovated waterfront. Suspicion falls first on her supposedly out-of-state boyfriend, then on an unknown "pick-up," and finally on a serial killer. Despite media pressure, Mars and partner Nellie ultimately prevail in this talented and exciting first novel. Sympathetic characters, a comfortable narrative, and a satisfyingly convoluted plot combine to create a winning procedural. For all collections.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions Inc. Terms

Publishers Weekly : Moving with great ease and speaking with great authority, this first novel introduces Marshall "Mars" Bahr, a divorced dad struggling to do the right thing for his precocious eight-year-old son, Chris. He's also the detective that Minneapolis calls in on its toughest homicide cases. This time the victim is Mary Pat Fitzgerald, a smart blonde teenager from a good family in the nearby suburb of Edina. She's found stabbed on a deserted path on the Father Hennepin Bluffs, with a bellyful of gin. By all accounts, the girl never drank, and what was she doing so far from home? As Mars digs into her private life, he finds a mother who's a drunk, an abusive father and a best friend who's not talking. In spite of the diligent work of Mars and his quasi-partner, Nettie Frisch, the case stalls. Months later, a completely unexpected break occurs when the Boston murder of another young girl is linked to the Fitzgerald case. Mars is drawn back in, unaware that he is believing exactly what the killer wants him to believe. The writing here is so flawless, the tone so true, that the reader wholeheartedly enters the world of Mars Bahr and others. Well-chosen details about Minneapolis's history and the politics in city hall enhance the setting; a strong, precise style and deftly handled transitions make the book sheer pleasure to read. If there's a weakness, it's the lack of development in Mars's personal life, although he does have a charming and unusual relationship with his son. With any luck, this is the first in a worthy new series.

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Library Journal : A Minneapolis man burdened with debt, disease, and family problems apparently commits suicide, but Special Detective Mars Bahr believes otherwise because the right-handed dead man could not have written a series of numbers on his own right arm. Bahr's far-reaching investigation first uncovers a connection to his psychologist friend's husband, who had unfortunate business dealings with the victim, then finds similarities to a murder in Wisconsin. The common link appears to be that both victims had Minnesota ancestors who fought in the Civil War. A thoroughly satisfying narrative, a sympathetic protagonist, descriptive details, and clever plotting place this follow-up to Third Person Singular high on the "buy" list.

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Publishers Weekly : A disappointing follow-up to a promising debut (2001's Third Person Singular), this second novel featuring Minneapolis Special Detective Marshall "Mars" Bahr stumbles in ways mystery fans do not easily forgive: a meandering plot, a too-obvious killer and a limp rendering of what should have been a riveting investigation. Bahr, the head of the elite First Response homicide unit, takes on a case that appears to be a cut-and-dried suicide, except for a 13-digit number written on the dead man's arm. Then other "suicides" begin showing up, all bearing the same number. Gradually, it becomes clear that someone is targeting descendants of a famed Minnesota Civil War regiment, and dozens of volunteer genealogists work furiously to track them down. The real source of tension here is this race against the clock, but it is curiously tame and leaves readers unsatisfied. More satisfying is the very appealing relationship between Bahr, a divorced father, and his young son. The only true source of warmth in the book, as it is in Bahr's life, their time together is a joy to witness. One utterly charming scene between father and son about the birds and the bees almost makes up for the many gratuitous scenes throughout that add nothing and go nowhere but not quite. Erickson's obvious strengths make the flaws all the more apparent by contrast, and leave us longing for a more polished work next time.

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Library Journal : Christopher Snow is back. Fans of Koontz's last offering, Fear Nothing (LJ 2/1/98), will remember Chris as the young victim of XP (xeroderma pigmentosum), a rare and deadly genetic condition that forces him to avoid light. Here, the horrifying tale of Chris's hometown, Moonlight Bay, continues to unfold. Chris and his tight band of friends take up the search for four missing children in this town, where experiments with a genetically engineered retrovirus have begun to turn several local residents into creatures that are less than human. Koontz successfully blends his special brand of suspense from generous measures of mystery, horror, sf, and the techno-thriller genre. But his greatest triumph in this series is the creation of Christopher Snow, a thought-provoking narrator with a facility for surfer-lingo and dark humor who, despite his extreme situation, is an undeniably believable character. [Previewed in Prepub Alert, 10/15/98.]--Nancy McNicol, Hagaman Memorial Lib., East Haven, CT

Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information, Inc. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions Inc. Terms

Publishers Weekly : No bestselling suspense novelist creates magnetic characters as consistently as Koontz does. In last year's Fear Nothing, this veteran author presented his most memorable figures yet: hero/narrator Christopher Snow, whose genetic affliction forces him to shun light; Chris's sidekick, the ultracool surfing dude Bobby; and ultrasmart dog Orson, a product of scientific experiments gone awry at Fort Wyvern in Chris's coastal California town. In this independent-minded sequel, the second novel of a trilogy, the wonderfully delineated loyalties among these characters and others will win readers' hearts as Koontz plunges his cast into terror. Koontz moves the trilogy's overarching plot in a wholly unexpected direction, pursuing not the experiments that begat Orson but a parallel time-travel/disruption experiment. The gambit feels a bit arbitrary, but it voids the attenuation that plagues many middle volumes. The story begins right after that of Fear Nothing, when Chris learns that children have been abducted to the Fort. Soon Orson is gone as well, but he's replaced smartly by Mungojerrie, the clever cat introduced in volume one. Set mostly at the abandoned Fort, as Chris and company search for the missing kids and dog, the novel proves supernally spooky (and, at times, surprisingly--deliberately--humorous). The suspense soars, culminating in a volcanic if somewhat confusing eruption of action climaxes. A principal villain makes a late appearance, but he's not as menacing as Fear Nothing's fiendish monkey troops, who also show up. Though not as seamlessly constructed as Fear Nothing, this novel stands as vintage Koontz, a rousing crowd-pleaser that recapitulates some of his recurrent themes--the pain of the outsider; the power of love; the threat of scientism--while sturdily continuing a trilogy that's shaping up as his masterwork. Simultaneous BDD audio. (Feb.; on sale 12/29).

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Library Journal : While investigating the murder of a young Long Island couple, an NYPD detective is stunned to find that they may have been involved in dealing genetically altered viruses. A 500,000-copy first printing.

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Publishers Weekly : Tom and Judy Gordon were bright, young, attractive scientists whom everyone seemed to like. So who would murder them--and why? Could their deaths have something to do with Plum Island, supposedly an animal research facility but possibly a top-secret site for biological warfare experiments? Could it involve a pirate's treasure buried in the vicinity more than 300 years ago? Returning to the Long Island, N.Y., setting of The Gold Coast (1990), DeMille makes his finest showing since that enormously popular book. Important to his success here is the catchy, ironic voice of narrator John Corey, a freewheeling Manhattan detective who's at his uncle's house on the Island to recover from bullet wounds and who gets tapped by the locals to act as "consultant" on the case. Key to the novel's sway is its boisterous plot, as DeMille expertly melds medical mystery, police procedural and nautical adventure, adding assorted love interests and capping matters with a ferocious storm at sea. Atmospherics are strong and the novel acquires its own storm force as it moves toward a cataclysmic denoument. DeMille's research seems sound as well, rendering the inner workings of a science lab as believable and fascinating as the discovery of treasure maps. It's a smooth job from an old pro who knows what readers are looking for. $500,000 ad/promo; BOMC main selection; Doubleday Audio Book Club main selection; foreign rights sold in 10 countries; author tour; rights: Nicholas Ellison.

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Library Journal : In this upbeat novel about two sisters living in Minnesota between the 1950s and the 1980s, Patty Jane marries young, is abandoned by her husband, and lives with baby daughter Nora and mother-in-law Ione. Patty Jane's sister, Harriet, is engaged to a millionaire, who is killed in an airplane crash just before the wedding. When Patty Jane opens a beauty parlor called "The House of Curl," it quickly becomes the locale of a women's support group. The women gossip, take a variety of classes at the beauty parlor, and console one another when needed. Harriet becomes an alcoholic and lives in the streets until she is saved by a policeman and falls in love again. Patty Jane falls in love with her male manicurist and is jolted when her missing husband reappears. This first novel by former stand-up comic Landvik portrays the vicissitudes of life, the bonding of women, and the ties of family. While sometimes predictable, it is always amusing and should appeal to a large audience.-Stephanie Furtsch, New Rochelle P.L., N.Y.

Copyright 1995 Cahners Business Information, Inc. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions Inc. Terms

Publishers Weekly : This debut novel's campy title promises good-natured gossip, women baring their souls and their gray roots to understanding hairdressers. Yet although Landvik builds her plot around two close-knit Minnesota sisters, Patty Jane and Harriet, she doesn't so much conjure a beauty shop as explain, in sentimental terms, how her kindhearted principals survive hardship. The story, which oscillates between optimism and tragedy, begins in 1953, at Patty Jane's wedding to handsome Norwegian Thor; that evening, the bride becomes pregnant, frightening her husband and eventually prompting his mysterious disappearance only days before their daughter is born. Meanwhile, Harriet falls in love with Avel, a doting millionaire. They're blissfully happy together, so when Avel goes on a business trip just before their scheduled nuptials, it's a sure bet his plane will crash. The ensuing years pass quickly as the sisters adjust to single life. Patty Jane opens the eponymous salon and raises her daughter, while Harriet, who never quite gets over Avel, develops a drinking problem. Both women will love again, but new troubles are in store. Landvik uses the latter half of the book to grandstand against alcohol and cigarettes; the characters praise AA, and one key player succumbs to lung cancer. Everyone finds consolation in the homespun wisdom that peppers every page (``grief is a lot like sobriety; you get through it one day at a time''). Family bonds--if not beauty-salon solidarity--triumph in this unpretentious tale. British rights to Little, Brown UK.

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Library Journal : In Hiaasen's ninth novel (after Sick Puppy), Jack Tagger is a former investigative reporter demoted to obituaries. When Jimmy Stoma, the lead singer of a once major but now forgotten rock band, dies in a suspicious diving accident, Jack pounces on the opportunity to prove his investigative mettle to his editor and secure his position in an increasingly unpleasant workplace. He interviews the less-than-distraught widow, Cleo Rio, herself the latest hot commodity on the music scene, and studies the lyrics Stoma wrote for his band, the Slut Puppies. Members of Jimmy's old band turn up dead, which suggests foul play. Now Jack has to stay alive as well as convince his editor that the Jimmy Stoma story is important. All this, and a frozen monitor lizard, entices the reader to keep turning the pages. Hiaasen's typical quirky characters and hilarious dialog are in abundance in this thoroughly entertaining novel. For all fiction collections. [Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 9/1/01.] Jeff Ayers, Seattle P.L.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions Inc. Terms

Publishers Weekly : Hiassen gets back to his roots with this (almost) straight-ahead mystery, but doesn't skimp on the funny stuff as he follows the adventures of Jack Tagger, down-on-his-luck journalist relegated to the obit beat at a smalltown Florida daily. While researching a death notice, Jack stumbles by accident upon an actual news story: former rocker Jimmy Stoma has drowned while diving in the Bahamas, and his widow, wannabe star Cleo Rio, can't convince Jack that his death was accidental. The mystery offers Jack a way out of his job-related death fixation ("It's an occupational hazard for obituary writers memorizing the ages at which famous people have expired, and compulsively employing such trivia to track the arc of one's own life") and toward his increasingly lusty feelings for Emma, his 27-year-old editor (" `Bring whipped cream,' I tell her, `and an English saddle' "). But when things turn violent and Jack suddenly has to defend himself with a giant frozen lizard, he enlists the help of his sportswriter friend Juan Rodriguez and teenage club scene veteran Carla Candilla to try to find out why someone is killing off has-been sleaze rockers. A hilarious sendup of exotic Floridian fauna in the newspaper business, the novel offers all the same treats Hiassen's fans have come to crave. What makes this book different is its first-person, present-tense narrative style. Unlike previous capers, which were narrated in the omniscient third person, this book settles squarely in the mystery genre from whence Hiaasen's fame (Double Whammy; Tourist Season, etc.) initially sprang. Despite the absence of perennial Hiaasen favorite Skink, this should make an easy job for Knopf's sales force even easier. (Jan. 9)Forecast: A 22-city author tour, a drive-time radio tour and national print and television advertising are all in the works for Basket Case. With first serial going to Rolling Stone and a 300,000-copy first printing, this looks like another bestselling sure bet for the Florida funnyman.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions Inc. Terms

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Publishers Weekly : Acclaimed children's book author Paulsen offers a gripping account of his experience running the 1180 mile Iditarod dogsled race.

Copyright 1995 Cahners Business Information, Inc. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions Inc. Terms

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Publishers Weekly : Lende chronicles the various lives and deaths of the people of Haines, Alaska, an almost inaccessible hamlet 90 miles north of Juneau. In writing her social and obituary columns for Haines's Chilkat Valley News—some of which are included here—she blends reportage and humor. Lende has lived in Haines all her adult life and is well-known in town. She deftly illuminates local color: the sewer plant manager who rides a motorcycle and sports a ZZ Top beard, the high school principal who moonlights as a Roy Orbison impersonator, and the one-legged female gold miner. Lende covers death in her community in all its forms—accidental, intentional and inevitable—and notes, "writing about the dead helps me celebrate the living." While comic, the book also has some sensitive, insightful anecdotes. For example, Lende, a contributor to NPR's Morning Edition, portrays the building of a coffin for a beloved mother by her youngest daughter; the sinking of a family boat with a tender farewell for a fearless fisherman; the mourning of a quirky, civic-minded "aging hippie"; and the goodbye to a Texas woman who hosted an annual Mississippi blues party. Lende's picture of an Alaskan small town is colorful and captivating. (June)

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Library Journal : Colfer is already well known in Britain for his popular children's books. The quirky characters and delightful humor of his latest work will undoubtedly delight American readers as well. Artemis Fowl, 12-year-old criminal mastermind and consummate self-server, is out to win fame and restock the dwindling family fortune. The wealthy Fowls, underworld moguls, have fallen on hard times with the disappearance of Artemis's father and the questionable sanity of his depressed mother. Having discovered the true existence of fairies and their magic, Artemis foments a wicked plot to steal their gold. Coercing a fairy on the skids to show him her book of magic, he manages to crack the code and acquaint himself with fairy magic and technology. But Artemis realizes that he needs more bargaining power, so he kidnaps the fairy, Capt. Holly Short of the LEPrecon (Lower Elements Police Reconnaissance) Unit, intending to ransom her for the gold. As the book progresses, readers suspect that this child prodigy is perhaps not so foul as he seems, nor are the good fairies quite so wonderful after all. Fun to read, full of action and humor, this is recommended for all public libraries and to readers of all ages. [The publisher, jointly with Hyperion Books for Children, is promoting this to the young and adult fans of Harry Potter. Ed.] Jennifer Baker, Seattle P.L.

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Publisher's Weekly : Hell's teeth! Readers will no more be able to put down Quick's 12th Regency romance than Imogen Waterstone can fend off the delicious advances of Matthias Marshall, Earl of Colchester. From page one, Quick's contract with the reader is clear. Nothing is as it seems, and the plot teases until the happy ending. Of course, the earl known as "Cold-bloodied" Colchester will turn out to be a lamb and a love. Of course, the woman dubbed "Immodest Imogen" is a virgin beneath her heaving bosom. And there's no doubt that the two shall marry, for they make a great business of announcing all the reasons why they can't. But even if the romance is a sure thing, there's suspense enough. At great peril to themselves, Matthias and Imogen must unravel the identity of a pair of cunning murderers who have infiltrated high society. Quick, who is Jayne Ann Krentz writing pseudonymously, has created another golden link here in her long chain of bestsellers (Mystique, etc.). Her alchemical formula? Feisty yet feminine women, sublimely ironic men, amusing chat, hot sex and a sprinkling of period vocabulary and details--but not enough to make it feel like a history lesson. Major ad/promo.

Copyright 1996 Cahners Business Information, Inc. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions Inc. Terms

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Library Journal : Enormously popular romance writer Quick scores big again with this delightful, frothy love story featuring Charlotte Arkendale, who is left to fend for herself following her mother's death and her stepfather's subsequent squandering of the family fortune. She creates an intriguing profession of investigating the intentions, honorable or otherwise, of her clients' suitors. Unfortunately, one of her clients winds up dead, and Charlotte is determined to find the killer. Baxter St. Ives, the required love interest, is also investigating the murder. Predictably, the two join forces, struggling with their growing feelings for each other. These two characters are so likable that we can only hope to see them again in a sequel. As always, Quick understands her readers and delivers an entertaining, sensual, albeit paper-thin, plot. Add this one to your "guilty pleasures" list and buy multiple copies.

Terrill Persky, Naperville, Ill. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions Inc. Terms

Publishers Weekly : Engaging and sympathetic--although somewhat one-dimensional--heroines, and fast-paced plots propelled by a series of well-calculated revelations are the hallmarks of Quick's (aka Jayne Ann Krentz) bestselling novels. This latest suspenseful romance (after Mischief), set in Regency England, begins with an exciting prologue in which the heroine, plain but determined Charlotte Arkendale, faces down a would-be rapist with an empty pistol. When he asks her whether she "believes in destiny," it is obvious that their paths will cross again. Five years later, Charlotte, now a 25-year-old virgin with her own investigation business, engages Baxter St. Ives as her man-of-affairs. She wants him to assist her in solving the murder of one of her clients, not knowing that Baxter has insinuated himself into this position in order to seek out the killer himself. Although he appears to others as "bland as pudding," Charlotte sees "a man of strong passions" and is immensely atrracted to him. Baxter, who has concealed his background as a scientist and his identity as the bastard son of a wealthy earl, finds himself entranced by the spirited Charlotte. Meanwhile, Charlotte's sister, Ariel, makes her debut in society, where she meets Baxter's legitimate half-brother, Hamilton, fifth Earl of Esherton. They are all drawn into the search for the murderer, who instead entices them into his trap. The killer's destiny is determined by the old adage that character is fate, and by a bit of scientific sleight-of-hand. As always, Quick injects enough sexual innuendo to cause some heavy breathing and arranges for her reluctant heroine to recognize true love. (June) FYI: The paperback edition of Mischief, published in May, will contain a chapter from Affair.

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Library Journal : Having written six consecutive national best sellers, Krentz appears unstoppable. Her latest chronicles an unlikely romance between a career woman and a computer nerd.

Copyright 1994 Cahners Business Information, Inc. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions Inc. Terms

Publishers Weekly : Krentz (Grand Passion) sends romance speeding down the new information highway when struggling young Seattle businesswoman Desdemona Wainwright meets reclusive super-rich computer genius Sam Stark. Hired to cater Stark's wedding reception, Desdemona is left with the bill when Stark is left at the altar. The account settled, Desdemona finds herself attracted to the emotionally aloof Stark, whose ruggedly handsome looks are often obscured by his outfit of choice-jeans, running shoes and a ``nerd pack,'' a plastic pocket protector for his pens. When Desdemona backs away from their increasingly intense relationship, Stark responds by hiring her to cater parties for Stark Security Systems-on the condition that she act as his hostess. During a swank party at Stark's home, someone tries to make off with ARCANE, his new, top-secret encryption and decryption software. Stark is certain that Desdemona's jealously overprotective stepbrother, Tony, is to blame. After Desdemona hires Stark's own company to prove Tony innocent, matters take some dangerous turns, including murder. Krentz's prose, especially in the amorous scenes, is high purple (``His mouth came down on hers with the impact of lava on snow''), and her characters, especially Stark, are two-dimensional, but the pace is brisk and the high-tech gloss fun if rudimentary (at one point, Desdemona, locked into a freezer by the killer, uses a PDA, or wireless minicomputer, to e-mail for help). While not likely to appeal to aficionados of sophisticated high-tech thrillers like Michael Crichton's, this should please Krentz's readership and may even lure some of her Amanda Quick fans into the 20th century. Major ad/promo; audio rights to Simon & Schuster Audio.

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