Looking for a Solid Mystery Series?

Try "Sworn to Silence" by Linda Castillo. Since a serial killer stopped terrorizing local citizens in the 1990's, nothing much happens in the rural burg of Painters Mill, Ohio, which is just how Chief Kate Burkholder likes it. After years of experience in the more urban setting of Columbus, Ohio, she jumped at the chance to become the police chief of her hometown. Her past as a member of the local Amish community has given her a unique perspective and ability to act as a go-between between the private Amish community and the "English."

When one of her officers responds to a "loose cattle" call and instead finds the nude body of a young woman in the snow, Kate's peaceful existence comes to an abrupt halt. Not only is the murder reminiscent of the serial killings that took place in the '90's, but it brings Kate's history crashing back to her, including a secret that she, her brother and sister have kept all these years. When the town calls in outside help, Kate is resistant, fearing her secret will be exposed after 16 years, but as bodies continue to turn up, she must face her fear in order to solve the gruesome crimes.

John Tomasetti has been to hell, and does not seem to want to leave. Since losing his partner and family a few years earlier, his life has continued in a downward spiral, thanks to his steady diet of booze and painkillers. When he is assigned to work on the Painters Mill murders, he knows it is his last chance. Can Kate overcome her fear and mistrust to work with Tomasetti?

This is the first book of three so far featuring Chief Kate Burkholder, and I have a feeling we'll be seeing more of John Tomasetti as well. Despite the Amish connection, this is definitely NOT a cozy mystery - the grisly details, salty language and sexual situations and references are not for the faint of heart. Kate is a great heroine - strong yet vulnerable, principled yet hesitant, and damaged yet hopeful. I look forward to seeing more from this series. Fans of this book may also like Patricia Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta series or Nevada Barr's Anna Pigeon series.

Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin

Silas "32" Jones is the constable of a tiny town in rural Mississippi. His childhood friend, Larry Ott, still lives in the house he grew up in and "operates" his father's automotive business - a business that hasn't had a customer in years, as Larry has long lived under suspicion in the disappearance of a local girl when he was a teenager.

When a similar crime takes place, Larry is at the center of suspicion when he himself is the victim of a violent crime. Silas reluctantly gets involved, knowing that Larry is innocent of the crime. As Silas digs deeper into the crime wave hitting his tiny community, he starts letting go of his own secrets - secrets that provide important details in the girl's disappearance so many years ago.

Franklin has written a quiet and thoughtful southern novel that studies friendship, secrets and justice. The majority of the characters are not all that likable overall, which made for a rather slow read for me. However, the interest in the crimes and hope for reconciliation kept me reading until the end.

Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin

Silas "32" Jones and Larry Ott were friends once upon a time, growing up in rural Mississippi. Larry was a quiet, nerdy white kid who loved to read; Silas, an African American was a star baseball player at the local high school. One night, both of their lives changed forever when a girl that Larry had taken on a date disappeared, never to be seen or heard from again. Although Larry was never charged with a crime, he was ostracized by his community, where he lived a solitary life with only one friend - the strange and troublesome Wallace Stringfellow. Although Silas escaped the area for several years following the girl's disappearance, he ends up back in town as the constable.

When another young woman goes missing, Larry is immediately under suspicion, and when he is almost fatally attacked, everyone (but Silas) assumes he had it coming. Silas does a little investigating on his own, knowing that Larry is not a murderer, as Silas has a little secret from that night long ago...

This is a quiet novel with memorable characters and enough intrigue to keep me interested. Overall, there were more questions left unanswered than answered - the author did offer some quick and dirty explanations behind some of the mysteries; however the final result, although satisfying, felt a little rough around the edges.

The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen

This story of whimsy, friendship and secrets is a perfect read to cozy up to this fall. Set in Walls of Water, North Carolina, the book is based around the seemingly different lives of Willa Jackson and Paxton Osgood. Willa was the quiet prankster in high school, who only returned to her hometown following the death of her father and after the demise of her marriage; Paxton, of the prominent Osgood family, is a community leader who still lives with her parents and is spearheading the renovation of an old, decrepit mansion that at one time belonged to Willa's ancestors.

When a skeleton is unearthed under the peach tree on the renovation site, Paxton and Willa unwillingly come together to solve a mystery that involves both of their grandmothers, who, were the best of friends at one time until a change in fortune that saw Willa's grandmother going to work for the Osgoods as a maid. While both grandmothers are still living, Willa's suffers from dementia and Paxton's from sassiness that make it difficult for the women to string together the events that led to the mysterious skeleton.

Sarah Addison Allen writes an enchanting tale that has a little something for everyone - romance, intrigue, humor, history, murder - even ghosts. Small town history and secrets are always a hit with me...and, as always, if you are a sucker for a happy ending, you will enjoy this latest offering from Allen.

Audio Book Review by Jennifer

Deeper Than the Dead by Tami Hoag: Audio-CD

While running away from the class bully and his toady, 5th graders Tommy Crane & Wendy Morgan stumble literally into a dead body, a half-buried woman, with her eyes and mouth glued shut. Their teacher, Anne Navarre, is also pulled into the series of frightening events as she tries to help her students deal with finding a body, the escalating bullying from Dennis Farman, who happens to be the son of a police officer, the possibility of a serial killer hunting young women in the small town, her relationship with her father and a new romance on the horizon. Tony Mendez, one of the local detectives, calls in FBI agent Vince Leone, a pioneer in profiling which is still a newer technique in 1985.

After another woman goes missing and everyone circles around and around the small group of local suspects, mostly including the parents of the children who discovered the first body. As a thriller, this book really does pull you in. As I listened, I could not decide for sure who the killer was. Red herrings are thrown out every time you decide on a definite suspect. I was intrigued by most of the main characters, with few exceptions, even the suspects are likeable. A few of the characters feel as if they are just there to ‘be there’, but most of them are filled out enough to be believable. One of the most interesting things about this book is the point of view from the children’s eyes, the inner workings of their families from the inside, rather than the public face, the ‘perfect family’.

I often found myself sitting in my car in my driveway, listening to the last bit of chapter, only to find the next part just as exciting and then having to force myself to stop listening. This is not a read for everyone, though. There are some graphic descriptions and foul language. A few of the loose ends are not wrapped up as neatly as I would have liked, but on the plus side, there is a sequel, so perhaps they will be wrapped up there! The next book in this series is Secrets to the Grave.

This Mystery Series Has It All!

If you haven't read Julia Spencer-Fleming's excellent Rev. Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne series, this is definitely one not to miss! The seventh book of the series, One Was a Soldier, is due out April 12th - but, don't start with this one. This is a series you definitely want to read in order.

Set in the fictional Adirondack village Miller's Kill, New York, Clare first comes to town as the new Episcopalian minister in the first book of the series, In the Bleak Midwinter. Here she is introduced to the sheriff, Russ. Clare is not your typical minister - not only is she a female, she is also a tough-as-nails former Army helicopter pilot. Russ, also a former army soldier, is the wizened married lawman of his hometown.

The two first come together to solve the mystery of an abandoned baby that is left at Clare's church, become friends who share a growing attraction to one another, and become a formidable team in solving the rash of crimes that go on in their little community. One aspect of the series that is very interesting is the different perspectives the two main characters come from in investigating the crimes - Clare from a sociological perspective, and Russ from a law enforcement perspective. Despite the fact that Clare is a reverend, this is not a cozy mystery series.

Here are the books in order:

1. In the Bleak Midwinter
2. A Fountain Filled with Blood
3. Out of the Deep I Cry
4. To Darkness and to Death
5. All Mortal Flesh
6. I Shall Not Want
7. One Was a Soldier

The Night Season by Chelsea Cain

Chelsea Cain's latest entry, her fourth, in the Archie Sheridan detective series does not disappoint. With serial killer Gretchen Lowell behind bars once again, Archie has slowly begun the physical and emotional healing process, and is back on the job at the Portland, Oregon Police Department with reporter Susan Ward at his side.

The city is undergoing the worst flooding it has seen in decades, and several people have drowned as a result - until the medical examiner discovers that the deaths were actually the result of a mysterious toxin only found in a rare type of octupus. The authorities are baffled by the clues they have to work with, until even one of their own falls victim to the serial toxin.

As Archie and his team tirelessly follow any and all leads, they are in a race against time as Portland's flooded streets become more and more dangerous and their colleague struggles to hang on. Will they be able to locate the source of the poisonous octopus and stop the killer before he strikes again? Will Susan piece together the historical clues from the vanished community of Vanport, washed away 50 years earlier in an earlier flood?

Chelsea Cain does a marvelous job in her first book where Gretchen Lowell is not a major player - she nicely ties in the historical back story with the contemporary crises. As always, her books are so well written, she keeps the action humming right along, and in this case, two mysteries are solved by the end of the book while the friendship between Archie and Susan deepens.

Horns by Joe Hill

Joe Hill, author of Heart-Shaped Box, and son of horror legend Stephen King, continues to solidify his place among up-and-coming writers with his most recent work, Horns.

Ig Perrish awakens one morning with the mother of all hangovers...not to mention the horns growing out of his head. As he attempts to move through his day, he begins to realize that people aren't as freaked out by the horns as he thinks they should be. Plus, they tell him things that they normally would not tell anyone - secret, dark desires - then cannot remember the conversation or even that they spoke with him. In one such conversation, Ig's brother Terry reveals the who the killer of Ig's former girlfriend is, a crime that the community assumes was committed by Ig. Ig, with horns humming, decides to use his new power to trap the real killer.

Hill continues honing his storytelling abilities in this entertaining and thought-provoking read. He tackles age-old topics such as good vs. evil, what awaits in the afterlife, and what are people really thinking behind their public facades? Is forgiveness always an option? To learn more about this book and Joe Hill, see the widget below.