Comprising Australian publications, British publications released in Australia, and books published in the USA (those with prices as "US") "Cloth" is a hardcover; "Trade" is a large paperback format. To order any title listed contact us on gasbooks@gaslightbooks.com.au or phone/fax (02) 6239 3633. Australian prices include the GST

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Abbott, Jeff Collision ($7.99 US ) Thrown together as the fall guys for an elaborate setup, a corporate consultant and an espionage agent become unlikely partners whose survival is threatened by untrustworthy associates and secrets from the agent's past.

Abbott, Megan Bury Me Deep ($15.00 US Trade) In the wake of a double murder in which the victims' bodies are concealed in trunks aboard a Los Angeles-bound train, suspicion falls upon a young blonde woman whose guilt becomes subject to her gender, class, and ill-advised passion

Ackroyd, Peter Casebook of Victor Frankenstein ($24.95) A novel written in the voice of Victor Frankenstein himself. Shelley and Mary Shelley are characters in the story.

Adler, Elizabeth One of Those Malibu Nights ($13.99 US Trade) Intervening on behalf of a distraught woman who is holding a gun in the doorway of a Malibu beach house, private investigator Mac Reilly finds himself in possession of the gun and searching for the woman when she later goes missing.

Adler, Elizabeth There's Something About St. Tropez ($25.99 US Cloth) Brought together by a rental scam for which they arrive at the same small seaside hotel, five international vacationers, including television detective Mac Reilly and his girlfriend Sunny, are faced with an international art heist, a murder, and a haunting.

Airth, Rennie Dead of Winter ($32.95 Trade) During a blackout on the streets of London on a freezing evening in late 1944, a young Polish land girl, Rosa Nowak, is suddenly and brutally killed. For the police, their resources already stretched by the new war regulations and the thriving black market, this is a shocking and seemingly random crime. No one can find any reason why someone would want to murder an innocent refugee. For the former police inspector John Madden, the crime hits close to home. Rosa was working on his farm and he feels personally responsible for not protecting her. His old colleagues Angus Sinclair and Billy Styles are still at the Yard but struggle to make sense of their few clues. Their only lead points towards Europe - but as the war rages across the continent, will they find the killer before he strikes again?

Anderson, Lin Easy Kill ($19.95) A young woman - a prostitute - has been brutally slain and left across a grave in Glasgow's sprawling cemetery, the Necropolis. Rhona Macleod, called in to carry out forensic investigations, has no doubt that the depraved killer's motives were sexual. When the removal of the girl's corpse from the city of the dead reveals another woman recently buried underneath, the case takes on a disturbing new dimension. This man has killed before - and will again

Andrews, Donna Cockatiels at Seven: a Meg Langslow Mystery ($6.99 US ) Reluctantly agreeing to babysit for her friend Karen's toddler son Timmy, Meg Langslow ends up with the child when Karen goes missing, and she launches a personal investigation while coping with some very dangerous people interested in Timmy.

Andrews, Donna Swan for the Money: a Meg Langslow Mystery ($24.99 US Cloth) Volunteering to help her parents' latest venture in competitive rose cultivation, Meg Langslow encounters unexpected ruthlessness among the contestants and applies her sleuthing skills when the show's wealthy host is discovered murdered on her estate.

Arnott, Jake Devil's Paintbrush ($32.95 Trade) Paris, 1903. Major-General Sir Hector Macdonald, one of the greatest heroes of the British Empire whose career took him from the poverty of the Scottish highlands to becoming the military governor of Ceylon, faces ruin in a shocking homosexual scandal. When he meets the notorious occultist, Aleister Crowley, he finds himself setting out into the night on a wild journey through the sinful city, and the story of his tragedy begins to unfold - with startling revelations both for the general and the aspiring magician. In a tale that ranges from the battlefields of Sudan and Afghanistan to the Boer Wars, Jake Arnott brings alive a fascinating, forgotten figure of history, and a world trembling on the brink of a brutal new era.

Bakker, Scott Neuropath ($19.95) Tom's marriage is on the rocks. His best friend, Neil, has moved away to California to teach neurology and he barely sees him, but that all changes when Neil comes back into his life. For it seems that his best friend was no teacher - he was working for the US government, cracking the minds of suspected terrorists. But now it is Neil himself that has cracked and gone AWOL - what's more he has left behind evidence that he has been employing his unique skills on civilians - obsessed with the idea that he can control the human brain. Thus begins a terrifying sequence of events as Neil starts to kidnap and mutilate people with a connection to Tom

Baldacci, David Divine Justice ($19.95) Known by his alias, "Oliver Stone", John Carr is the most wanted man in America. With two pulls of the trigger, the men who hid the truth of Stone's past and kept him in the shadows were finally silenced. But Stone's freedom has come at a steep price; the assassinations he carried out have prompted the highest levels of the United States Government to unleash a massive manhunt. Joe Knox is leading the charge, but his superiors aren't telling him everything there is to know about his quarry - and their hidden agendas are just as dangerous as the killer he's trying to catch

Balzo, Sandra Brewed, Crude and Tattoed ($27.95 US Cloth) Maggy Thorsen, co-owner of the coffee house Uncommon Grounds, is trapped in a shopping mall by a snow storm, which cuts the electricity and phone lines. She finds the body of Way Benson, the owner of the mall. Maggy's discovery unearths other refugees of the storm and more than one of these people has a motive for killing the arrogant way, but then there is another murder.

Barclay, Linwood Fear the Worst ($32.95 Trade) The worst day of Tim Blake's life started out with him making breakfast for his seventeen-year-old daughter Sydney. Syd was staying with him while she worked a summer job - even if he wasn't entirely sure what her job at the Just Inn Time motel actually was - and Tim hoped this quality father-daughter time would somehow help her deal with his divorce from Susanne. When she didn't arrive home at her usual time, he thought she'd probably gone to the mall to hang with her friends. When she didn't answer her phone he began to worry. When she didn't come home at all, he began to panic. And when the people at the Just Inn Time said they had no Sydney Blake working at the motel and never had, he began to see his life going into freefall. Only one thing has him convinced the worst hasn't already happened: the fact that some very scary people seem just as eager as he is to find her. The question is: who's going to find her first?

Beaton, M. C. Agatha Raisin and the Case of the Curious Curate (CD) ($29.95 Audio) Depressed after being humiliated and abandoned by the two men in her life, Agatha Raisin finds a new prospect in curate Tristan Delon, whose untimely death prompts Agatha to investigate strange mysteries surrounding the victim. 2 CDs

Bell, James Scott Try Fear ($21.99 US Cloth ) When a suspected drunk driver he was defending is murdered in a set-up that was staged to look like a suicide, L.A. lawyer Ty Buchanan takes the case of the chief suspect, the man's brother, and begins to uncover a corrupt network with ties to the highest levels of city power.

Bell, Ted Tsar ($9.99 US Premium size) When a vastly powerful new Russian tsar threatens America not to interfere with plans to reintegrate Russia's rogue states, espionage agent Alex Hawke investigates the disturbingly related work of a brutal serial killer who targets an innocent family and blows up their small midwestern community.

Billingham, Mark In the Dark ($22.95) A rainy night in south London. A gun is fired into a car which swerves on to the pavement, killing the person standing at a bus stop. It seems that a chilling gang initiation has cost an innocent victim their life. But the reality is far more sinister... One life is wiped out and three more are changed forever

Birkegaard, Mikkel Library of Shadows ($32.95 Trade) When Luca Campelli dies a sudden and violent death, his son Jon inherits his second-hand bookshop, Libri di Luca, in Copenhagen. Jon has not seen his father for twenty years, since the mysterious death of his mother. After Luca's death is followed by an arson attempt on the shop, Jon is forced to explore his family's past.

Black, Lisa Takeover ($7.99 US ) Arriving at the scene of a bank robbery where her fiancT and seven others have been taken hostage, forensic scientist Theresa MacLean fears that the high-profile hostage negotiator brought in by police may be too arrogant for the task and offers herself in exchange for her fiance's safety

Block, Lawrence Hit and Run ($7.99 US ) Framed for a high-profile murder that he did not commit, contract hit man John Keller flees for his life and becomes increasingly suspicious about his handler's ominous unresponsiveness

Blundy, Anna Breaking Faith: a Faith Zanetti Thriller ($24.99 US Cloth) Preferring large-scale assignments to her investigation of a small plane bombing over a tiny Scottish village, dysfunctional war correspondent Faith Zanetti is haunted by realizations about the tragedy and begins to suspect that the truth is closer than she realized.

Booth, Stephen Kill Call ($32.95) On a rain-swept Derbyshire moor, hounds from the local foxhunt find the body of a well-dressed man whose head has been crushed. Yet an anonymous caller reports the same body lying half a mile away. Called in to investigate the discovery, detectives DS Diane Fry and DC Ben Cooper become entangled in the violent world of hunting and hunt saboteurs, horse theft and a little-known sector of the meat trade

Bowen, Rhys Royal Flush ($24.95 US Cloth) Sent home to Castle Rannoch in the wake of an employment scandal, Lady Georgiana becomes a companion to a divorce who would seduce the prince of Wales, an assignment that serves as a front during her secret mission to help Scotland Yard prevent an assassination attempt

Bowen, Rhys Royal Pain: a Royal Spyness Mystery ($7.99 US ) Assigned by the Queen of England to entertain a Bavarian princess, penniless aristocrat Lady Georgie must help Princess Hanni unlearn the English she has learned from American gangster films, break her of her shoplifting habit, deal with her unwitting involvement with Communists, and investigate a murder

Braziel, James Snakeskin Road ($15.00 US Trade) In a tale set in a bleak near-future world, recently widowed and pregnant Jennifer Harrison flees the Alabama desert for the promise of the North only to find her path blocked by merciless dust storms, a situation that is complicated by an abandoned girl and a smuggler who offers to transport them to the Midwestern free zones

Breslin, Theresa Nostradamus Prophecy ($19.95) When Nostradamus proclaims to the French court his prophecy of a great massacre, the young King Charles only laughs. His mother, Catherine de' Medici, pays more heed - she believes that Nostradamus can truly see the future. But the great soothsayer'ss prophecies are not only for those who rule; he also has a message for Melisande, the minstrel's daughter, who he believes is linked with him by Fate. And as the Angel of Death approaches, Nostradamus entrusts to her safekeeping some very special parchments - parchments that the rulers of France would do anything to see (young adult)

Brockmann, Suzanne Hot Pursuit ($26.00 US Cloth) Troubleshooter Alyssa Locke protects an old friend who is running for public office, a job that is complicated by family demands and the reemergence of the "Dentist" serial killer

Brookmyre, Christopher Snowball in Hell ($24.95) If society has the B-list celebrities it deserves, it now has a killer to match. Except that Simon Darcourt is a great deal more successful in his career choice than the average talent show contestant. He's also got the media taped - by the simple expedient of by-passing them completely and posting real-time coverage of his killings on the internet. Angelique De Xavier, his previous nemesis, is drafted onto the police team trying to bring this one-man celebrity hate-fest to an end. But she can't do it alone, she needs the magical skills of her lover, only she doesn't know where Zal is and meanwhile a whole load of celebs are, literarly, dying to be famous

Brooks, Charlie Citizen ($19.95) Tipper Mullins is brought up on a rough estate in Dublin. The tricks and techniques he learns in taming the family's wild pony become invaluable in escaping this tough beginning. Fate throws him a chance as an apprentice jockey, but he soon learns that survival in this new world is as much about what happens away from the track as coming first on the day. Unbeknown to the young jockeys the powers behind the sport are changing; a major figure from Russia is keen to have a stake in the seemingly respectable industry of racing and stud farming and he will stop at nothing to get what he wants. He wants Tipper. But Tipper doesn't know why - until a very special- yet familiar- horse appears on the scene

Burke, James Lee Rain Gods ($25.95 US Cloth) Starting a new life as the sheriff of a dried-out, broken-down border town in south Texas, Hackberry Holland is drawn into a murder investigation when nine dead prostitutes are dug up in the desert, forcing him to focus on something other than his own demons

Campbell, Aifric Semantics of Murder ($23.95) Jay Hamilton lives a comfortable life in fashionable west London, listening to the minor and major dysfunctions of the over-privileged clients who frequent his psychoanalytical practice. But the darker recesses of his own psyche would not stand up to close examination: his brother Richard, a genius professor of mathematical linguistics, was apparently killed by rent boys in Los Angeles and Jay was the first on the scene. Author Dana Flynn is determined to scratch beneath the surface while researching a biography she intends to write about Richard, and finds that Jay's professional life is as precarious as his personal relationships - he uses his clients' case studies as material for his fiction writing. Such is Jay's hunger for recognition as a creative force that he exploits the vulnerable people he counsels, and a decision is not to intervene when a troubled patient steals a baby, causes his past to unravel

Carter, Stephen Jericho's Fall ($25.95 US Cloth) Summoned to the deathbed of former CIA head Jericho Ainsley, Beck DeForde, an agent whose career was marked by a scandal that ended Ainsley's career, learns of an explosive secret involving foreign governments, powerful corporations, and a meltdown of the world's financial system.

Casey, Kathryn Blood Lines ($24.99 US Cloth) Her suspicions roused by an overly orchestrated suicide scene involving a victim who had every reason to live, Texas Ranger Sarah Armstrong finds her investigation complicated by a second case involving a teen pop singer who is being stalked during her preparations for a rodeo event performance.

Castillo, Linda Sworn to Silence ($32.95 Trade) Painter's Creek, Ohio may be a sleepy, rural town with both Amish and "English" residents, but it's also the place where a series of brutal murders shattered the lives of an entire community over a decade ago. When the killing stopped, it left in its aftermath a sense of fragility, and for a young Amish girl, Katie Burkholder, a realisation that she didn't belong. Now, 15 years, two dead parents and a wealth of experience later, Katie has been asked to return as Chief of Police. Her Amish background combined with her big-city law enforcement expertise make her the perfect candidate. Katie is certain she has come to terms with the past. Until the first body of a slaughtered young woman is found in a pristine, snowy field

Christofferson, April Alpha Female ($7.99 US ) When her mother is kidnapped, Annie Peacock, a young judge who is the head of Yellowstone National Park's judicial system, turns to backcountry ranger Will McCarroll, who is dealing with trophy hunters trying to shoot the park's cherished alpha female wolf, for help

Christopher, Paul Sword of the Templars ($7.99 US ) When West Point instructor John Holliday discovers a mysterious medieval sword among his late uncle's possessions, he is drawn into a war that has been fought for centuries involving the legendary Knights Templar and ruthless opponents who are willing to die for their cause.

Clements, Rory Martyr ($32.95 Trade) Tensions in Elizabeth I's government are at breaking point. At the eye of the storm is John Shakespeare, chief intelligencer in the secret service of Sir Francis Walsingham. When an intercept reveals a plot to assassinate England's 'sea dragon', Francis Drake, Shakespeare is ordered to protect him. With Drake on land fitting out his ships, he is frighteningly vulnerable. If he dies, England will be open to invasion. In a London rife with rumour, Shakespeare must decide which leads to follow, which to ignore. When a high-born young woman is found mutilated and murdered at an illicit printing house, it is political gunpowder - and he has no option but to investigate.

Cleverly, Barbara Folly du Jour ($14.00 US Trade) Joe Sandilands has just flown to Paris in 1927 to attend an Interpol conference but is diverted to the Quai des Orfevres where a fellow Englishman, his old friend Sir George Jardine. has been arrested for murder. Joe's enquiries on behalf of his friend bring to light a dark current of vice and murder in the jazz capital of the world.

Connolly, Sheila Rotten to the Core: an Orchard Mystery ($6.99 US ) When the dead body of a local organic-farming enthusiast is found in her springhouse with traces of pesticide poisoning, orchard owner Meg Corey discovers that there is more than one bad apple in the bunch as she tries to clear her name

Copp, Rick Fingerprints and Facelifts: an L.A. Dolls Mystery ($6.99 US ) Three well-accessorized female detectives come out of retirement when an enemy from their past begins targeting their children, and they soon discover that, despite danger and their inability to get back in their old bikinis, they still have what it takes to close the case.

Coulter, Catherine Tailspin: an FBI thriller ($7.99 US ) Dispatched to the Kentucky mountains to discern the fates of a missing special agent and a doctor who is being protected by the FBI, agents Savich and Sherlock find the case further complicated by a young woman on the run and the doctor's mental deterioration

Creed, Adam Suffer the Children ($29.95 Trade) Meet D.I. Staffe, a detective at the sharp end of urban life in this new crime series set in contemporary London. A paedophile is brutally murdered in his own home, and to protect other known offenders the police must haul the families of their victims down to the station for questioning. It's just another day in the life of D.I. Will Wagstaffe; better known to friends and enemies alike as Staffe. In this case nothing is simple, least of all Staffe's personal life. There's heartache from Sylvie, his estranged lover, and the dark shadow of Jessop, his ex-partner and mentor. And as he digs for answers into the grime of the city there's also pressure from his boss and the newspapers who are gunning for him

Crombie, Deborah Where Memories Lie ($7.99 US ) When her friend Erika explains that a piece of jewellery that had been stolen from her years earlier may be tied to her husband's suspicious death, Detective Inspector Gemma James investigates the piece's appearance at a prestigious London auction house.

Crouch, Blake Abandon ($25.99 US Cloth) Hiring back-country guides, a psychic, and a paranormal photographer to aid their investigation into the bizarre and abrupt disappearances of every citizen from a gold-mining town over a century earlier, a history professor and his journalist daughter embark on the journey aware that the last team that attempted to solve the mystery was never heard from again

Deaver, Jeffery Bodies Left Behind ($19.95) A spring night in a small town in Wisconsin. . . . A call to police emergency from a distant lake house is cut short. . . . A phone glitch or an aborted report of a crime? Off-duty deputy Brynn leaves her family's dinner table and drives up to deserted Lake Mondac to find out. She stumbles onto the scene of a heinous murder. . . . Before she can call for backup, though, she finds herself the next potential victim.

Deaver, Jeffery Roadside Crosses: a Kathryn Dance Novel ($32.95 Trade) When a troubled teenager is pushed over the edge by cyber-bullies, he plots a violent revenge for which he plants roadside crosses throughout the Monterey peninsula, a situation for which body-language expert Kathryn Dance and Monterey County Sheriff's Senior Deputy Michael O'Neil race against the clock to stop the youth from acting on his rage

Dietrich, William Dakota Cipher ($32.95 Trade) In Egypt Ethan Gage encounters a grizzled Norwegian named Magus Bloodhammer. Magus shows Ethan an ancient map he has discovered. The map indicates that a mysterious artefact known as Thor's Hammer was last known to be in a medieval Norse settlement in North America. The hammer is said to control the weather and lightning by unknown principals. Wishing to escape his would-be assassins, Ethan agrees to join Magnus in his quest. The two journey to America, meeting with the newly elected President Jefferson in a nascent D.C. of bogs and stumps. In a nod to future endeavors (Lewis and Clark), Jefferson funds their travels in exchange for a report on their findings, saying their request coincides with the sighting of blond-haired, blue-eyed Indians up along the Missouri. The two set off for Indian fur trapping country, where Gage will live as an Indian, face a hostile tribesman named Redjacket (so called for his British coat) as well as one Lady Aurora Somerset, a furiously bitter former love interest--all while questing after the magical Thor's Hammer

Dolan, Harry Bad Things Happen ($24.95 US Cloth) In the aftermath of a mystery magazine publisher's untimely murder, Ann Arbor detective Elizabeth Waishkey wonders if David Loogan, a man with a violent past who was having an affair with the victim's wife, is responsible for the crime or an ally who could help her to solve the case

Douglas, Carole Nelson Cat in a Sapphire Slipper: A Midnight Louie Mystery ($7.99 US ) When Aunt Kit's fiance and Temple Barr's boyfriend Matt are kidnapped from a bachelor party and taken to a Nevada ranch, Matt discovers a murdered young woman, while feline sleuth Louie, who managed to attend the kidnapping, endeavors to bail out his human friends

Doyle, Arthur Conan, Sir Sherlock Holmes: The Complete and Unabridged Novels ($29.95 Cloth)

Eriksson, Kjell Demon of Dakar ($13.95 US Trade) While probing the brutal murder of one of the owners of Dakar, a fancy restaurant, detective Ann Lindell discovers that her suspects include his partner in the establishment, as well as everyone else who works there

Fesperman, Dan Arms Maker of Berlin ($32.95 Trade) A ruthless arms billionaire and a disgraced history professor share a terrible secret. Nat Turnbull is dragged abruptly from his quiet academic life when his former mentor, Professor Gordon Wolfe, is arrested for stealing top secret archive documents dating back to the Second World War. Coerced into examining the archives for the FBI, Nat finds intriguing references both to Wolfe's activities in an Allied intelligence office in Switzerland during the war, and to a mysterious student resistance group in Berlin known as the White Rose. Following Wolfe's cryptic clues to Europe, soon Nat is in a desperate race to unlock the truth, before it gets him killed

Finch, Charles September Society ($13.99 US Trade) Amateur detective and Victorian gentleman Charles Lenox heads for his alma mater at Oxford to investigate the disappearance of a student and encounters a series of bizarre clues, including a card bearing the name The September Society.

Fisher, Sam State of Emergency ($32.95 Trade) Senator Kyle Foreman is a dead man walking. He's made some powerful enemies and the world's deadliest assassin is hunting him. But E-Force, a rescue team of six, gifted, highly trained individuals, has been enlisted to save him. (Australian author)

Flint, Shamini Inspector Singh Investigates: A Most Peculiar Malaysian Murder ($22.95) Inspector Singh is in a bad mood. He's been sent from his home in Singapore to Kuala Lumpur to solve a murder that has him stumped. Chelsea Liew - the famous Singaporean model - is on death row for the murder of her ex-husband. She swears she didn't do it, he thinks she didn't do it, but no matter how hard he tries to get to the bottom of things, he still arrives back at the same place - that Chelsea's husband was shot at point blank range, and that Chelsea had the best motivation to pull the trigger: he was taking her kids away from her. Now Inspector Singh must pull out all the stops to crack a crime that could potentially free a beautiful and innocent woman and reunite a mother with her children. There's just one problem - the Malaysian police refuse to play ball

Ford, Clyde W. Whiskey Gulf ($24.95 US Cloth) Investigating the disappearance of a sailboat from a naval exercise area, former Coast Guard officer-turned-marine P.I. Charlie Noble runs up against a secret operation by the American and Canadian governments and is compelled to recreate the boat's journey with the assistance of his partner, Raven.

Fraser, Anthea Thicker Than Water ($28.95 US Cloth) James Markham jilts his fiancé for a woman he appears to know very little about. Callum Firbank has always been evasive about his childhood, and his wife realizes she doesn't know much about his family. Jill Irving has everything she could wish for, but she too has secrets in her past. What links these three very different people, and who is the stranger whose sudden appearance causes such terror?

French, Tana Likeness ($19.95) Detective Cassie Maddox is still trying to deal with the events of In the Woods. She is out of the Murder Squad and has started a relationship with fellow detective Sam ONeill but is too badly shaken to commit to Sam or to her career. Then Sam is allocated a new case, that of a young woman stabbed to death just outside Dublin. He calls Cassie to the murder scene and she finds the victim is strangely familiar. In fact, she is Cassies double. Not only that, but her ID says she is Lexie Madison the identity Cassie used, years ago, as an undercover detective. With no leads, no suspects and no clues, Cassies old undercover boss spots the opportunity of a lifetime: to send Cassie undercover in the dead girls place.

Frost, Scott Don't Look Back ($32.95 Trade) It starts with a body found lying in the centre of the Rose Bowl's dark field, surrounded by thousands of empty seats. For Lieutenant Alex Delillo, it's the beginning of a nightmare. The sixteen-year-old girl is found wrapped in a sleeping bag and as Delillo opens its she discovers that the body is frozen solid. The mystery deepens further when her partner, Harrison, recognises her as the daughter of a prominent lawyer who disappeared three years before. A search of the stadium reveals the only other clue - a copy of an etching by the nineteenth century artist Francisco Goya. It's a picture of a dead woman in the exact same pose as the frozen young girl

Fuerst, James W. Huge ($14.00 US Trade) Twelve-year-old Eugene "Huge" Smalls is short, mean, angry, and brilliant, characteristics which win him no friends, but he is also an amateur sleuth with his first real case, which leads him to believe life might be better if he did not imagine himself a character in a Raymond Chandler novel.

Garcia-Roza, Luis Alfredo Alone in the Crowd: an Inspector Espinosa Mystery ($23.00 US Cloth) After leaving the precinct in Copacabana without speaking to the chief, Dona Laureta is killed when she is hit by a bus two hours later, leading veteran police chief inspector Espinosa to investigate the strange accident and the woman's personal connection to a new suspect involved in an old murder

Garcia-Roza, Luis Alfredo Blackout: an Inspector Espinosa Mystery ($15.00 US Trade) Unable to forget the unsolved murder of a homeless man, Chief Inspector Espinosa investigates a group of affluent guests who had dined at a nearby mansion on the night of the killing, exposing a web of lies and cover-ups.

Giarratano, Leah Black Ice ($32.95 Trade) Beautiful people can do terrible things. A mother out of gaol, desperate to be reunited with her son. An ambitious cop trying to bust a Sydney drug cartel. A glamorous society couple living the high life. When Detective Sergeant Jill Jackson goes undercover to investigate Sydney's drug lords, these worlds collide. (Australian author)

Giarratano, Leah Voodoo Doll ($24.95) Sergeant Jill Jackson has been promoted and is stronger than she's been in years. But with the promotion comes a transfer to a taskforce targeting gang-related home invasions in south western Sydney, a new partner, a whole new team to work with, and some of the grisliest cases Jill's ever encountered (Australian author)

Gibbins, David Tiger Warrior ($29.95 Trade) David Gibbins' new book takes us from the jungles of India to the lost tomb of the Emperors of China, finding intrigue and deadly excitement along the way.

Gilstrap, John No Mercy ($6.99 US ) When the rescue mission of an abducted college student goes horribly wrong, resulting in a deadly shooting spree, Jonathan Grave, a freelance specialist in covert rescues, goes up against a faceless enemy who will stop at nothing--not even killing the people Jonathan loves most--to hide the truth

Goldberg, Lee Mr. Monk and the Dirty Cop ($22.95 US Cloth) When obsessive-compulsive detective Adrian Monk is let go after the latest round of budget cuts, he will not stop investigating, even without pay, especially when Captain Leland Stottlemeyer is framed for the murder of another cop

Goldstone, Lawrence Anatomy of Deception ($24.95) Nineteenth-century Philadelphia physician Ephraim Carroll draws on the new techniques of forensic medicine to investigate the brutal murder of a beautiful young woman and the horror that led to her death, in a historical thriller populated by such real-life characters as pioneering physicians William Osler and William Stewart Halsted and painter Thomas Eakins. A first novel.

Gorman, Ed Midnight Room ($7.99 US ) A burglar plays a dangerous game when he decides to blackmail Dr. Olson, a serial killer who is good with a scalpel, after seeing Olson's private movies in which he abducted and brutally murdered several girls.

Graham, Mitchell Dead Docket ($24.99 US Cloth) Settling into a long-distance relationship after the events of Majestic Descending, Atlanta lawyer Katherine Adams and former NYPD detective-turned-lawyer John Delaney travel to Atlanta to settle the affairs of a family friend who has died in a suspicious accident.

Granger, Ann Mud, Muck and Dead Things ($32.95 Trade) Lucas Burton hates the countryside. To him it's nothing but mud, muck and dead things. And he's right. When he turns up at a deserted farm in the middle of nowhere hoping to conduct a lucrative business deal he stumbles across the body of a dead girl. And that's just the start of his problems. Penny Gower, from the local stables, spots his silver Mercedes leaving the scene of the crime and when her friend Andrew Ferris calls the police it's only a matter of time before Lucas gets a visit from someone he'd rather not see... Inspector Jess Campbell is on the case, but with very few leads and a new superintendent breathing down her neck, the pressure's on. Then another dead body is found

Graves, Samantha Legend of the Crystal Lens (US: Out of Time) ($19.95) Tomb raider Simon Bonner wants out of the looting game...until a mysterious crystal lens lands on his doorstep. Legend has it that this lens holds the key to the archives of man - a Mexican tomb that explains the root of all knowledge. There's just one problem - he doesn't know how to use it. Museum curator Jillian Talbot's ability to see an object's history is her secret, so when Simon approaches her, she finds it hard to believe that she's the seer of legend - that only she can unlock the mystery behind the crystal lens. Journeying into the jungles of Mexico, with evil crooks hot on their tail and a growing passion between them, every move for Jillian and Simon becomes a terrifying dance with danger

Green, George Dawes Ravens ($24.99 US Cloth) Stopping at a convenience store to fix a leaky tire, Shaw McBride and Romeo Zderko learn that a winning lottery ticket was purchased from the same location and devise a plot to steal half of the prize money

Hack, Richard Duchess of Death: The Biography of Agatha Christie ($25.95 US Cloth) Drawing from over five thousand previously unpublished letters, notes, and documents, a best-selling, award-winning author tells the story of the notoriously private writer, a story that is as filled with romance, travel, wealth, and scandal as any mystery she ever wrote

Haines, Carolyn Greedy Bones: a Sarah Booth Delaney Mystery ($24.99 US Cloth) Her latest attempt at stardom interrupted by the sudden and life-threatening illness of a friend's husband, private investigator Sarah Booth Delaney looks into the perplexing illness, which has been causing the several rapid deaths, in a case that is further complicated by an insect infestation

Hall, Tarquin Case of the Missing Servant: a Vish Puri Mystery ($32.95 Trade) A first instalment in a new series by the author of To the Elephant Graveyard introduces Vish Puri, a respectable family man who styles himself as India's forefront private investigator and who runs background checks for prospective brides and grooms until more sensational cases take him into India's increasingly divergent communities.

Hallinan, Timothy Fourth Watcher: a Novel of Bangkok ($13.99 US Trade) Seeking to retire and settle down with his girlfriend and newly adopted daughter, travel writer Poke Rafferty unexpectedly meets up with his long-lost father, who asks for his help in safeguarding a stolen cache of priceless rubies and forged identity papers.

Hare, Cyril When the Wind Blows (Wind blows death) ($23.95) A concert by the Markshire Orchestral Society heads for disaster with a last minute change of first clarinet, the reorganisation of the programme due to the non-appearance of the organist (a generous patron of the orchestra) and finally the discovery of the violin soloist dead backstage. Lawyer Francis Pettigrew becomes the reluctant investigator, egged on by the Markshire Chief Constable, who regards the efforts of his own Inspector Trimble with a degree of amusement. (1949)

Harris, Charlaine Poppy Done to Death: an Aurora Teagarden Mystery ($7.99 US ) When her sister-in-law Poppy is found brutally murdered, small-town librarian and amateur sleuth Aurora Teagarden teams up with the victim's boyfriend, a local police detective, to solve the case, an investigation that is complicated by their own past relationship. (2003)

Harrison, Cora Michaelmas Tribute (US: Secret and Unlawful Killing) ($22.95) With local tempers running high over the MacNamara clan steward's decision to raise the cost of tribute, no one is surprised when the man's body turns up in the local churchyard, and it is up to Mara, the Burren's Brehon Judge, to unravel the mystery, especially when another body, an alleged suicide, is discovered.

Harrison, Cora Sting of Justice: a Mystery of Medieval Ireland ($32.95 Trade) The autumn has come to the Burren - it's a time of harvest, of gathering for the winter to come. The end of summer for most and the end of life for others. When Mara attends the funeral of a local priest of the Burren, the last things she expects is another corpse to be found on the church steps - a man stung to death by bees. Sorley the silversmith was a greedy and distrusted man: there would be no shortage of people who wanted him dead but who really stood to profit from his murder? As Mara investigates she must use all her cunning and prowess as a lady judge to bring the sting of justice to a killer with hatred in their hearts and murder on their mind

Harvey, Michael Fifth Floor ($14.95 US Trade) Hired by a former lover to follow her husband, private detective Michael Kelly tracks the subject to Chicago's North Side, where he discovers a body and a possible answer to the mystery of who started the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.

Hayman, James Cutting ($24.95 US Cloth) Moving away from New York to escape bad memories and raise his daughter, Detective Michael McCabe is assigned to a serial murder case of unexpected brutality with possible links to the social elite, an investigation that is complicated by the arrival of McCabe's calculating ex-wife

Healey, Judith Knoll Rebel Princess ($32.95 Trade) In 1207 Princess Alais of France wants to settle down with her lover, William of Caen. But intrigue is afoot in the palace: two monks have arrived from Rome on a mission to compel her brother Philippe to help them battle the Cathars, a dangerous breakaway Christian sect in the south.

Hitchcock, Jane Stanton Mortal Friends ($25.99 US Cloth) Her investigative tendencies roused by a murder on her favourite jogging path, Reven Lynch connects with enigmatic detective Gunner, who believes that the murderer is a high-society person hiding in plain sight.

Hockensmith, Steve Crack in the Lens: a Holmes on the Range Mystery ($24.99 US Cloth) Journeying to San Marcos to resolve a tragedy from Old Red's past, Big Red and Old Red try to solve the murder of Old Red's fiancé, a ex-prostitute whose death was ignored by authorities and whose case is further complicated by a horse-stealing scheme

Howard, Linda Burn ($26.00 US Cloth) A work of romantic suspense features psychologically compelling themes that culminate in an unexpected conclusion.

Howell, Dorothy Purses and Poison: a Haley Randolph Mystery ($22.00 US Cloth) While subbing for a sick server at a Holt's Department Store luncheon, fashionista Haley Randolph, who can spot a fake Louis Vuitton at fifty paces, is accused of murdering beauty queen Claudia Gray, the ex-girlfriend of her boyfriend and store owner Ty Cameron.

Jance, J. A. Damage Control ($9.99 US Premium size) Feeling overwhelmed by paperwork and the responsibilities of caring for a newborn, Arizona sheriff Joanna Brady struggles with a case involving a woman who shot the wrong man while defending herself from a stalker and a fatal car accident that may have been staged.

Jecks, Michael King of Thieves ($19.95) It's 1325, and Sir Baldwin de Furnshill, Keeper of the King's Peace, and his friend Bailiff Simon Puttock are in France to join Prince Edward and Bishop Walter's entourage as they make their journey to the palace of the French King, Charles IV. Meanwhile, Queen Isabella has been causing a scandal in the French courts with English traitor Roger Mortimer. The Prince's entourage are delivered into the Queen's custody but it becomes clear that they have enemies within the palace walls. Simon and Baldwin soon discover a murderous plot that threatens England's future

Jecks, Michael No Law in the Land ($32.95 Trade) King Edward II is furious when he learns that his wife Queen Isabella has defied him and remains in France with their son. As the unfortunate messengers of this unhappy news, Sir Baldwin de Furnshill, Keeper of the King's Peace, and his friend, bailiff Simon Puttock, are instantly dismissed from court. Returning to their homes in Devon, the pair are shocked to find that outlaws now hold sway in the land. As the chaos escalates, the bodies of two clerics are found among a party of travellers, all of them - men, women and children - savagely murdered. Baldwin and Simon are called to investigate, but when they discover the culprit is a friend of the king, they become wary about accusations of treason. Until, that is, Simon's own daughter suddenly disappears

Johansen, Iris / Roy Johansen Storm Cycle ($26.99 US Cloth) Computer genius Rachel Kirby struggles with the imminent death of her seriously ill sister before she receives a mysterious e-mail from John Tanek, an archaeologist who may know of a cure and who has been trapped inside a collapsed Egyptian tomb by dangerous adversaries.

Judson, Daniel Water's Edge ($7.99 US ) When two men turn up dead near his Hamptons home, found with their hands cut off and their bodies hanging from the Shinnecock Bridge, Jake Bechet is once again caught in the middle of internal strife within the Castello crime family, forced by crime boss Jorge Castello to uncover the truth about the case with the help of retired private detective Tommy Miller

Kellerman, Faye Cold Case ($19.95) When software billionaire Genoa Greeves was just a student, her tutor was murdered in a carjacking. Now eighteen years later, a similar murder has occurred in the Hollywood Hills and Genoa wants answers. Lieutenant Peter Decker is under pressure to connect the two cases. Faced with cold trails and dead leads, Decker enlists the help of his detective daughter, Cindy.

Kerley, Jack Blood Brother ($19.95) Homicide detective Carson Ryder catches killers. Jeremy Ridgecliffe is one of America's most notorious murderers. But these two men with death in their veins share a dark secret, they are brothers. And now Jeremy's escaped and is at large in New York.

Klavan, Andrew Empire of Lies ($13.95 US Trade) Jason Harrow's stable family life is threatened when his past comes back to haunt him in the person of a former lover who wants him to find her missing daughter, sending him into the heart of a murderous conspiracy.

Knox, Tom Genesis Secret ($19.95) In the sunburnt deserts of eastern Turkey, archaeologists are unearthing a stone temple, the world's most ancient building. When Journalist Rob Luttrell is sent to report on the dig, he is intrigued to learn that someone deliberately buried the site 10,000 years ago. Why? Meanwhile, in London, a bizarre attack is baffling the police. When a weird killing takes place on the Isle of Man, followed by another in rural Dorset, DC Mark Forrester begins to discern a curious pattern in these apparently random murders. What weaves together these two stories is the Genesis Secret: a revelation so shocking it may threaten the social structure of the world

Konrath, J.A. Cherry Bomb ($23.99 US Cloth) While attending the funeral of a loved one, Lieutenant Jacqueline Daniels receives a phone call from homicidal escapee Alex Kork, who reinitiates their deadly game of cat and mouse.

Koryta, Michael Sorrow's Anthem ($14.95) Private detective Lincoln Perry becomes involved in a personal investigation when his best friend, Ed Gradduk, on the run from police accusing him of arson and murder, dies in a violent confrontation with the Cleveland police (2006)

Koryta, Michael Tonight I Said Goodbye ($14.95) When an alleged suicide victim's wife and six-year-old daughter go missing, private investigator Lincoln Perry and his partner, Joe Pritchard, pursue a theory that the man was actually murdered. (2004)

Kramer, Julie Missing Mark ($25.00 US Cloth) A sequel to Stalking Susan finds television reporter Riley Spartz investigating a jilting story only to be swept up in a dangerous missing-persons case that is further complicated by disinterested law enforcement and her boss's desire for high ratings.

Kramer, Julie Stalking Susan ($7.99 US ) Investigative journalist Riley Spartz discovers that a serial killer may be targeting women named Susan and killing one on the same day of each year, and takes on an obstinate news director and a politician in fear of negative publicity for the city of Minneapolis as she launches a bold campaign to find the murderer. A first novel

Kray, Roberta Strong Women ($32.95 Trade) Jo Strong is the youngest widow in the East End. Running her late husband's jewellery shop, mercilessly bullied by her evil mother-in-law, she is trying to get her life back together again. But then the 14-year-old daughter of one of the East end's most notorious gangsters is kidnapped, and Jo finds herself in a deadly race against time to rescue the girl before it is too late. And to get her back, she'll have to join forces with damaged but handsome bad boy Gabe Miller, a man who has a dark past of his own…

Kuzneski, Chris Lost Throne ($25.95 US Cloth) After a man with no identification--who scribbles notes in ancient tongues--is admitted to an Italian hospital, ex-military agents Jonathon Payne and D. J. Jones must race to recover a lost treasure that could rewrite history, before it is destroyed by men who will stop at nothing to conceal the secret

Kuzneski, Chris Plantation ($7.99 US ) When people start being abducted, including his girlfriend, Jonathan Payne, with the help of his best friend David Jones, tries to piece together the clues, which leads him to New Orleans where he stumbles upon one of the South's most violent and shocking secrets

Lawson, Mike House Rules: a Joe DeMarco Thriller ($7.99 US ) As panic engulfs the country in the wake of a narrowly avoided terrorist bombing of the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel and the shooting down of a plane aimed at the White House, a Virginia senator proposes to deport all non-citizen Muslims, unless Speaker of the House John Mahoney can have investigator Joe DeMarco uncover the truth about the attacks.

Lawson, Mike House Secrets: a Joe DeMarco Thriller ($22.00 US Cloth) When Joe DeMarco is asked by the Speaker of the House to probe the apparent accidental death of a reporter who was trailing presidential hopeful Senator Paul Morelli, dirty secrets and divided loyalties threaten his investigation.

Le Carre, John Most Wanted Man ($24.95) A half-starved young Russian man in a long black overcoat is smuggled into Hamburg at dead of night. He has an improbable amount of cash secreted in a purse round his neck. He is a devout Muslim. Or is he? He says his name is Issa. Annabel, an idealistic young German civil rights lawyer, determines to save Issa from deportation. Soon her client's survival becomes more important to her than her own career. In pursuit of Issa's mysterious past, she confronts the incongruous Tommy Brue, the sixty-year-old scion of Brue Freres, a failing British bank based in Hamburg. A triangle of impossible loves is born. Meanwhile, scenting a sure kill in the so-called War on Terror, the spies of three nations converge upon the innocents

Lescroart, John T. Plague of Secrets ($26.95 US Cloth) Dismas Hardy finds himself on the case as Maya Townshend, a beautiful San Francisco socialite and niece to the mayor, becomes embroiled in conspiracy, cover-ups, and tabloid-fueled controversy after the murder of two acquaintances.

Liss, David Devil's Company ($25.00 US Cloth) Blackmailed into stealing trade secrets from the ruthless British East India Company of eighteenth-century London, Benjamin Weaver discovers that he has been drawn into a daring conspiracy for which he must infiltrate the company to save his loved ones.

Littell, Robert Visiting Professor ($15.00 US Trade) Forbidden to leave Russia due to his intimate knowledge of state secrets for more than twenty years, theoretical chaoticist Lemuel Falk receives a surprising exit visa approval and accepts a professorship in New York, where he finds himself entangled in an academic fight, a love affair with a much younger woman, and a serial killer investigation

Macaulay, Tom Warning Bell ($32.95Trade) For Iain Madoc it all began when he was eight years old and his father took him out on a boat trip. Something George Madoc saw or heard out on the water that day seemed to change him and after that it was as if Iain didn't have a real father at all. Only later did Iain come to understand that it had all started long before, when George Madoc had commanded an RAF Air-Sea Rescue boat ferrying SOE agents between the south coast and occupied France. One night in April 1944 an operation to bring back a French agent went terribly wrong and when George finally made it home two months later, he was unable to speak about what had happened. Now, as his mother lies dying, Iain is finally given a clue to unlocking the mystery of what so traumatised his father that he turned away from his own son

Mackay, Scott Angel of the Glade ($27.95 US Cloth) In the first volume of a new historical mystery series featuring Dr. Clyde Deacon in 1902, widower Clyde Deacon arrives in Fairfield, New York, to take up the post of doctor. When a beautiful actress is found murdered, the overworked sheriff asks Deacon to assist him with the case. Deacon quickly discovers that the Fairfield inhabitants aren't as innocent as they seem, the victim not as blameless, and the truth more shocking than anyone could have imagined.

Maitland, Barry Dark Mirror ($32.95 Trade) When the red-haired, beautiful and mysterious, Marion Summers dies in horrendous circumstances in the London Library, Brock and Kolla are brought in to investigate (Australian author)

Maron, Margaret Death's Half Ace: a Deborah Knott Mystery ($7.99 US ) When a local commissioner is murdered in the wake of struggles between housing developers and farmers in the North Carolina countryside, judge Deborah Knot and her husband find themselves in the middle of an increasingly violent dispute

Martini, Steve Guardian of Lies ($26.99 US Cloth) Paul Madriani investigates the case of a woman accused of murder and a million-dollar heist, a trial that will unravel a conspiracy involving rare coins, an ex-CIA agent, a former Soviet scientist, and a missing nuclear device being prepared for a trip to the U.S.

McCrery, Nigel Still Waters ($15.00 US Trade) When the decomposed body of an elderly woman is unearthed, Detective Chief Inspector Mark Lapslie and Sergeant Emma Bradbury confront a complex case involving a potential serial killer who cut off the finger tips of the victim's right hand.

McDermott, Andy Secret of Excalibur ($19.95) Said to make whoever holds it unstoppable in battle, the sword Excalibur has been coveted across the ages, and thought lost for over a thousand years. With a cryptic message to archaeologist Nina Wilde, this may be about to change

McFadyen, Cody Darker Side ($19.95) When FBI Agent Smoky Barrett and her team of investigators are called in by the Director himself to handle a case of murder committed on a flight from Texas to Virginia, the case begins with a shock, and the twists keep coming. It soon becomes apparent that Smoky is dealing with a serial killer who appears to have committed a truly horrific number of murders already, someone who can find people with secrets - not just the secrets we all admit to ourselves, but the deepest, innermost secrets of all - and is using them to target and destroy his victims.

McIntosh, Fiona Bye Bye Baby ($19.95) There is a killer on the loose and a rising body count. Scotland Yard's brightest talent DCI Jack Hawksworth is chosen to head up the high-profile taskforce in a case with few leads. (Australian author)

McMahon, Jennifer Dismantled ($32.95 Trade) A decade after covering up a friend's death during an elaborate prank in the Vermont woods, Henry and Tess are tormented by the painful secret, the suicide of another member of their group, and a chain of eerie events that threatens their life with their precocious young daughter

Meltzer, Brad Book of Lies ($19.95) An unexpected meeting with his long-lost father thrusts Cal Harper into a high-stakes pursuit of an enigmatic weapon linked to a pair of murders--the killing of Cain in the Bible, and the murder that inspired the creation of the comic-book hero Superman.

Michaels, Kasey Bowled Over ($6.99 US ) Mystery author Maggie Kelly and the dashing Viscount Saint Just embark on their latest adventure when his proposal of marriage leads them home to her family, where her father is accused of murdering his bowling buddy, who had been having an affair with Maggie's mom

Mills, Mark Information Officer ($32.95 Trade) Summer, 1942. For the people of Malta, suffering daily bombing raids, the British are the last line of defence against the Nazis. And it is Max Chadwick's job as the information officer to ensure the news the islanders receive maintains morale. So when Max is given proof suggesting a British officer is murdering local women, he knows the consequences of discovery are dire. With the violence on the war-ravaged island escalating daily, he embarks on a private investigation, hidden from the eyes of superiors, friends and the woman he loves. But Max finds himself torn between patriotic duty and personal honour in his efforts to track down the killer

Montanari, Richard Play Dead ($24.95) Philadelphia homicide detectives Kevin Byrne and Jessica Balzano's first assignment from the Cold Case files is the gruesome murder of a young girl in the Philadelphia Badlands, a bleak and desolate area of crime and depravity. Carefully posed, the lifeless girl is perfectly framed in a square window. Soon another Badlands runaway is found viciously murdered, this time arranged on the roof of a building shaped like a triangle. And as the victims add up, each body tells an increasingly grisly story. A seemingly unrelated crime scene leads Byrne and Balzano to an eccentric older woman who introduces them to a Tangram puzzle, an ancient code of shapes. When the woman takes her own life, she leaves behind a cryptic clue, a word composed of four worn Scrabble tiles: LUDO, the Latin word for game

Morrell, David Shimmer ($25.95 US Cloth) Stricken by guilt over his role in a fatal high-speed chase, Santa Fe police officer Dan Page discovers that his wife has gone missing and may be among a group of people at an abandoned military base in Texas where mysterious lights have been appearing in the sky.

Mosley, Walter Long Fall: The First Leonid McGill Mystery ($32.95 Trade) Getting by as an old-school private investigator in spite of Manhattan's increasingly sophisticated culture, Leonid McGill finds his commitment to living a straight-and-narrow life repeatedly tested when he attempts to obtain seemingly harmless information for a high-paying client.

Nadel, Barbara River of the Dead ($19.95) Convicted murderer and drug baron Yusuf Kaya has escaped from Istanbul prison. He appears to have had inside help... Ikmen is called to investigate Kaya's contacts in the city, while Inspector Suleyman heads to Kayas home town of Mardin, a dangerous city in the south east of Turkey on the Syrian border. Back in Istanbul, as Ikmen delves deeper into Kaya's past, the body count continues to rise. Meanwhile, Suleyman discovers that Kaya has another wife in Mardin, an American woman heavily guarded by members of the Kaya clan. It's not long before the two Inspectors are caught up in a terrifying web of arms and drug running, terrorism, blackmail and murder

Nesser, Hakan Mind's Eye: an Inspector Van Veeteren Mystery ($22.95) Chief Inspector Van Veeteren becomes suspicious about the seemingly open-and-shut case against Janek Mitter, convicted of killing his wife while drunk, especially when Mitter also becomes a homicide victim, and launches a full-scale investigation into both slayings, linked to a mysterious letter written by the second victim, to unravel the truth and find the real killer

Nesser, Hakan Woman with Birthmark: an Inspector Van Veeteren Mystery ($32.95 Trade) A young woman shivers in the December cold as her mother's body is laid to rest in a cemetery. The only thing that warms her is the thought of the revenge she will soon take. Then a middle-aged man is killed at his home, shot twice in the chest and twice below the belt. He had recently received a series of bizarre phone calls where an old song is played down the line - evoking an eerie sense of both familiarity and unease. Before the police can find the culprit, a second man is killed in the same way. Chief Inspector Van Veeteren and his team must dig far back into each man's past - but with few clues at each crime scene, can they find the killer before anyone else dies?

Newman, Sharan Outcast Dove: a Catherine Le Vendeur Mystery ($15.99 US Trade) The secret cousin of Catherine Le Vendeur, Jewish financial overseer Solomon travels to medieval Spain in the hopes of increasing the family fortune, only to find himself drawn into the rescue of a Jewish girl taken during the conquest of Almeira, a quest that is complicated by a confrontation with his father, who has rejected the Jewish faith.

Ocean, T. Lynn Southern Peril: a Jersey Barnes Mystery ($24.95 US Cloth) Reluctantly agreeing to investigate a high-ranking judge's brother, Jersey Barnes finds herself embroiled in a long-standing DEA case involving a drug ring and wonders if she will ever be able to retire and settle down with one of her love interests

Palmer, Alex Labyrinth of Drowning ($32.95 Trade) When a trafficked sex worker is found brutally murdered in Sydney bushland, Grace Riordan is pushed into a sting to catch the sex worker's murderer. Someone is watching Grace and her partner Paul Harrigan, perhaps his old enemies, who want their pound of flesh. (Australian author; Alex Palmer lives in Canberra)

Parker, I.J. Convict's Sword: a Mystery of 11th-Century Japan Featuring Sugawara Akitada ($15.00 US Trade) A latest entry in a series inspired by eleventh-century Japanese life finds Ministry of Justice senior secretary Lord Sugawara Akitada investigating the murder of a man who was wrongfully exiled, a case that is complicated by the baffling death of a blind street singer.

Parker, Robert B. Passport to Peril (Hard Case Crime) ($6.99 US ) When he buys a passport on the black market to gain entry into post-war Budapest, an American is mistaken for the murdered man the passport belonged to and on the run with the dead man's beautiful assistant.

Pearson, Ridley Killer View ($9.99 US Premium size) Tackling treacherous elements to rescue a missing skier on Sun Valley's Galena Summit, Sheriff Walt Fleming and his crack team are shocked by a sniper attack that leaves one of their number dead and results in Walt's best friend's disappearance.

Pollero, Rhonda Knock 'em Dead: a Finley Anderson Tanner Mystery ($6.99 US ) When her best friend Jane wakes up with a dead man in her bed, paralegal Finley Anderson Tanner enlists the help of her mother and sexy P.I. Liam McGarrity to clear her friend's name, which is no easy task when the case takes a strange turn, placing Finley in the path of a killer.

Pryce, Malcolm From Aberystwyth With Love ($32.95 Trade) Hughesovka? Sure, private detective Louie Knight had heard the stories, he'd heard about the legendary replica of Aberystwyth built in the Ukraine by some crazy nineteenth-century Czar. But he didn't believe it. He thought it was all phooey. But all that changed when the museum curator of the fabled Shangri-la turned up in his office with a wild and crazy tale of love, death, madness and betrayal

Quartey, Kwei Wife of the Gods ($24.00 US Cloth) Investigating the murder of an AIDS worker in an African community from which his mother went missing years earlier, Detective Inspector Darko Dawson collects details about the killing and realizes that he is close to solving the truth about his mother's disappearance.

Quinlan, Patrick Hit ($32.95 Trade) Handsome ladies' man Jonah Maxwell is working as a bounty hunter for El Gordo (the Fat One), who picked up his nickname from an admiring prostitute. Gordo has a plan: to catch a runaway felon who's worth $250,000 to the City of New York. The guys are in hot pursuit of Davis Foester, a social misfit with a bad habit of murdering little old ladies, and a gift for his pursuers, when they come across Tyler Gant - Vietnam vet, weapons expert and secret serial killer. Foester is working on a murderous plot for Gant, and the attentions of Jonah and Gordo are seriously unwelcome. Trailing Foester to Key West, the two are set for a violent showdown on a houseboat on storm-tossed seas. Not just their own lives but those of Tyler Gant's countless targeted victims are at stake…

Rabkin, William Psych: Mind Over Magic ($6.99 US ) While at an exclusive club for professional magicians, Shawn and Gus are drawn into a murder investigation after seven-foot-tall "Martian Magician" P'tol P'kah disappears during a signature illusion leaving in his place a chubby corpse wearing a three-piece suit and a bowler hat

Rendell, Ruth Portobello ($21.95) There is nothing safe about the Portobello area of west London. On a shopping trip one day, Eugene Wren, quite by chance, came across an envelope containing money. He picked it up. For some reason, rather than report the matter to the police, he wrote a note and stuck it up on lamppost near his house: 'Found in Chepstow Villas, a sum of money between eighty and a hundred and sixty pounds. Anyone who has lost such a sum should apply to the phone number below.' This note would link the lives of a number of very different people - each with their obsessions, problems and dreams and despairs.

Roberts, Nora Black Hills ($26.95 US Cloth) His dreaded summer visits to his grandparents' South Dakota ranch improved by a maturing friendship with neighbour Lil Chance, Cooper Sullivan enters adulthood haunted by his and Lil's discovery of a hiker's body and is unexpectedly called upon to assist his grandparents and Lil years later when the unsolved killing is linked to vandalism at Lil's wildlife refuge

Rollins, James Doomsday Key ($32.95 Trade) At Princeton University, a famed geneticist dies inside a biohazard lab. In Rome, a Vatican archaeologist is found dead in the heart of St. Peters Basilica. In Africa, a US Senator's son is slain within a Red Cross camp in Ghana. These three murders on three continents bear a horrifying tie: all the victims are marked by a Druidic pagan cross burned into their flesh. The bizarre murders thrust Commander Gray Pierce and Sigma Force into a global hunt for a powerful group of industrialists who have a stranglehold on the world's food supply. Aided by two women from his past, Gray flees a trio of high-tech assassins as he pieces together the clues. But saving the world comes at a high price: Pierce must sacrifice one of the women. Yet even that price might not be enough, for, as he soon discovers, the only true path to salvation lies with the Doomsday Key

Rowe, Stephanie Ice ($7.99 US ) When she receives a strange call in the middle of the night, which leads her to believe that her mother might still be alive, Kaylie Fletcher, who lost her whole family in a disastrous Alaskan climbing expedition, finds herself trapped in a deadly game of cat-and-mouse with a killer

Ryan, Andie Shakedown ($15.95 US Trade) At the heart of a massive insider trading scheme, public relations executive Tom Hollister discovers a murder conspiracy. Estranged from his family, he falls for an aging call girl, unaware of her connection to the company's crimes. Against the backdrop of a corporate meltdown, Hollister races to expose the fraud and bring the killers to justice, even though the truth could cost him his life and everything he has come to love

Ryan, Hank Phillippi Prime Time ($7.99 US ) Seasoned reporter Charlotte McNally finds both her job and life on the line when she investigates an innocent e-mail offer that resulted in murder, mayhem, and a multimillion-dollar fraud ring, leading her to a handsome man who could be her savior--or her downfall

Sansom, C.J. Revelation ($22.95) Spring, 1543: King Henry VIII is wooing Lady Catherine Parr, whom he wants for his sixth wife. But this time the object of his affections is resisting. Archbishop Cranmer and the embattled Protestant faction at court are watching keenly, for Lady Catherine is known to have reformist sympathies. Matthew Shardlake, meanwhile, is working on the case of a teenage boy, a religious maniac who has been placed by the King's council in the Bedlam hospital for the insane. Should he be released as his parents want, when his terrifying actions could lead to him being burned as a heretic? When an old friend is horrifically murdered, Shardlake promises his widow, for whom he has long had complicated feelings, to bring the killer to justice. His search leads him to connections not only with the boy in Bedlam but with Cranmer and Catherine Parr - and with the dark prophecies of the Book of Revelation.

Sansom, Ian Bad Book Affair: a Mobile Library Mystery ($13.99 US Trade) A fourth installment in the Mobile Library series finds hapless mobile librarian Israel Armstrong investigating the disappearance of a local politician's daughter who went missing after borrowing two classics from the special "Unshelved" category.

Saylor, Steven Triumph of Caesar: a Novel of Ancient Rome ($14.99 US Trade) Retired from his profession of "Finder" and recently returned from Egypt, Gordianus is called in by Calpurnia, the wife of Julius Caesar, because of her dreams of disaster, fears of a conspiracy against her husband's life, and the murder of her previous investigator, Gordianus's old friend Hieronymous.

Schwegel, Theresa Last Known Address ($24.99 US Cloth) Her investigation of a serial rapist hampered by skeptical colleagues, Chicago Detective Sloane Pearson forges a personal link to the case when her realtor is attacked, a situation that is rendered more urgent by Sloane's father's illness, reluctant victim testimonies, and internal resistance

Simms, Chris Edge ($32.95 Trade) It's the phone call DI Jon Spicer has long feared - his wild younger brother has been found dead. He has been murdered and horribly mutilated. Aware Dave was involved in drugs, Jon had hoped to steer him away from his doomed and self-destructive fate. Full of anger, he heads to the town where Dave's body was discovered, bent on finding the killer. Meanwhile, Dave's young girlfriend, Zoe, is trapped in an inner-city hell. Vulnerable, destitute and now alone, she is being hunted by the vicious criminal Dave owed money to. Arriving in the Peak District, Jon finds a community with plenty to hide. With time running out and his distraught family cracking under the strain, Jon realises the truth of his brother's death lies in two places: with a frightened girl trapped somewhere among Manchester's tower-blocks and out on the bleak heights overlooking the secretive rural town…

Slaughter, Karin Undone ($26.00 US Cloth) Fleeing to Atlanta to seek refuge in the aftermath of a violent act, Sarah Linton becomes unwittingly enmeshed in a case involving a tortured young ER patient, a situation that is investigated by special agents Will Trent and Faith Mitchell.

Spencer, Sally Blackstone and the New World ($27.95 US Cloth) July 1900. Sam Blackstone goes to New York to pick up a prisoner, but finds himself drafted in to investigate the murder of Inspector O'Brien, who is famed for rooting out police corruption. Blackstone scours the city in search of the killer, but the more he searches, the more convinced he becomes that the police department doesn't really want the murder to be solved

Steiner, Peter L'Assassin ($13.99 US Trade) When his home becomes the target of a supposedly simple burglary, ex-CIA operative Louis Morgon once again teams up with Jean Renard, the gendarme of their small Provence village, to investigate why a seemingly trivial break-in has suddenly put the lives of everyone he cares about at risk.

Stewart, Mariah Cry Mercy ($19.95) When the ruthless, drug-dealing natural father of Ann Nolan's adopted daughter plots to take back his child, Ann flees across the country, changes her name and starts a new life - as an investigator for the Mercy Street Foundation, the billionaire-endowed organisation dedicated to finding missing persons. Now Emme Caldwell, she takes the lead in a case looking into the disappearance of nineteen-year-old Belinda Hudson, whose last steps took her to a fertility clinic and the mysterious Donor 1735. Belinda was close to discovering who her anonymous donor father is, but perhaps she was too close. Now, the deeper Emme digs, the more she wonders if she's escaped one dangerous man only to run head-on into the grasp of another, who's far more desperate and deadly…

Swarup, Vikas Six Suspects ($24.95) Vicky Rai, son of a high-profile Minister, has been shot by one of the guests at his own party. Among them the police find six strange, displaced characters with a gun in their possession, each of them steaming with a secret motive.

Templeton, Aline Dead in the Water ($32.95 Trade) The young victim had been pregnant, her body washed up on the rocks. Twenty years on, the murder remains unsolved; her father is now dead, and her mother is still silent about what went on all those years ago. At least, that's the way it is when Detective Inspector Marjory Fleming is called in to reopen the case that her late policeman father was unable to put to rest. As Fleming digs deeper it becomes clear that her father had struggled to keep some of the shameful details around the young girl's death a secret. Can she handle the truth she will unearth, not just about her father but about herself?

Thomas, Steven M. Criminal Karma ($25.00 US Cloth) Successfully breaking into a posh hotel room where he hopes to make a lucrative jewel heist, ethical thief Robert Rivers narrowly escapes an attempt on his life and embarks on a high-stakes plot to recapture the jewel, an effort marked by a cult leader, a crime cabal, and gunslingers.

Turnbull, Peter Informed Consent ($27.95 US Cloth) A badly injured man is found lying in a street in the centre of York. When he dies without regaining consciousness, Hennessey and Yellich are brought in to investigate. Their inquiries reveal that the man was looking into the death of his brother, and the trail leads them to a vindictive divorcee, who is involved with a deeply suspect finance company with connections to other unsolved murders.

Van Lustbader, Eric Robert Ludlum's The Bourne Deception ($32.95 Trade) The BOURNE DECEPTION picks up where THE BOURNE SANCTION left off. Jason Bourne's nemesis, Arkadin, is still hot on his trail and the two continue their struggle, reversing roles of hunter and hunted. When Bourne is ambushed and badly wounded, he fakes his death and goes into hiding. In safety, he takes on a new identity and begins a mission to find out who tried to assassinate him

Vonnegut, Kurt Armageddon in Retrospect ($29.95) To be published on the first anniversary of Kurt Vonnegut's death, Armageddon in Retrospect is a collection of twelve new and unpublished writings on war and peace. Imbued with Vonnegut's trademark rueful humour, the pieces range from a visceral nonfiction recollection of the destruction of Dresden during World War II-a piece that is as timely today as it was then-to a painfully funny short story about three privates and their fantasies of the perfect first meal upon returning home from war, to a darker, more poignant story about the impossibility of shielding our children from the temptations of violence. Also included are Vonnegut's last speech as well as an assortment of his artwork, with an introduction by the author's son, Mark Vonnegut

Ward, Robert Total Immunity ($26.00 US Cloth) Arresting a diamond smuggler who wields uncanny power from prison, Los Angeles FBI agents Jack Harper and Oscar Hidalgo are increasingly frustrated by the deaths of fellow agents who were threatened by the smuggler, corruption within their ranks, and a certainty that they will be targeted next.

Webb, Debra Everywhere She Turns ($7.99 US ) When her younger sister is murdered, Dr. CJ Patterson returns to her Southern hometown where she is drawn back into her painful past as she tries to find the truth amidst shocking family secrets, dark obsession, and brutal violence

Westlake, Donald E. Get Real ($23.99 US Cloth) Reluctantly agreeing to allow his gang to appear in a reality television cop show that promises a lucrative payout and legal protection, luckless thief John Dortmunder and his partner, Kelp, devise a secondary plot to deceive case-cracking television viewers

Wilson, Laura Innocent Spy ($25.99 US Cloth) Suspecting that the falling death of a silent screen star may have been the work of a notorious gangster, Detective Ted Stratton finds the case bizarrely linked to the internal espionage investigation of undercover MI5 agent Diana Calthrop.

Wilson, Robert Ignorance of Blood ($27.00 US Trade) Helping to track down the bombers responsible for a terror attack in Seville, Inspector Jefe Javier Falcon finds the case further complicated by the suspicious death of a gangster and a blackmail attempt on Falcon's best friend by Islamic extremists

Winslow, Don Gentleman's Hour ($34.95 Trade) Boone Daniels, the most laid-back of private investigators, gathers with his buddies on Pacific Beach, California. He ends up taking a hated matrimonial case, but that soon becomes the least of his worries.

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