From the back cover: When Jimmy Marcus' daughter is found murdered, his childhood friend Sean Devine is assigned to the case. His personal life unraveling, the investigation takes Sean back into a world of violence and pain he thought he'd left behind. It also puts him on a collision course with Jimmy Marcus—a man with his own dark past who is eager to solve the crime with … [Read more...] about Mystic River by Dennis Lehane: A-
Mystery
The Ruby in the Smoke by Philip Pullman: B+
From the back cover: "Beware the seven blessings..." When she first utters these words, sixteen-year-old Sally Lockhart doesn't know their meaning. But when an employee of her late father hears them, he dies of fear. Thus begins Sally's terrifying journey into the seamy underworld of Victorian London, in search of clues that will solve the puzzle of her father's death. … [Read more...] about The Ruby in the Smoke by Philip Pullman: B+
Well-Schooled in Murder by Elizabeth George: B+
From the back cover: When thirteen-year-old Matthew Whateley goes missing from Bredgar Chambers, a prestigious public school in the heart of West Sussex, aristocratic Inspector Thomas Lynley receives a call for help from the lad's housemaster, who also happens to be an old school chum. Thus, the inspector, his partner, Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers, and forensic scientist … [Read more...] about Well-Schooled in Murder by Elizabeth George: B+
The Man in the Queue by Josephine Tey: B-
From the back cover: When they found the stranger stabbed to death in the queue outside the theatre, it was his complete lack of identity which struck everyone as very odd. The labels on his clothes were missing and nobody came forward to claim him. Inspector Grant of the CID has no choice but to travel deep into the theatrical world in his efforts to build up a picture of … [Read more...] about The Man in the Queue by Josephine Tey: B-
Payment in Blood by Elizabeth George: A
From the back cover: The career of playwright Joy Sinclair comes to an abrupt end on an isolated estate in the Scottish Highlands when someone drives an eighteen-inch dirk through her neck. Called upon to investigate the case in a country where they have virtually no authority, aristocratic Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley and his partner, Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers, … [Read more...] about Payment in Blood by Elizabeth George: A