Ballantine Books

Murder at the Opera: A Capital Crimes Novel by Margaret Truman (Ballantine Books 21 November 2006 / $24.95) - Book Description: Margaret Truman, who knows where all the bodies are buried inside the Beltway, has written her most thrilling novel of suspense yet. Murder at the Opera features the popular crime-fighting couple Mac Smith and his wife, Annabel Reed-Smith, as they navigate the glitz, glamour, and grime that is Washington, D.C.

It ain't over till the fat lady sings . . . but the show hasn't even started yet when a diva is found dead. The soprano in question, a petite young Asian Canadian named Charise Lee, was scarcely a star at the Washington National Opera. But when the aspiring singer is stabbed in the heart backstage during rehearsals, she suddenly takes center stage.

Georgetown law professor Mac Smith thought he'd just be carrying a rapier in Tosca as a favor for his beloved Annabel, but now they're both being pressured by the panicked theater board to unmask a killer. Providing accompaniment will be former homicide detective, current P.I., and eternal opera fan Raymond Pawkins.

Soon the Smiths find themselves dangerously improvising among an expanding cast of suspects with all sorts of scores to settle. What they uncover is an increasingly complex case reaching far beyond Washington to a dark world of informers and terror alerts in Iraq, and climaxing on a fateful night at the opera attended by none other than the President himself.

Bantam

From Black Rooms by Stephen Woodworth (Bantam 31 October, 2006 / $6.99) - Book Description: Natalie Lindstrom has finally left the underworld behind for a new career in the art world. But there's one world she can't escape: the Other world of the dead. As a former Violet, an elite crime-fighter with the power to channel murder victims, Natalie is now using her paranormal gift to summon the spirits of legendary painters. But she's about to discover how far some people will go to keep their hold on her–and others like her.... Evan Markham, her ex-lover-turned-Violet-Killer, has escaped from prison. And he's been made an offer he can't refuse: Natalie. But first he must help contact a deceased geneticist whose most intriguing experiment was brutally interrupted: an attempt to manufacture Violets.

To protect her young daughter and herself, Natalie must search for the scientist's only living test subject–a handsome but tortured artist to whom she is dangerously attracted.

For he is caught in the grip of two opposing forces, one that wants his urvival, another that wants him–and anyone connected with him–destroyed....

Berkley

Cooking Up Murder by Miranda Bliss (Berkley 07 November, 2006 / $6.99) - Thirty something Annie's ex ran off with the "girl from the laundromat" after eight years of marriage. Her best friend Eve, once Miss Arlington, Virginia, is amply endowed with an outgoing personality and a figure that cross circuits any male with a pulse. Between them they can't boil water, but that's not really a problem when there's Chinese take out down the block and peanut butter in the cupboard to spread on chocolate. The problem is that it's been a year since Annie's ex departed, and Eve thinks its high time her gal pal gets back into the swim of things. So she signs them both up for a cooking class at Tres Bon Cuisine where they can learn to make a fabulous ten course dinner...and hopefully meet some dishy guys. It might not be a great plan, but Eve's long on looks, not brains, as the only guy who ever got away, Detective Steve Tyler, would be happy to tell you. Considering Annie's cooking skills it's not surprising that cleanup from the first class will include a body in the parking lot, but really, it had nothing to do with her burnt mirepoix. (see review)

Death of a Musketeer by Sarah D'Almeida (Berkley 07 November, 2006 / $6.99) - Book Description: A new series that's all for one, murder for all. Alexandre Dumas's Four Musketeers-the noble Athos, the cunning Aramis, the loyal Porthos, and sharp-witted D'Artagnan-now add murder and mystery to their ranks as swashbuckling sleuths in the court of King Louis XIII.

Murder In the North End by P.B. Ryan (Berkley 07 November, 2006 / $7.99) - Book Description: When one of Boston's honest cops is wanted for killing a petty criminal, governess Nell Sweeney descends into the seedy and dangerous North End to prove his innocence. But her employer won't let her conduct this investigation alone. (see review)

Murder on a Hot Tin Roof by Amanda Matetsky (Berkley 07 November, 2006 / $6.99) - Book Description: Mystery novelist and crime reporter Paige Turner is thrilled to see the hottest show on Broadway-but when she visits the star the next morning, he's been prematurely chilled. With her friend Abby, Paige embarks on a quest for the killer that has her springing all over the city like an overheated feline. (see review)

Berkley Hardcover

Gaits of Heaven by Susan Conant (Berkley Hardcover 07 November, 2006 / $22.95) - Book Description: Praised for its eccentric and quirky characters Susan Conant's hilarious series now finds dedicated dog trainer Holly Winter following the tracks of an odd breed of pup to an even stranger breed of human- when she's enlisted to rein in a dysfunctional New Age couple's over-spirited Aussie huskapoo. But when the wife succumbs to an accidental overdose of mixed meds, Holly becomes embroiled in the family's dirty little secrets, especially when the victim's daughter convinces Holly that it was murder. (see review)

Berkley Trade

Slay Bells (Pennyfoot Hotel Mysteries) by Kate Kingsbury (Berkley Trade 07 November 2006 / $13.00) - Book Description: Cecily Sinclair Baxter hosts a holiday party at the Pennyfoot Hotel where the children of Badger's End can meet Father Christmas. Unfortunately, the jolly old man is found dead along with one of his helpers.

The role of St. Nicholas had previously been played by a notorious village drunkard, and the police believe the two men killed each other. But Cecily has her doubts, as the murder weapon was never recovered. And since no one has left the hotel since the crime, she's making a list of suspects-and checking it twice.

Five Star (ME)

Defending Violet by Jennifer L. Jefferson (Five Star (ME) 15 November 2006 / $25.95) - From back of book: D.V. is legal shorthand for Domestic Violence. D.V. also stands for Defending Violet. Between the D and the V is a legal thriller by an author who's been there and seen the story--Ginger Rae Reddy, a street-smart attorney in gritty Port Grace who thought she'd left criminal law behind, is drawn back in when she agrees to help nineteen=year-old Violet. Ginger's investigation escalates into a case of murder, and she must pit her skills against that of her old mentor, the best defense lawyer in the city. Ginger struggles with issues of ethics and morality, the limitations of the legal system, and puts everything she cares about at risk to see justice done. (see review)

Tropical Warnings: A Wanderlust Mystery (Five Star Mystery Series) by April Star (Five Star (ME) 15 November 2006 / $25.95) - From publicity material: Laura Madison, the general manager of a FLorida Keys camping resort, is the perfect business woman. But an anonymous stalker is making death threats against Laura's campers, employees, and family--anyone whom he believes stands in the way of their happiness; happiness which is to begin on Valentine's Day--the resort's biggest dance and dinner of the season.

David Jennings, semi-retired martial arts instructor turned PI, is the only one willing to help the sensuous Laura, though his methods leave her trembling with a mixture of hidden desire and obvious annoyance. He insists on posing as Laura's boyfriend to draw out the madman--a role Dave relishes.

When the stalker's threats of violence and vandalism become reality, David is forced to take stronger, more aggressive strategies in pulling this psycho out of the shadows and restoring peace within the campground.

Harcourt Children's Books

The Mislaid Magician or Ten Years After: Being the Private Correspondence Between Two Prominent Families Regarding a Scandal Touching the Highest Leve by Patricia C. Wrede & Carol Stevermer (Harcourt Children's Books 01 November, 2006 / $17.00) - Book Description: Ten years have passed since Kate and Cecy married Thomas and James, and England is now being transformed by the first railways. When the Duke of Wellington asks James to look into the sudden disappearance of a German railway engineer, James and Cecy's search reveals a shocking truth: The railway lines are wreaking havoc with ancient underground magic, which could endanger the very unity of England. Meanwhile, Kate has her hands full taking care of all their children, not to mention the mysterious mute girl they rescued from a kidnapper!

Written in letters between Kate and Cecy--and between their husbands--this installment of the cousins' adventures is another satisfying blend of magic, mystery, adventure, humor, and romance. (see review)

Jove

Sleeping with the Fishes (Paranormal) by MaryJanice Davidson (Jove 28 November, 2006 / $7.99) - Book Description: Fred is not your ordinary mermaid. She's not blonde. She's not buxom. And she's definitely not perky. In fact, Fred can be downright cranky. And it doesn't help matters that her hair is blue.

While volunteering at the New England Aquarium, Fred learns that there are weird levels of toxins in the local seawater. A gorgeous marine biologist wants her help investigating. So does her merperson ruler, the High Prince of the Black Sea. You'd think it would be easy for a mermaid to get to the bottom of things. Think again. (see review)

Leisure

Eye of Heaven: A Dirk & Steele Adventure by Marjorie M. Liu (Leisure 28 November 2006 / $6.99) - Book Description: When Blue, an electrokinetic and a member of the Dirk & Steele detective agency, is sent to Las Vegas to track down his half-brother, he finds himself embroiled in an organ smuggling plot -- and protecting a young beauty who is more than she appears. (see review)

Leisure Books

Fear & Greed by Lawrence Light (Leisure Books / $6.99) - From back cover: It's the impossible dream of every trader and dealer on Wall Street -- an accurate means to predict the ups and downs of the stock market. The Reiner sisters have made that dream a reality in the form of a computer program they call Goldring. The sisters have kept Goldring their little secret, even when a magazine story by financial reporter Karen Glick showcased their sudden wealth. Everything was working so well, but now one of the sisters has been found murdered, Goldring is missing--and Karen Glick has a hit man on her trail.

NAL Hardcover

When Gods Die: A Sebastian St. Cyr Mystery (Sebastian St. Cyr Mysteries) by C.S. Harris (NAL Hardcover 07 November, 2006 / $23.95) - Book Description: Brighton, England, 1811. The beautiful wife of an aging Marquis is found dead in the arms of the Prince Regent. Draped around her neck lies an ancient necklace with mythic origins-and mysterious ties to Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin. Haunted by his past, Sebastian investigates both the Marchioness's death and his own possible connection to it-and discovers a complex pattern of lies and subterfuge. With the aid of his lover, Kat Boleyn, and a former street urchin now under his protection, Sebastian edges closer to the killer. And when one murder follows another, he confronts a conspiracy that threatens his own identity...and imperils the monarchy itself.

Onyx

Bubbles All The Way by Sarah Strohmeyer (Onyx 07 November, 2006 / $7.99) - Book Description: For years the local ladies of Lehigh, Pennsylvania, have wished aloud that Debbie Shatsky would meet an untimely end-so they could get their hands on Phil Shatsky, sports-hating, dinner-cooking, massage-giving husband extraordinaire. But when Debbie gets hair extensions at the House of Beauty and dies from a reaction to the glue, it's salon owner Sandy who gets the blame. Her best friend Bubbles Yablonsky, reporter and sleuth, is determined to investigate-despite distractions from the two men in her life. And from a mysterious Santa Claus, who warns Bubbles not to cry, not to pout and not to scream...when he tries to kill her.

Pleasure Boat Studio: A Literary Press

The Case of Emily V by Keith Oatley (Pleasure Boat Studio: A Literary Press 01 November, 2006 / $18.00) - From author's professional website: The Case of Emily V., is set in 1904 and sees Freud and Sherlock Holmes working together on a case. This book won the 1994 Commonwealth Writers Prize for Best First Novel. (see review)

Signet

Diagnosis Murder #7: The Double Life by Lee Goldberg (Signet 07 November, 2006 / $6.99) - From back of book: When Dr. Mark Sloan wakes up in his own hospital's ICU after three days of unconsciousness, he doesn't remember how he got there. But what really shocks him is that he can't remember anything from the last two years of his life--including a wife he doesn't recognize.

Mark learns that he was run down in the hospital parking garage while investigating a series of mysterious deaths. All of the victims were patients recently recovered from life-threatening illnesses and injuries. Mark resumes his investigation, only to realize that his "accident" was no accident, and that there is little time left to prevent another murder--his own...

High Heels are Murder: Josie Marcus, Mystery Shopper by Elaine Viets (Signet 07 November, 2006 / $6.99) - Book Description: Every job has its pluses and minuses. Josie Marcus gets to shoe-shop-but she also must deal with men like Mel Poulaine, who's too interested in handling women's feet. Soon Josie's been hired by Mel's boss to mystery-shop the store, but one step leads to another and Josie finds herself in St. Louis's seedy underbelly. Caught up in a web of crime, Josie hopes against hope that she won't end up murdered in Manolos. (see review)

Kamikaze by Michael Slade (Signet 07 November, 2006 / $7.99) - Book Description: He is a Kamikaze. His target: a survivor of the bomb crew that incinerated Hiroshima more than half a century ago. * She is an executioner. Her target: those responsible for her father's murder during the fall of Hong Kong, 1941. * But they have something more frightening in common than revenge. It's beyond belief. But believing in it is the only way to stop them. (see review)

Mrs. Malory and A Death In the Family by Hazel Holt (Signet 07 November, 2006 / $6.99) - Book Description: Sheila Malory is less than thrilled when her loathsome cousin Bernard comes to Taviscombe looking for information to complete his family tree. After all, she's got better things to do than listen to Bernard's pompous genealogical lectures and watch him berate his mousy wife. But when Bernard dies suddenly in his rented cottage, it's more than family obligation that keeps Mrs. Malory on the case. Someone wanted Bernard out of the way, and with all the dirt he was digging up on the family, the killer could be more than kin...and less than kind.

Soho Crime

Chinatown Beat by Henry Chang (Soho Crime 01 November, 2006 / $22.00) - Detective Jack Yu grew up in New York's Chinatown, and he's come home to bury his father, find a serial rapist, catch a murderer and come to terms with himself. Compared to self-acceptance, catching criminals should be easy, but in Chinatown even a native son is treated with suspicion when he takes the side of the "foreign devils".

Chinatown Beat is a compelling story of characters struggling to live in both the new world outside the Chinese enclave below New York's Canal Street and within its rigid traditional confines. Author Henry Chang has done a superb job of storytelling with his debut novel, revealing the face behind the mask that even the most seasoned outsider can only glimpse. (see review)

Spectra

Valley of the Soul by Tamara Siler Jones (Spectra 31 October, 2006 / $6.99) - Book Description: In the mage wars, Dubric Byerly risked his life–and sacrificed the woman he loved–to catch magic's darkest killers. Those battles are long over–and the monsters Dubric hunts these days are nothing more than men. Until now. A recent string of grisly crimes has Dubric and his pages scouring the countryside for clues that hint at the worst: that history's most murderous mage has come to Faldorrah.

As Dubric's hunt leads from secrets locked behind sanatorium walls to a hidden cache of souls preserved in fluid, other lives are shaken: a young woman given a power she doesn't want, a young man inheriting a legacy he can't understand, and a father fighting for his memory of a daughter who may already be lost. In the hardscrabble village of Quarry Run, the dark ghosts of the past have come calling–and the battle for the future begins.... (see review)

St. Martin's Minotaur

A Safe Place for Dying by Jack Fredrickson (St. Martin's Minotaur 14 November, 2006 / $24.95) - Book Description: An extortion letter arrives at Crystal Waters, one of Chicago's wealthiest gated communities. It makes no specific threats, gives no instructions, demands only that $50,000 be gotten ready--chump change for an enclave where the cheapest house is worth three million. It's easy to see it as harmless--a note from a nut.

Then a mansion explodes. The homeowners panic, and want it hushed up. If word gets out that a bomber is targeting Crystal Waters, their multimillion-dollar homes will become worthless, a last catastrophe for people strung out from living the good life too well. They hire Dek Elstrom to investigate.

Dek Elstrom used to soar high, too, when he lived with his multimillionaire wife at Crystal Waters, but that was before the dominos of his life tipped over and his ex-wife threw him out. Now reduced to living in a crumbling stone turret, bankrupt of everything but attitude, he's not even his own ideal choice for the job. He's too broke, however, to question the motives of a gift-horse client. He needs the money--and the chance to reconnect with his ex-wife.

Another bomb goes off, and Dek realizes the culprit must be someone who is angry, needs money, and used to live at Crystal Waters. Then he realizes something else. He himself is the prime suspect.

Critique of Criminal Reason by Michael Gregorio (St. Martin's Minotaur 14 November, 2006 / $25.95) - From the Inside Flap: It has been years since Immanuel Kant's landmark philosophical work, Critique of Pure Reason, brought him fame throughout Europe and made him Königsberg's best-known citizen. Now, rumors have begun to surface of a new work by this aging but still acute mind. Yet unlike his earlier work, this book will not examine the mind of the average man, but the mind of the serial killer.

Hanno Stiffeniis, a young magistrate, has been called to Königsberg to assist in the investigation of an enigmatic string of murders. Is it part of a plot formed by Napoleon's spies to undermine the Prussian king or the work of a solitary, unknown killer? The case would seem unsolvable, were it not for the assistance and unmatched intellect of his mentor, Immanuel Kant. Together Stiffeniis and the elderly, eccentric philosopher must track down the killer who has the city of Königsberg by the throat.

Red Chrysanthemum: A Thriller (Sano Ichiro Mysteries) by Laura Joh Rowland (St. Martin's Minotaur 14 November, 2006 / $24.95) - From publicity material: The setting is feudal Japan, 1698. The prominent Chamberlain Sano Ichiro discovers that his pregnant wife Reiko has been found naked in the bed of Lord Mori - lying next to his mutilated corpse and covered in his blood.

Sano must struggle against the incrimination of his wife as well as his own doubts of her story to uncover the truth of that fateful night. The only evidence of Reiko's story is a white chrysanthemum, stained red with blood. (see review)

St. Martin's Minotaur

A Whole New Life by Betsy Thornton (St. Martin's Minotaur 31 October, 2006 / $23.95) - Book Description: One August evening in a southern Arizona town a sheriff's deputy comes to Jackson Williams's door to tell him that his wife has died in a car crash. The deputy questions him while the police search his house and confiscate his computer. His amazement turns to disbelief when they arrest him. Williams suddenly has a whole new life, all right, but not the one he sometimes dreamt of when he admitted to himself that his marriage was a mistake. Now he is a man lost, in prison, awaiting trial for his wife's murder.

He is not without friends, however. Ruth Norton, his next-door neighbor, convinces a locally famous lawyer to take on his case. Mara, Jackson's grown daughter from a previous marriage, happens upon the crisis unknowingly when she arrives in town to seek out the father she never knew as she was growing up. Finally, there is Tyler, Ruth's eleven-year-old son. The others aren't aware of what he can contribute to finding the real killer---but is the murderer?

Gravewriter by Mark Arsenault (St. Martin's Minotaur 28 November, 2006 / $23.95) - From publicity material: Deeply in debt to loan sharks and still reeling form the death of his ex-wife a year earlier, obituary writer Billy Povich serves as a juror in the trail of Peter Shadd, who shot a fellow inmate to death when both were trying to escape form prison.

Billy gets in too deep, through, when he starts to wonder if this clear-cut case is really murder. Then the only other juror who questions the case takes a nosedive out of a parking garage, and a man in a fedora begins tailing Billy. Through his friendship with a social worker he meets along the way, Billy starts piecing together the truth. (see review)

Master of Souls: A Mystery of Ancient Ireland by Peter Tremayne (St. Martin's Minotaur 14 November, 2006 / $24.95) - Book Description: In January of 668 A.D., Fidelma of Cashel - sister to the king of Muman, an advocate of the Brehon law courts and a religieuse in the Celtic Church - is called to investigate the brutal murder of Abbess Faife and the mysterious disappearance of six young female religieuse accompanying her on a short pilgrimage away from her abbey. When Sister Fidelma and her husband, Brother Eadulf, arrive they find that there has been another death under mysterious circumstances, one of the senior scholars of the abbey has been bludgeoned to death. These two seemingly unrelated deaths - and the further mysteries of the trade ship lured to its doom on the rocky western shore of Ireland and the rumored figure of "The Master of Souls" wrecking havoc and raising rebellion - combine to create on the the most perplexing mysteries ever faced by the redoubtable Fidelma.

Murder 101 by Maggie Barbieri (St. Martin's Minotaur 31 October, 2006 / $23.95) - Book Description: Safely away from the chaos of Manhattan, St. Thomas, a small college on the banks of the Hudson River in the Bronx, is supposed to be tranquil, bucolic, and serene. Unfortunately, English professor Alison Bergeron has found it to be anything but. Recently divorced from a fellow professor and even more recently without a car--it was stolen--she has been hoofing it to school. One Friday evening, two NYPD homicide detectives drop by her office. The good news is that they found her beat-up Volvo; the bad news is that the body of one of the students in her Shakespeare seminar was in the trunk.

Not only are Alison's chances of getting the car back bleak, but suddenly she's the primary suspect on a list that includes, among others, the murdered student's drug-dealing boyfriend, Vince, and the girl's father's business rivals (he's head of an old Italian family . . .).

Accused of a crime that she didn't commit, Alison enlists her best friend, Max's, emotional support and services as an amateur sleuth. Their fumbling efforts to clear Alison's name could land her in even hotter water with Detective Bobby Crawford, the handsome investigating officer (and former altar boy)--not to mention the nuns at St. Thomas....

The Assassins of Isis: A Story of Ambition, Politics and Murder Set in Ancient Egypt by P. C. Doherty (St. Martin's Minotaur 14 November, 2006 / $23.95) - From publicity material: The mysterious Sebaus--a sect taking its name from demons--has stolen a powerful secret, and the wrath of the fiery Hatusu knows no bounds. But when the empire's great military hero, General Suten, is bitten to death by vipers, it appears events have spiraled out of her control.

Meanwhile, a dark shadow lies across the Temple of Isis. The peace of this holy place, renowned as an oasis of calm and healing, has been disturbed. Four of the Hesets, the temple handmaids, have vanished without a trace. Will Lord Amerotke, Pharaoh's Chief Judge, unravel the mysteries before further violence erupts? Or will he find the perpetrators in league with forces beyond his jurisdiction.

The Blonde by Duane Swierczynski (St. Martin's Minotaur 14 November, 2006 / $23.95) - Reporter Jack Eisley is killing time in Philly while he waits for his wife and her divorce lawyer to take him for everything he's got. Government hitman Kowalski is in town killing time, and members of the Cosa Nostra, while waiting for his next assignment. Kelly White , the pretty blond, isn't here to kill time. It's already killing her. In fact she's never more than ten seconds away from death. Of course, if she's dying, there's no reason for her to be alone, and every reason why she'd rather not be.

(see review)

St. Martin's Paperbacks

Sinners and Saints by Eileen Dreyer (St. Martin's Paperbacks 28 November, 2006 / $6.99) - Book Description: Forensics specialist Chastity Byrnes is trying to put the past behind her. It has been ten years since Chastity made accusations against her father that shattered her family…and ten years since she's seen her sister, Faith.

First, Chastity gets a call from Dr. Max Stanton, the brother-in-law she never knew she had. Then she finds out that her long-lost sister is officially missing. Even though Faith never wanted to see her sister again, Chastity decides to go to the Big Easy to find her.

Now Chastity has to battle her own demons in a city where forensics are an old boys' club and a woman can find trouble in her sleep. She has to wade through distrust and deceit to get to the truth—whether she wants to know it or not. She has to rediscover her sister—by investigating fertility clinics, the powers of St. Roch, and the mysteries of voodoo—to find out why the women who might have helped Faith are dying. As a hurricane threatens the city, Chastity puts more than her own life at risk as she fights to rescue her sister from a terrifying threat that stalks them both....

Strider Nolan Media

Cannibals by Rex Bowman (Strider Nolan Media 2006 / $5.99) - From back of book: Six teenagers aboard a pleasure cruise witness a murder. To hide his guilt, the killer sets them adrift on the open sea with no food or drinking water. The teens consider themselves lucky when they reach dry land, only to discover it is an island inhabited by two tribes of warring cannibals. With no means of escape, and both tribes viewing their arrival like a gift of food from the gods, the castaways must use all of their skills and knowledge to fight for their lives.

Viking Adult

Rumpole and the Reign of Terror (Rumpole Novels) by John Mortimer (Viking Adult 16 November, 2006 / $23.95) - Book Description: The bestselling barrister is back—and ready to take on his most timely case yet. When Rumpole and the Penge Bungalow Murders—John Mortimer's first Rumpole novel ever—debuted last year, devoted fans came to it in droves. Now, just in time for Christmas, Mortimer returns with another Rumpole novel to tackle a truly relevant topic with his signature wit and style.

While defending a mind-numbingly dull theft charge, Rumpole finds that the new terrorist laws have hamstrung his beloved courts. Meanwhile, a Pakistani doctor has been imprisoned without charge or trial under suspicion of aiding al Qaeda in its plans for a terrorist attack. With the doctor's wife begging him to help her husband, the Great Defender is determined to bring the case before a jury.

Trouble is also brewing at home as Hilda—She Who Must Be Obeyed—sits down to write her own memoirs describing her view of Rumpole and her own love life. Rumpole’s battle on the home front threatens to derail his case but where there’s a Rumpole, there's a way!

William Morrow

The Body in the Ivy: A Faith Fairchild Mystery by Katherine Hall Page (William Morrow 01 November 2006 / $23.95) - Book Description: In 1970, a popular, wealthy student, Hélène Prince, fell to her death just before her graduation from Pelham College. The police ruled it a suicide, but Prin's twin sister never believed the official account of the events. Thirty years later, now an internationally known bestselling suspense writer, she's still yearning for an answer.

Enter Faith Fairchild, a caterer, sometime sleuth, and, most significant in this case, the sister of a Pelham grad. Through the Pelham old-girl network, Faith has been hired for a week-long reunion of eight classmates on the novelist's very private island. The dream job—the house is a mini-resort with spectacular ocean views—turns into a nightmare when Faith discovers she's trapped not with a group of longtime friends, but a group of suspects. None of the women knew the others were invited—and definitely hadn't stayed in touch. With no phone lines, cell reception, or boat, Faith is caught up in a deadly game of cat and mouse as one by one the alumnae fall prey to a madwoman. A disturbed sister's revenge? Faith must quickly unlock a series of past secrets if she's going to leave the island alive! (see review)

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