Unbound-Jim C. Hines

Unbound

Jim C. Hines

Daw, Jan 6 2015, $24.95

ISBN: 9780756409685

Five centuries ago, Gutenberg learned to master the magic of Libriomancy.  To keep the world safe, he formed the elite Die Zwelf Portenaere Doorkeeper Porters to prevent the spread of magic.  Recently in Copper Lake, Michigan teenager Jeneta Aboderin introduced a new spin when she released a snake from her Smartphone.  Gutenberg assigned Porter Isaac Vainio to mentor the fourteen year old girl with unique e-book Libriomancy talent (see Codex Born).

Exiled for a millennium, Meridiana returns and possesses Jeneta’s body with a short-term goal of obtaining Pope Sylvester II’s artifact that would enable her to lead her dead minions in her quest to achieve her long-term objective of ruling the world and beyond.  Though Gutenberg took away his Porters’ power, and deeply depressed for failing his ward and his assigned mission, Vainio vows to rescue his former apprentice.  He knows this means his Porter peers will join their adversaries to hunt him down, and that he and his loyal allies (Smudge the fire-spider, Lena Greenwood the dryad warrior and Dr. Nidhi Shah the psychiatrist) must enter the darkest black market to find the means to rescue the adolescent.

The third Magic Ex Libris urban fantasy is a terrific thriller due to the deeply developed cast; especially the troubled hero who comes across very realistic as he struggles to overcome his sense of loss and his paralyzing guilt.  Filled with action, pathos and humor, this is an enchanting entry; but newbies first should read the opening act Libriomancer to understand Hines quantum physics and Codex Born to know how far Vainio fell from grace from being the envy of the other Porters to their scorned foe.

Harriet Klausner

Slavers of the Savage Catacombs-Jon P. Merz

Slavers of the Savage Catacombs

Jon P. Merz

Baen, Jan 6 2015, $15.00

ISBN: 9781476736976

Barely surviving his initial post-graduation shugyo travels across the Dark Sea (see The Undead Hordes of Kan-Gul), Ran the Shinobujin of the Gakur Mountains’ Nine Daggers Clan prays for a serene trek on the rest of his journey to Valrus where his beloved Cassandra resides.  He reaches Chulal and seeks a guard position on a caravan heading west. 

However, his hopes for a quiet passage end in Chulal when Ran encounters Tanka the intelligence gathering Shinobujin stationed there for the last decade.  A camaraderie forms between the pair of Shinobujin.  However, Tanka’s pigeons return with a message from the Nine Daggers that detours Ran to the north to investigate claims of a growing lethal invading force.  Dutifully Ran joins a caravan heading in that direction, but they are overwhelmed with Ran and other survivors turned into expendable slave labor by an exiled tyrant preparing to invade his former kingdom.  Ran realizes he must escape in order to prevent further destruction of the innocent.

The entertaining second Shadow Warrior sword and sorcery fantasy is a constant adventure-filled (with no respites) blood and gore ninja vs. zombie thriller; as even Ran’s flashbacks are loaded with non-stop action.  Subgenre fans will appreciate Ran’s killing the dead escapades.

Harriet Klausner

Where the Bones Are Buried: A Dinah Pelerin Mystery-Jeanne Matthews

Where the Bones Are Buried: A Dinah Pelerin Mystery

Jeanne Matthews

Poisoned Pen, Jan 6 2015, $24.95

ISBN 9781464203480

Globetrotting American anthropologist Dinah Pelerin accepts a sedentary professorial position at Berlin’s Humboldt University where she teaches Native American cultures.  Her lover Norwegian counterintelligence agent Thor Ramberg lives with her in the German capital; which makes this the happiest she can remember being.

Eden ends when her mom Swan Calms of the Seminole tribe and Margaret Dobbs arrive together.  The two former wives of the late drug dealer Cleon Dobbs plan to blackmail their late mate’s criminal partner Reiner Hess if they can locate him.  The pair ignores attempts to kill them; instead Swan and Margaret continue their hunt for Hess.  At a Der Indianer Club ceremony attended by Swan, a murder occurs with the victim scalped.  BPD suspects Swan; so a reluctant Dinah investigates fearing what she will learn and worse what Thor will learn about her.

The fifth Dinah Pelerin mystery (see Bones of Contention and Her Boyfriend’s Bones) is a great whodunit anchored by a fascinating look at the city’s tempestuous past and the country’s enthrallment with Native American historical and present culture.  The superb investigation teaches the heroine first-hand how right Sir Walter Scott was in Marmion when he said “Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive!”

Harriet Klausner

River Of No Return-David Riley Bertsch

River Of No Return

David Riley Bertsch

Scribner, Jan 6 2015, $26.99

ISBN: 9781451698039

If Jackson Hole, Wyoming fishing guide and B&B owner Jake Trent knows that any thoughts of returning to his previous prosecutor life ended with his recent adventures (see Death Canyon) reminding him how much he needs to stay away.  However, he reconsiders his reconsideration when former lover Divya Navaysam pleads with Jake to come to D.C. to defeat Idaho U.S. Senator Rick Canart’s push to deploy Chinese developed technology SafeTrak to locate illegal immigrants.

When his friend J.P. begs him to find his missing girlfriend Esma who failed to come home from Mexico, Jake immediately agrees.  As they search for her, Jackson Police Chief Roger Terrell and his wife Charlotte visit a theme park replication of Jackson Hole in China as invited guests of the owner Xiao.  However, Xiao takes the couple prisoners to force the return of his daughter Meirong; who recently vanished in the Jackson area.  Meanwhile Divya allies with Xiao to pressure Jake to search for Meirong; while the Feds and the Chinese government want her too.

The second Trent thriller (see Death Canyon) is an exhilarating search and rescue with an international influence that looks deeply at illegal immigration, corrupt politicians and effective lobbyists.  The excitingly yet seemingly divergent subplots seamlessly merge into a stupendous storyline that has readers rooting for Trent to save several women in distress.

Harriet Klausner

Nantucket Sawbuck: A Henry Kennis Mystery-Stephen Axelrod

Nantucket Sawbuck: A Henry Kennis Mystery

Stephen Axelrod

Poisoned Pen, Jan 6 2015, $24.95

ISBN 9781464200878

On Nantucket Island, Preston Lomax is the pretentious prototype of grandiose excessiveness as even the gaudiest of McMansion owners feel his is by far the most affected.  Additionally, seemingly everyone who knows him, including his wife and three children, loathes this pretentious fool.

At the same time that Preston flaunts his wealth while failing to pay his drug and whore bills, Homeland Security agents Jack Tornovitch and Frances Tate arrive to look into the viability of an alleged terrorist threat to the Boston Pops.  Having worked with these Feds before, Nantucket PD Chief Henry Kennis feels displeasure with Jack coming to town and immense enjoyment with Frances’ arrival.  When Preston’s daughter Kathleen finds her father dead with "Nantucket Sawbucks" jammed inside his mouth, Nantucket PD Chief Henry Kennis leads the homicide investigation.  He knows firsthand Lomax’s surviving kin as he arrested the two sons (Eric and Danny) in a bar brawl and ticketed Diana, accompanied by married Mike Henderson, for speeding.  However the case proves difficult as someone cleverly frames the first two suspects to distract the police from learning the true objective. 

Although the second Henry Kennis Mystery (see Nantucket Sawbuck) contains too many sidebar felonies; the prime investigation is a fabulous whodunit; as a shrewd killer plays a virtual performance against the cops.  Action-packed, but with an improbable finish; this enjoyable twisting tale brings to life the island in a vivid though more often than not uncomplimentary way.

Harriet Klausner

After the Fall-Patricia Gussin

After the Fall

Patricia Gussin

Oceanview, Jan 6 2015, $26.95

ISBN 9781608091270

In 1992 in Florida, billionaire philanthropist Paul Parnell, due to Tampa City Hospital chief of surgery Dr. Laura Nelson diligent work on the clinical trials of Immunone offers a job to her to replace retiring Dr. Fred Minn as Vice President of Research.  At the same time Food and Drug Administration worker Jake Harter has personal needs for the drug tests to fail.  If Immunone passes, brilliant Iraqi scientist Adawia Abdul, who discovered it, must return home to create bioweapons of mass destruction instead of becoming Jake’s wife.  Thus Jake must rid himself of two women (his spouse and Laura) and one man (Minn). 

On that same night that Keystone Pharma made their offer, Laura slips on the ice; suffering a concussion and a severe hand injury; the latter ends her career in surgery.  As Jake becomes desperate to delay approval, he rigs data and eliminates one of his two female barriers to achieving his obsession.  Meanwhile, Fred dies in a hit and run just outside the Four Seasons while Laura begins to analyze what is going on which she ties to Immunone and Jake to killing his only remaining obstacle. 

The fourth Dr. Laura Nelson medical thriller (see Weapons of Choice, Shadow of Death and Twisted Justice) is an exciting cat and mouse tale due to a powerful cast especially the vigilant doctor; but particularly brilliant is the lunatic FDA employee’s descent into deadly obsession.  Anticipating the showdown, readers will relish this winning drama.

Harriet Klausner

Foxglove Summer-Ben Aaronovitch

Foxglove Summer

Ben Aaronovitch

Daw, Jan 6 2015, $7.99

ISBN: 9780756409661

In the rural village of Rushpool, North Hertfordshire, two BFF eleven years old girls (Nicole Lacey and Hannah Marstowe) from different families vanish.  As the national media picks up the news about the missing tweeners, the local police conduct a search that leads to finding the children’s phones in a local war memorial.

London constable Peter Grant becomes involved when his wizard mentor Nightingale sends him to check on whether retired Hugh Oswald is involved with the snatch.  After reporting to Nightingale that apparently no “Falcon” wizardry is involved; Peter offers to help DCI David Windrow on the Operation Manticore missing girls’ investigation.  David assigns him as the second Family Liaison Officer to Hannah’s kin.  However, as he wishes he was back in his big city environs Peter soon believes something very dark engulfs the area.

The fifth Rivers of London police procedural fantasy (see Broken Homes, Midnight Riot, Moon Over Soho and Whispers Under Ground) is a pleasant entry as the hero feels out of place rusticating in a small village surrounded by menacing woods.  The intelligent investigation anchors the exhilarating storyline (especially the interwoven fantasy elements), but fails to move the overarching Faceless Man theme.  Still this is an electrifying Peter Grant wizardry mystery.

Harriet Klausner