MURDER IN PARIS, 1929. Historical suspense has an appealingly hard-boiled sleuth, too many celebrity cameos. SOLID B

THE BONES OF PARIS
Random House Publishing Group
2013

MODERN LOVE, CAPTURED in impressionistic vignettes. Sometimes poetic, sometimes harsh, always ringing true. SOLID B

THIS IS BETWEEN US
Tin House Books
2013

NEAR-FUTURE HORROR TALE follows four young women fighting to survive a terrifying viral pandemic. Chilling!

FANTASY, THRILLER, ROMANCE combine in this story of a high-stakes magic battle and the teens who fight it.

What would you do if you woke up on a 19th century whaling ship? Cormac McIlhenny decides to roll with it and see if he’s any good at harpooning whales. Turns out he is, which makes quite a change from his 21st century life of skipping classes, getting drunk, and playing guitar in a terrible band.

Gone Whalin’ is a wonderfully absurd time-travel fantasy, a hilarious campus satire, and a picaresque caper novel. When Cormac’s stoner roommate and the corrupt campus dean join forces to exploit his century-hopping abilities, all hell breaks loose on the home front. Meanwhile, Cormac’s got problems in his 19th century existence as well, aboard the world’s least efficient whaling vessel and at the mercy of its delusional captain. If only he had bothered to read Moby Dick instead of getting high…

This novel does an awful lot of things very well. It’s a farce full of fast-paced action, but there are some pretty sharp barbs aimed at academic politics, social media rubberneckers, sensational journalism, and a broad range of human foibles. The tempo stays quick, the plotting is always smart, and there are plenty of laughs aboard. Don’t miss it!

HILARIOUS, ABSURD FANTASY! A slacker college student travels through time to a 19th century whaling ship.

A well-crafted urban fantasy is like a gorgeous souffle of magic and romance and mystery and suspense. All the elements have to be mixed with a deft hand, or the concoction collapses into a sticky, indigestible puddle. Leah Cutter’s Siren’s Call is a complete delight from star to finish, and her evocation of the fierce love and pride New Orleanians have for their city is a welcome added touch.

Kai DuPrie is always on the threshold of two worlds. Half African American, half Chinese, she’s also half human and half magic. And like all the best insider/outsider characters, she’s become a private detective, using her special gifts to solve problems and find lost things.

And lost people. Or beings. Kai’s search begins when a Siren in human form comes seeking help to find her missing sister. This clever twist on a noir trope blossoms into a taut, complex plot that reveals a hidden world of magic below the surface of New Orleans. Cutter masterfully weaves her creations into the city’s legends and mystique. It’s an elegantly wrought book as well as a great page turner, and I’m hoping for more Kai DuPrie adventures.

VIVID NEW ORLEANS setting, multifaceted heroine make this urban fantasy a cut above the rest. Lots of fun!

A good cozy mystery can be hard to find, despite the enduring popularity of the genre. The most critical element of a successful cozy is creating a likable amateur sleuth; in A Secondhand Murder, Lesley A. Diehl more than succeeds with her protagonist, Eve Appel.

Eve’s found a new home in rural Florida, and a new career as co-owner of a secondhand store located far away enough from the glitter of moneyed coastal communities for broke socialites to resell their glitz on the down low. She’s tough and direct, but has a soft heart for her disaster-prone business partner, and for her beloved grandmother. Eve’s appealing right from the start, and her courage and humor are a winning combination.

The book’s setting, “cowboy country” Florida, is distinctive and engaging, and Diehl’s deft in catching details of local color. The mystery’s plot is clever without being convoluted, and the pacing is admirably brisk. This book is the first in a promising series, and I’m looking forward to more of Eve Appel’s adventures!

WITTY, SASSY COZY mystery with a funky rural Florida setting, high society shenanigans. Lots of fun!