Kindle Genre Watch: New in Mystery Fiction (28 Aug 2010)

Spend less time searching for new genre fiction and more time reading it as I watch for newly-released genre fiction in the Kindle Store so you don't have to. Recent releases in mystery fiction include:

Fragile by Lisa Unger. Crown. Print length: 336 p. Kindle edition $9.99. Text-to-Speech: Disabled.
"Psychologist Maggie Cooper and her husband, Det. Jones Cooper, disagree on how to handle their rebellious son, 17-year-old Rick, who prefers to spend time with his band or holed up with his girlfriend, Charlene Murray. When Charlene disappears one night after a fight with her mother, Maggie and Jones wonder if she ran off to Manhattan, but are reminded of the disappearance 20 years earlier of Sarah Meyers, whose mutilated body was found after she vanished on her way home from school. Though the alleged killer confessed, there are still unanswered questions, and Maggie and Jones find themselves forced to revisit the past as suspicion falls on Rick." - Publishers Weekly.

Mourn the Living by Henry Perez. Pinnacle Books. Print length: 352 p. Kindle edition $4.47. Text-to-Speech: Enabled.
"Veteran Chicago Record reporter Alex Chapa is looking forward to a much needed vacation and time with his 10-year-old daughter, Nikki, whom he barely sees now that his ex has moved to Boston. Then his boss calls him back to cover for Jim Chakowski, killed in a mysterious explosion. As Alex digs into Chakowski's notes linking a string of murders to prominent city council members, he and Nikki come under fire. Short, choppy chapters move the action along at a measured clip, and detailed descriptions infuse the text with atmosphere and suspense, especially during flashbacks to Alex's childhood in Cuba and the murderer's dark and traumatic upbringing." - Publishers Weekly.

The Cobra by Frederick Forsyth. Putnam. Print length: 384 p. Kindle edition $12.99. Text-to-Speech: Enabled.
"What if you had carte blanche to fight evil? Nothing held back, nothing off the table. What would you do? For decades, the world has been fighting the drug cartels, and losing, their billions of dollars making them the most powerful and destructive organizations on earth. Until one man is asked to take charge. Paul Devereaux used to run Special Operations for the CIA before they retired him for being too ruthless. Now he can have anything he requires, do anything he thinks necessary. No boundaries, no rules, no questions asked. The war is on - though who the ultimate winner will be, no one can tell... Frederick Forsyth is the author of fifteen novels and short story collections, from 1971's The Day Of The Jackal to 2006's The Afghan. " - Amazon.

Spider Bones by Kathy Reichs. Scribner. Print length: 320 p. Kindle edition $12.99. Text-to-Speech: Diabled.

Forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan has a puzzle on her hands. A man has drowned under suspicious circumstances. His fingerprints identify him immediately, but here's the thing: the man apparently died more than 40 years ago. And if this is really him, then who is buried in his grave?Reading a new Brennan novel is like hooking up with old friends: you know what to expect, but that's OK, because you also know you'll have a good time. Reichs, a former forensic anthropologist herself, whose early books were occasionally a bit clunky (it's not a smooth transition, apparently, from deconstructing bones to constructing sentences), has developed into a solid writer. Fans of the television series Bones, based on Reich's life and career, will note plenty of differences between the show and the novels, but they will find that Brennan on the page still offers much to enjoy. - David Pitt for Booklist.

A Little Death in Dixie by Lisa Turner. Bell Bridge Books. Print length: 298 p. Kindle edition $9.99. Text-to-Speech: Enabled.
"The Blues were born out of need, anger and pride. Murder comes from those same dark places. Memphis has both. One of Memphis' most seductive and notorious socialites has vanished. Either she's off on another drunken escapade or the disappearance is something much more frightening. What begins as an ordinary day's work for Detective Billy Able quickly grows into a complex spider's web of tragedy, mystery, suspicion, and sordid secrets including a few of Billy's own..." - Amazon.

I'd Know You Anywhere by Laura Lippman. Harper Collins. Print length: 384 p. Kindle edition $12.99. Text-to-Speech: Enabled.
"Near the start of this outstanding novel of psychological suspense from Edgar-winner Lippman (Life Sentences), Eliza Benedict, a 38-year-old married mother of two living in suburban Maryland, receives a letter from Walter Bowman, the man who kidnapped her the summer she was 15 and is now on death row. The narrative shifts between the present and that long ago summer, when Eliza involuntarily became a part of Walter's endless road trip, including the fateful night when he picked up another teenage girl, Holly Tackett. Soon after Walter killed Holly, Eliza was rescued and taken home. Eliza must now balance a need for closure with a desire to protect herself emotionally. Walter wants something specific from her..." - Publishers Weekly.