Mystery & Science Fiction

 

 

 

Recommendations from our staff that appeared in our 2009 Winter Newsletter











Canticle (Hardcover)

By Ken Scholes
$25.99
ISBN-13: 9780765321282
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Tor Books, 10/01/2009

This is my favorite new series. I love how Scholes takes a great epic fantasy, mixes in a little bit of steam-
punk-esque technology, and wraps it all up in twisted plots of manipulation and deceit. Don’t miss the equally thrilling Lamentation (book one of The Psalms of Isaac), which is now out in paperback. Scholes has planned a five-book series and seems to be sticking to a decent publishing
schedule. A+ on all fronts. —Nici Smith


By Stuart Neville
$25.00
ISBN-13: 9781569476000
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Soho Crime, 10/01/2009

Jerry Fegan has murdered more than a few people in his day as a “hard man” (or hitman) for the IRA, but peace is at hand and all that should be over, right? Sadly, not for Jerry. He’s being haunted by the ghosts of those who’ve died because of him, and they are seeking
justice, or at least vengeance, for their wrongs. Jerry
sets out to right the wrongs, but as is always the case in Ireland, politics get in the way of any simple act of expiation. Put it like this: I can already see the movie. —Seana Graham


Locked In (Hardcover)

By Marcia Muller
$24.99
ISBN-13: 9780446581059
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Grand Central Publishing, 10/01/2009

Shot in the head by an unknown assailant, San Francisco private eye Sharon McCone finds herself trapped by locked-in syndrome: almost total
paralysis with an alert mind. Sharon lies in her hospital bed, trying to break out of her body’s prison and discover her attacker’s identity and the reason she was assaulted. As the case draws to a surprising conclusion, and the person responsible is identified, Sharon’s husband, Hy, must decide whether or not to exact fatal vengeance. Sure to be a shocker. —Clytia Fuller


The Gathering Storm (Hardcover)

By Robert Jordan, Brandon Sanderson
$29.99
ISBN-13: 9780765302304
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Tor Books, 10/01/2009

This is a big moment. We’ve invested ourselves in The Wheel of Time series for so long and Jordan’s death was such a blow, but Sanderson is a great author. He is a fan of the series; he is staying true to Jordan’s vision, and he’s not trying to rush it. The Wheel of Time will take three more installments to finish. Don’t shoot me, but I think Sanderson is going to do a better job than Jordan could have done himself. —Nici Smith


Makers (Hardcover)

By Cory Doctorow
$24.99
ISBN-13: 9780765312792
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Tor Books, 10/01/2009

Cory Doctorow pushes the envelope yet again, but this time in a new direction. Whereas Little Brother was about fear and our responses to it, Makers is about love and the labors of it. Very very different but very very good. Anyone who has ever put something together just for the joy of creating will find a strong appeal in this inventive tale of boom and bust. —Nici Smith


Winterland (Hardcover)

By Alan Glynn
$25.99
ISBN-13: 9780312539221
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Minotaur Books, 02/01/2010

Here’s the setup: Two men, with the same name, of the same Dublin family, die on the same night. One is
murdered, execution style, and one dies in a road
accident. Everyone takes this as given, until one
member of the family, Gina Rafferty, starts asking
questions. The more questions she asks, the more she’s told to forget it, but the more she’s told to forget it, the more questions she has to ask. I’m a sucker for Irish crime fiction these days, and Glynn adds a new voice to an already formidable circle of
talent. —Seana Graham