Last week, I attended the Bouchercon World Mystery Convention in Indianapolis. Besides meeting authors, the best thing about it was the introduction to new books and authors that had previously not been on my radar. I lugged home a backpack (or to be completely honest, Mick lugged it) full of books I can't wait to read.
Here are the ones I'm most looking forward to reading:
A Quiet Belief in Angels by R.J. Ellory: At the first panel I attended on Thursday morning, this book was recommended by all the reviewers. Someone is killing young girls in a small rural community but is never caught. Ten years later the apparent murderer hangs himself, articles from the dead girls strewn about him and the killings stop--until the murderer re-emerges in New York City, seemingly alive and well.
The Styx by Jonathan King: This is a stand alone, historical mystery. Described by the author in a panel, I was immediately taken; it takes place in 1890s Florida and the existence of a community of blacks who have come to Palm Beach to work in the blossoming service industry. When the community, called the Styx, is burned to the ground one night, the only casualty is a wealthy white man. So begins the mystery, but the novel promises to go much deeper than that. King also writes the Max Freeman series, which I intend to read as soon as I get a chance.
Books I read on the way home:
Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris: This, of course, is the first book in the Sookie Stackhouse series. I had been putting off reading it because frankly, vampires aren't my thing. But after seeing Charlaine on a panel I went directly to the book room and bought this book. I finished it on the plane home and was taken with it. Certainly, it's not a traditional mystery, but the characters are engaging enough and the suspense is intense enough for me to call this book a page-turner. I have to admit, I was a little sorry to say goodbye to Sookie by the end, so I'm glad there are many more books in the series.
Jack Wakes Up by Seth Harwood: This book and the author have been on my radar for awhile, but seeing Seth in a panel at Bouchercon convinced me I needed to move it up on my "To Be Read" list. I'm about a third of the way through it and so far I'm liking Jack Palms and the situation he's gotten himself into. Jack is a different type of character than I typically read; he seems like a cool enough guy but I have a feeling if I met him in real life I might think he was a bit of a jerk (the jury is still out on this). That's precisely why he's fun to read, however. He's arrogant enough to be interesting without being a complete asshole, and that bravado might be the one thing that saves him in the end.
Other Authors I Can't Wait to Read (visit their websites for info on their books):
