What to read in May? Check these out...

A recommendation from my personal reading this past month is NOTORIOUS (Wm. Morrow hardcover, 3/08) by Michele Martinez. This novel of suspense is the fourth book featuring the sexy, savvy and hard-hitting federal prosecutor Melanie Vargas, who finds herself the only witness when a car bomb kills a fellow lawyer just after she talks with him about a deal for his client. As she searches for the truth surrounding his murder, Melanie uncovers some very unsettling and dangerous facts about the lawyer and how it relates to her current case. This totally engrossing novel had me hooked from the opening until the end -- very good reading!

Just out in bookstores is the newest Egyptian romance by Bonnie Vanak -- THE SCORPION AND THE SEDUCER (Leisure, 4/29/08). When Jasmine Tristan, the unacceptable adopted daughter of an English viscount, meets society's most eligible bachelor, the notorious rake Lord Thomas Claradon, they embark on an adventure in Egypt that has Jasmine fleeing an assassin's attempts on her life.

Also just released April 29, 2008, is THE BRASS BED (Ballantine), the first book in a comical new, super-sexy supernatural series by Jennifer Stevenson. What could be a more perfect scam than offering sex therapy to women in an antique brass bed? Con man Clay finds out when lusty fraud cop Jewel shows up to investigate. This book is followed closely by THE VELVET CHAIR (Ballantine) on May 20, 2008, and then THE BEARSKIN RUG (Ballantine) on June 24, 2008.

May 6, 2008, is a banner day for upcoming book releases. Here's just a small sample of what to watch for in the next few days:

WARRIOR RISING (Berkley Sensation) is the title of the sixth book in P. C. Cast's Goddess Summoning series set to go on sale May 6, 2008. The three goddesses are sick-to- death of the Trojan War and will do whatever it takes to end it. They seize upon a plan to bring down Achilles, the close-to-invincible Greek champion, by shifting the soul of a present-day beauty (who's just perished in a car crash) into a Trojan princess. Sparks are guaranteed to fly when this feisty woman butts heads with an overblown male ego.

Kathryn Shay and Berkley Sensation have decided to combine two of the author's strengths and two of the things readers have been asking for the most -- another O'Neil book and a firefighter book. This new book is titled TAKING THE HEAT, and it goes on sale May 6, 2008. Liam O'Neil is paired with female firefighter Chloe Anderson, who gets a second job working at the O'Neil family pub. Since Liam has already lost his wife, and his son Mikey has serious issues of abandonment, hooking up with a firefighter probably isn't the best thing for either of them. This new book will pick up where CLOSE TO YOU (Berkley Sensation, 2/07) left off, but it will be a stand-alone novel.

Also set for release May 6, 2008, is GONE WITH THE WITCH (Berkley), the second book in Annette Blair's delightfully funny Triplet Witch trilogy. Since Storm can only hear the psychic sound of a baby crying when she's around Aiden, she decides to kidnap Aiden so she can follow the sound and locate the child. Her abduction takes place in his fancy motor home and involves some fuzzy purple handcuffs -- and lots of hilarity.

FROM DEAD TO WORSE (Ace hardcover) is the eighth installment in Charlaine Harris ' Southern Vampire series featuring cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse. It goes on sale May 6, 2008. Following Hurricane Katrina and the explosion at the vampire summit in New Orleans, Sookie again faces danger, death and betrayal. Whether the weres and vamps like it or not, things are changing -- and not for the best.

May 6, 2008, is the release date for THE HOLLOW (Jove) by Nora Roberts. This second book continues the exciting Sign of Seven trilogy and tells the story of Fox and the talent he shares with Layla of being able to see into others' minds. The residents of Hawkins Hollow know the number seven means disaster. This is especially true for Fox, Caleb and Gage, who as young boys spilled their blood on The Pagan Stone and released a demon. Now, every seven years there are seven days of evil -- and the seventh month is fast approaching. This year, three women have come to The Hollow -- Layla, Quinn and Cybil -- who are somehow connected to the demon. Have they brought salvation or ruination?

ROMANCING THE DEAD (Berkley trade paper, May 6, 2008) by Tate Hallaway is the third Garnet Lacey paranormal mystery/romance. Just how lucky can one girl get? The Vatican witch hunters are finally convinced that Garnet is dead, the FBI has closed their file on her, she's co-founding a new coven -- and the hunky vampire she loves has asked her to marry him. Then, her fiancé disappears! Garnet doesn't know if he's been kidnapped, or if he's run off with that blonde from the coven. Garnet will do whatever it takes to locate him, but what's she going to do about that killer on her tail?

Lucas Davenport returns May 6, 2008, to solve another complicated murder case in the suspenseful thriller PHANTOM PREY (Putnam hardcover), the latest Prey novel by bestselling author John Sandford. When a widow comes home to her big house in an affluent, exclusive suburb, she finds blood everywhere but no body -- and her college-aged daughter is missing. The widow knows a surgeon named Weather Davenport, whose husband is a big deal with the police, so she implores Weather to get Lucas to investigate. He does so reluctantly, until he discovers there may be a Jack-the- Ripper-style serial killer lose, and then things get really serious.

POINTE AND SHOOT (Berkley Prime Crime) by Natalie M. Roberts is the third book in the amusing Jenny T. Partridge Dance mystery series. Set for release May 6, 2008, it involves psycho dance moms, a dead ape, flying bullets and who knows what else. Natalie tells me, "In this book, you get to see first-hand what juvenile competition dance is REALLY all about, and of course, you have Jenny's own unique spin on this fascinating world. In this book, too, you learn more about Jenny's friend Marlys, get to laugh along with Jenny's crazy coworkers, James and Sal, and watch Jenny grow up...just a little bit. Can't have her too mature or what would we laugh at? I will note that the silver Hummer that's dogged Jenny through the first two books is BACK, and the mystery -- at least that one -- is finally solved!"

Then later in the month of May, you can anticipate these great books:

Karen Rose makes her spine-tingling hardcover debut May 13, 2008, with SCREAM FOR ME (Grand Central), which is priced at a very affordable $16.99 for a hardcover novel. This heart-stopping suspense thriller picks up where DIE FOR ME (Vision, 9/07) left off, with Special Agent Daniel Vartanian determined to track down the brutal murderer who's copying the serial killings linked to photographs that belonged to Daniel's brother, Simon.

The fifth book in Kresley Cole's bestselling Immortals After Dark series is titled DARK DESIRES AFTER DUSK (Pocket) and goes on sale May 20, 2008. Cadeon Woede, a ruthless demon mercenary, will stop at nothing to atone for the one wrong that will haunt him forever. He secures the key to his redemption with the halfling Holly Ashwin. Raised as a human, Holly is thrust into a sensual new world of myth and power, with Cadeon as her protector. But can he betray her once she claims his heart?

On May 25, 2008, Susan Grant starts her new Tale of the Borderlands series with MOONSTRUCK (HQN). Set in the futuristic world of outer space, this sci-fi romance pits Coalition starship admiral Brit Bandar against the notorious Drakken rogue Finn Rorkken as they try to bring about a peaceful accord between the Coalition and the Horde. Serving together aboard the same starship, they aren't sure whether to kiss or kill each other. I'm anxiously awaiting a copy of this book, so it can be reviewed on Fresh Fiction.

The funny and feisty writer-for-hire Jaine Austen returns May 27, 2008, in another quirky mystery adventure -- KILLING BRIDEZILLA (Kensington hardcover) by Laura Levine. This time, Jaine has accepted a job to write wedding vows for the spoiled and incredibly rich and rude Bride from Hell -- former classmate Patti Devane, who has rack up an incredibly long list of enemies. When Patti meets her demise, there are lots of suspects. But when another dead body is discovered, Jaine is afraid she may be next if she doesn't figure out the identity of the killer.

The 14th installment of Tamar Myers' Den of Antiquity series continues May 27, 2008, with the release of DEATH OF A RUG LORD (Avon). This delightful cozy mystery finds antiques dealer Abigail Timberlake Washburn contending with stiff competition from a local rug store that's stealing her customers with its rock-bottom prices. When the store's owner turns up dead after a recent visit from Abby, she has no choice but to investigate the brutal murder.

May 27, 2008, is also the on-sale date for the mass market paperback edition of J. A. Konrath's hilarious DIRTY MARTINI (Hyperion), the fourth drink-inspired mystery to feature Lt. Jacqueline (Jack) Daniels of the Chicago police department. This book will set up the next installment of the series -- the hardcover release July 7, 2008, of FUZZY NAVEL (Hyperion). Lately things are going well for Jack Daniels. She's solved some high-profile cases, her personal life is good, and she's just heard that dangerous criminal Alex Kork killed herself while in jail. But things take a big downturn when a group of vigilantes on a murderous spree decides to take down a cop, and then Jack discovers that Kork may not be dead after all. Also available in paperback are the previous titles in this series: RUSTY NAIL, BLOODY MARY and WHISKEY SOUR.

In BLUE SMOKE AND MURDER (Wm. Morrow hardcover, May 27, 2008) by Elizabeth Lowell, Jill Breck was just doing her job when she rescued the son of two of St. Kilda's Consulting's premier operators. But when a series of menacing events leads to a threat on her life, Jill reluctantly calls in a favor. Zach Balfour works part- time as a consultant for St. Kilda. Though he has the skills to be a bodyguard, it isn't his favorite job. Soon Zach and Jill are racing to unmask a merciless killer veiled in a blue smoke of money, threats, lies and death.

Also on sale May 27, 2008, is SCARED TO LIVE (Bantam hardcover), a psychological suspense by Stephen Booth. This new installment of crime novels set in England's Peak District featuring Detective Constable Ben Cooper and his partner Detective Sergeant Diane Fry has them involved in an emotionally charged case of wrongful death. Cooper and Fry are investigating two seemingly unrelated crimes -- a house fire that claimed the lives of a mother and her two children, and a home invasion where a single, middle-aged female was shot. As they look deeper into each case, it appears they are related -- and involving a much larger and sinister plot.

See you back here next month for more great books...Tanzey