Many great books to look for in June...

Since spring has finally settled down and the rains have let up, I’ve had less time to read as I spend more time outdoors. However, I do have a few personal reading suggestions to make this month.

Two of them are by James Patterson in collaboration with other authors. RUN FOR YOUR LIFE (Little, Brown hardcover, 2/09), written with Michael Ledwidge, is the second story to feature NYPD Detective Michael Bennett, first introduced in STEP ON A CRACK. A calculating killer, who calls himself the Teacher, is killing powerful, arrogant and obnoxious citizens of New York City. Only one man can tackle such a high-profile case: Detective Mike Bennett. The pressure is enough for anyone, but widower Mike also has to deal with his 10 children all coming down with the flu at once! Finally discovering a secret pattern in the Teacher's lessons, Mike realizes he’s running out of time to save New York from another horrific disaster. Though a bit slow getting started, the plot and characters soon gain momentum, providing an exciting police procedural thriller.

THE 8TH CONFESSION (Little, Brown hardcover, 5/09), written in collaboration with Maxine Paetro, is (as the title implies) the eighth episode in Patterson’s fast-paced and exciting Women’s Murder Club series. As San Francisco's most glamorous millionaires mingle at the party of the year, someone is waiting for a chance to take vengeance on the prestigious hosts. When the timing is just right, the perfect murder is executed and not a trace of evidence is left behind. As Detective Lindsay Boxer investigates the high-profile case, someone else is found brutally murdered – a street preacher who resides among the homeless. Reporter Cindy Thomas hears about it and smells a front-page story. Probing into the victim's history, she discovers he may not have been as saintly as first thought. As the hunt for two criminals tests the limits of the Women's Murder Club, the members face a challenge to their relationship. Another great addition to this police thriller series.

Andrew Gross, the author who collaborated with Patterson on the first two Women’s Murder Club books (as well as three other titles), has written a third book on his own, DON’T LOOK TWICE (Wm. Morrow hardcover, 3/09), the second novel to feature Detective Ty Hauck. A drive-by shooting rocks the posh suburb of Greenwich, Connecticut, and an innocent bystander is dead. Hauck plunges into what seems like a vicious case of retribution and follows the trail to a sinister gambling scheme at an upstate casino. Hauck finds himself pulled into an investigation larger than first anticipated. It’s big enough to include corruption inside Greenwich's circle of wealthy, powerful citizens and demanding enough to consume Hauck's own family. I really enjoyed the first Ty Hauck book, THE DARK TIDE, and was looking forward to DON'T LOOK TWICE. I can enthusiastically say that I was not disappointed. It’s great!

Now for a just a small sampling of the many books on sale this month.

June 2, 2009:

UNDEAD AND UNWELCOME (Berkley Sensation hardcover) is the eighth book in the rollicking, hilariously funny series by MaryJanice Davidson featuring Betsy Taylor, Queen of the Undead. Betsy continues to rule the nights as reigning Vampire Queen while making it through the days as a suburban housewife. When werewolf friend Antonia dies in Betsy’s service, she attempts to return the dead body to Antonia’s family in Cape Cod. While Betsy is busy trying to make amends with 50,000 angry werewolves, the local vampires are begging for her help. But that’s not all – her posse back in St. Paul is sending frantic e-mails alerting Betsy to her evil half-sister’s increasingly erratic behavior. Looks like the devil’s daughter is coming into her own – and raising hell.

FAIR GAME (Berkley Heat) is the third book in Jasmine Haynes’ hot and sexy Fortune Hunter trilogy. Josie doesn’t need a man – unless it’s for a night of no-strings-attached sex. And Kyle Perry fits the requirements perfectly. That is until Josie finds out they have a professional tie that will bring them together again…and again. Now, Josie and Kyle engage in a battle of wills in business, as well as in pleasure. What begins as a hot diversion of domination turns into an intimate game, where the role of slave and master shifts with each erotic move. But as the games escalate, they find themselves becoming bound by something stronger than they ever imagined.

The second chapter in the popular new Soap Opera Mystery series by TV actress Eileen Davidson is DIAL EMMY FOR MURDER (Obsidian). Tabloids and fans are stunned when daytime soap opera star Alexis Peterson leaves her show. She’s too busy with her new job as presenter at the Daytime Emmy® Awards to even notice. But when a co-presenter goes missing on award night, Alexis is determined to find who’s killing Hollywood’s biggest and brightest stars before another burns out...

S. J. Day continues her super-sexy urban fantasy series, The Marked, with the second chapter, EVE OF DESTRUCTION (Tor). When you're learning to hunt demons, homework can be hell. Struggling to get through the required training to be a full-fledged Mark – one of thousands of sinners forced to hunt demons for God – Evangeline Hollis is far from being a star pupil. When her class goes on a field trip to an abandoned military base, passing the course isn't just a matter of pride – it's a matter of life and death. There's a demon hidden among them, killing off Eve's classmates one by one. As the body count increases, a ragtag team of ghost hunters from a cable TV program unwittingly stumbles into the carnage. Now keeping the Mark system secret competes with the need to keep the ghost hunters alive. With Cain on assignment and Abel investigating a new, terrifying class of demon, Eve must fly solo on her hunt to stop a killer before he strikes again. (Note: see below for info about third book in this series)

MURDER ON WAVERLY PLACE (Berkley Prime Crime hardcover) is another historical Gaslight Mystery by Victoria Thompson. Sarah Brandt isn’t surprised when her very proper mother asks her to attend a séance. She knows Mrs. Decker still carries great guilt over the death of her older daughter, Maggie. So Sarah accompanies her and the spiritualist does seem to contact Maggie – convincing Mrs. Decker to attend another séance. Only this time, one of the attendees doesn’t succeed in speaking to the dead – she joins them. Now, it’s up to Sarah and Detective Sergeant Frank Malloy to protect Mrs. Decker from scandal – by determining how a woman was murdered in the dark when every suspect was holding the hand of the person next to them.

KISSING MIDNIGHT (Berkley Sensation) by Emma Holly is the first book in a new trilogy titled The Fritz Clare Chronicles. Edmund Fitz Clare has kept his true nature a secret from his family, as well as from the three orphans he’s adopted and the young woman he’s loved for years. This seeming professor of history has another life. He’s a shape-shifting vampire – "upyr" – who’s determined to redeem his past deeds. Redemption seems within reach, until a dangerous new enemy threatens to expose the truth of who – and what – he is. Subsequent titles in this series are BREAKING MIDNIGHT (on sale July 7, 2009) and SAVING MIDNIGHT (on sale August 4, 2009).

The third installment in Catherine Spangler’s dark and edgy Sentinel series is TOUCHED BY LIGHT (Berkley Sensation), the eagerly anticipated story of Julia and Adam. After a brutal attack 12 years ago, Dr. Julia Reynolds has lived a solitary life. But Adam Masters, powerful head of the Sentinels, is determined to draw her into a dark and dangerous otherworld and make her accept the stunning sexual attraction between them. The Sentinels are a superhuman race of reincarnated souls of the high priests who worshiped in the temple on Atlantis.

Lisa Hendrix continues the Immortal Brotherhood series with IMMORTAL OUTLAW (Berkley Sensation). Like the rest of his crew, Steinarr the Proud is condemned to live out eternity as a were-creature, transforming into a lion at night. It’s been four centuries since he was cursed by a wicked sorceress to live for eternity as half man, half beast. From his refuge in the woods of Nottinghamshire, England, he encounters two young travelers, Robin and Marian. Initially, he refuses to help them search for the key to Robin’s inheritance. Then a kiss from Marian awakens Steinarr’s desire. Driven to protect the maid he so desperately wants to possess, Steinarr joins their quest…while the sorceress Cwen gathers her dark magic to destroy them.

Deputy Sheriff Carla Day returns in DARK AURA (Berkley Prime Crime) by Diana O’Hehir. This time Carla is looking into the disappearances of a few “indigo babies” – gifted children who radiate a purplish glow, according to aura-seers. Then a 15-year- old indigo child, Tamina, falls off a hillside to her death, and nobody knows whether it’s an accident, suicide or murder. Just before dying, she whispers concern for her own secret baby. Carla’s father, an aging Egyptologist, might be able to help. He befriended the girl, but in his mental decline, he confuses Tamina with Ta-Ent, a mythical journeywoman. Carla has a town full of unreliable witnesses; if only she knew which of them to ignore.

Other books set for release on June 2, 2009, from Berkley Prime Crime include:

BY HOOK OR BY CROOK, a Crochet Mystery by Betty Hechman, is the third novel in this cozy mystery series featuring Molly Pink and her spunky Tarzana Hookers.

ANGEL’S ADVOCATE, a Beaufort & Co. Mystery by Mary Stanton, is the second book in an exciting series starring Brianna Winston Beaufort, a young lawyer whose clients are seeking justice from a higher court.

THE DIVA TAKES THE CAKE, a Domestic Diva Mystery by Krista Davis, is the second title to highlight domestic divas Sophie, a Real Simple believer, and Natasha, the Martha Stewart of the South.

SUCKER PUNCH, a Candy Shop Mystery by Sammi Carter, is the fifth sweet and deadly cozy mystery to include old-fashioned candy recipes – along with murder.

June 5, 2009:

JUMP (Poisoned Pen Press hardcover) by Tim Maleeny is a stand-alone book and not part of his Cape Weathers Investigations series. The tag line for my review of this book states: “Multiple suspects make this unique whodunit intense, interesting and a great read!” And that is so true. When the most hated landlord in San Francisco takes a dive off the roof of his own building, it isn’t too hard to find suspects. The police want to call it a suicide, but ex-cop Sam McGowan knows it was murder. He also knows that anyone living in the building could be a suspect, including himself. This is a great book and the opening line is a scream (literally).

June 16, 2009:

Johanna Lindsey returns with a new hardcover release, A ROGUE OF MY OWN (Pocket), and takes readers into the sparkling world of 19thcentury London aristocrats. An innocent young lady, Rebecca Marshall, gets her first brush with royal court intrigue, and it lands her at the altar alongside one of London’s most notorious rogues (and secret agent), Rupert St. John. Rebecca first met the handsome Rupert when she was infatuated with his cousin. Now, she finds herself being seduced by Rupert after he suspects her of spying on him. The repercussions are immense for both of them.

June 23, 2009:

Linda Castillo makes her chilling suspense debut with SWORN TO SILENCE (Minotaur hardcover). Sixteen years ago, a series of brutal murders shattered the peaceful farming community of Painters Mill, Ohio. A young Amish girl, Katie Burkholder, survived the terror of the Slaughterhouse Murders. In the aftermath, the town was left with a sense of fragility, a loss of innocence, and for Katie, the realization she no longer belonged with the Amish. Now, she’s back. Her Amish roots and big city law enforcement background make her the perfect candidate for Chief of Police. She's certain she's come to terms with her past – until the first body is discovered. Kate vows to stop the killer before he strikes again. But to name him, she would betray both her family and her Amish past – and expose a dark secret that could destroy her.

June 30, 2009:

Gena Showalter’s latest paranormal romance, SEDUCE THE DARKNESS (Pocket Star), tells Devyn’s story in the Alien Huntress series. Devyn is a king, a warrior and a collector of women, able to charm anyone, anywhere. Bride McKells is a streetwise fighter, but uneducated in the ways of the vampires and desperate to find another of her kind. Seductive Devyn has the answers Bride craves and can take her to the dark underground of her people. But Bride's blood might hold the key to saving Devyn's friends at Alien Investigation and Removal, so he can't bear to let her go. Together they enter the seedy world of slave auctions, battle an alien queen whose diseased blood turns humans into cannibals, and discover a passion unlike any other. In the end, Bride must choose between the man she's come to love and the family she's always longed for.

Barbara Freethy starts a new contemporary romantic suspense series with SUDDENLY ONE SUMMER (Pocket Star), set in the coastal town of Angel’s Bay, California. In Angel’s Bay, it’s thought that spirits from an 1800s shipwreck protect the townspeople, bringing about a belief in miracles and an ability of the community to heal wounds and save souls. Obeying her late sister’s request to protect her daughter from the child’s abusive father, Jenna Davis takes the young girl to Angel’s Bay. But their quiet life is disrupted when Jenna saves a young pregnant woman from drowning, becoming a local hero. Determined to avoid publicity, Jenna does not like the interest she’s generated in reporter Reid Tanner, who’s come to town to discredit a video of paranormal sightings.

LOVING A LOST LORD (Zebra) is the first book in a new Regency romance series by Mary Jo Putney. Dubbed the Lost Lords series, it features childhood friends with a flair for defying convention. Battered by the sea, Adam (the Duke of Ashton) remembers nothing of his past, his rank or the shipwreck that almost claimed his life. However, he's delighted to hear that the lovely lady tending his wounds is his wife. Mariah's name and face may not be familiar, but her touch, her warmth, feels so right. When Mariah Clarke prayed for a way to deter a bullying suitor, she never imagined she'd find the answer washed ashore on a desolate beach. Convincing Adam that he’s her husband is easy. Resisting the temptation to act his wife, in every way, is not. And now a passion begun in fantasy has become wonderfully real – and totally irresistible.

EVE OF CHAOS (Tor) is the third book in S. J. Day’s exciting, super sexy, urban fantasy series called The Marked. How do you tell Satan that you ran over his hellhound? Evangeline Hollis has no idea, and she doesn't want to find out. Living with the Mark of Cain – and the two sexy brothers who come with it – is trouble enough. She doesn't need to borrow more. Too bad Satan is too pissed to oblige her. Incensed at the loss of his pet, Satan has put a bounty on Eve's head, and Hell's denizens are converging en masse. The proliferation of Infernals is complicating Eve's hunts and creating chaos in her once orderly life. They've also brought her to the attention of an overzealous reverend who’s certain she's Jezebel reincarnate.

Leslie Langtry brings her Greatest Hits mystery romance series, featuring the Bombay family of assassins, to a fitting end with the fourth installment, I SHOT YOU BABE (Making It). Perennial grad student Veronica Gale gets more than she bargained for when her latest dissertation project puts her in the path of philosopher/assassin/carnival-ride operator Coney (Cy) Bombay – and an unsolved murder that might just kill her, too.

Gaelen Foley kicks off a brand-new series, The Inferno Club, with MY WICKED MARQUESS (Avon). To London's aristocracy, the Inferno Club is a scandalous society of highborn rakes and libertines that no proper young lady would acknowledge. But though these men are publicly notorious for pursuing all manner of debauchery, in private they are warriors who would do anything to protect king and country. The Marquess of Rotherstone has decided to restore the family's good name. But as a member of the Inferno Club, he knows there’s only one way to redeem himself in Society: marry a lady of impeccable beauty and breeding, whose reputation is spotless. Someone quite unlike Daphne Starling. True, she's temptingly lovely, but a jilted suitor has nearly ruined her reputation. Still, Max can’t resist her allure, or the challenge of proving the gossips wrong. He’d do anything to win her hand…and show that even a wicked marquess can make a perfect husband.

Pamela Palmer begins a riveting new paranormal romance series with DESIRE UNTAMED (Avon) about the Feral Warriors, an elite band of fierce and sexy shape-shifters who are sworn to protect the world from an ancient evil. Watch for consecutive titles in this series: OBSESSION UNTAMED (on sale July 28, 2009) and PASSION UNTAMED (on sale August 25, 2009).

As always, there’s more to come next month, so stay tuned...Tanzey Cutter