A Suspense for Every Taste in May

It's so much fun to lose yourself in a mystery, and this month there are so many different kinds from which to choose.

After the first three books in Debra Webb's Faces of Evil series were released in paperback for only $3.99 last month, I'm sure like me you're ready for the next installment. In Rage Jess's past comes back to haunt her with a passion. If you like a strong female protagonist and heart-pounding suspense, you won't want to miss this one!

When Jess Harris moved back to her Alabama hometown, she thought she'd left her past behind her. But the blood bath the new Major Crimes deputy chief finds at a murder scene is beyond even the savagery of Eric Spears, the serial killer who now haunts Jess's life with terrifying text messages. Amid eerie echoes of the Charles Manson massacre, Jess investigates the dismemberment of a cop's wife while her baby lay sleeping down the hall.

The discovery of two more headless victims makes Jess wonder if it's a gang-related slaying, a personal vendetta . . . or something else. And the sudden reappearance of her ex-husband makes her question her future with Chief of Police Dan Burnett. Now as the net widens to include a shocking suspect, Jess realizes that the identity of the killer may lie with an autistic eight-year-old boy. With inner-city tensins at an all-time high and the community calling for blood, Jess must race to save an innocent child-and prevent a final, horrifying act of rage

Carey Baldwin's debut suspense, FIRST DO NO EVIL is now available in paperback. If you missed the e-book release last fall here's your chance to explore a deliciously nerve-wracking medical thriller.

One killer is in her blood. The other is in her house.

There's a killer lurking in Dr. Skylar Novak's family tree: the gene for breast cancer. That's why her brilliant brother invented the Bella vaccine. But even if the miracle drug protects her from the cancer that took her mother's life, it can't save Sky from the flesh and bone evil stalking her in secret.

When the killer strikes, detective Daniel Benson finds himself in the wrong place at the right time. The bold detective manages to save Sky's life...just in time for her to return the favor. Survival leads to seduction, and Danny risks everything—his career, even his life, to keep Sky safe. But will the buried sins they uncover cost him her heart?

Danny's strong arms may hold her close, but only Sky can stop the terror that's coming next...

There's a lot said about Dan Brown's books, but they are always a fast fun read. In his latest one his symbology professor, Robert Langdon, is back in Italy. This time he's on the hunt for the secrets in Dante's Inferno. Once again he's searching through classic art, delving into secret passageways and dealing with bad dudes, all in an effort to solve the riddle of INFERNO.

STANDOFF is from the lovely Sandra Brown. That chick knows how to tell a mystery. In this one, TV reporter Tiel McCoy is on her way to Mexico when she hears a wealthy 17-year-old socialite, Sara, has been kidnapped. Turns out Sara is pregnant and was kidnapped by her boyfriend. But through circumstances beyond her control, Tiel discovers she must find a way to help the young couple, before the FBI kills them.

I must admit it was Timothy Hallinan's clever title, LITTLE ELVISES, that caught my eye. If you like a bit of humor with your mystery, it sounds like this might be the ticket. Junior Bender is a burglar, who has a reputation for solving mysteries for L.A's underworld. One way or another, either his client or the suspect is going to be mad at him, so it's really a no-win situation. Add to that his ex and his daughter complicate his life, and you have one fun mess.

I just started reading Jane Casey's THE LAST GIRL, and I'm hooked. Detective Constable Maeve Kerrigan is on the case of a wife and daughter murdered in their home. The husband and the other twin daughter claim they didn't see anything. She finds herself with so many leads, she doesn't know where to begin.

Rochelle Staab's latest is HEX ON THE EX. Liz Cooper is a psychologist who turns to an occult professor for help when her ex-best friend ends up dead — in Liz's ex-husband's house. There's an omen of death, and lots of twist and turns that make this a fun read. If it turns out to be a rainy spring—no worries. We have lots of mysteries to keep us curled up by the fire.

Candace Havens is a multi-published author and nationally syndicated entertainment columnist. She can be heard weekly on 96.3, on the Hawkeye & Dorsey Show, and she runs a non-profit writer's workshop for more than 2000 students. She lives in Fort Worth, Texas. You can visit Candy daily at her website or follow her on Twitter @CandaceHavens