Fiction and Mystery Book Reviews

The Good Thief

by Hannah Tinti

The Dial Press
Hardcover
ISBN# 978-0-385-33745-8
Suggested Retail Price: $25.00 or as low as $10.96 from Amazon.com!

We meet young Ren in St. Anthony's Orphanage in 19th Century New England. His left hand had been cut off before he was left at the orphanage and Ren doesn't know why. One day, a man named Benjamin Nab visits Ren at the orphanage and tells him that he is his long-lost brother and that he has been searching for Ren for many years. He tells Ren that his family was attacked by Indians and his mother accidentally cut off his hand in trying to defend her family. Benjamin tells Ren that he saved him from the Indians and left him with strangers while he went to seek revenge for their parents. Ren is thrilled by the news, but of course, Nab's story turns out to be a complete fabrication, and just one of several versions that Ren will hear.

Nab adopts Ren out of the orphanage and tells him that he has to forget the rules he was taught in order to survive in the world. Together, they travel from town to town playing various con games on unsuspecting victims who glance away when Ren shows his missing hand. Eventually, the start robbing graves - first for the treasures they hold and later to sell the bodies for medical experiments.

Yes, its very Oliver Twist-like, but with a very dark underpinning of murders and graveyards. Through it all, and despite the wicked tricks he pulls, we keep finding some goodness in Nab. And Ren is always there to keep on the trail of his parents, and to discover where he fits in the world. It's a rich tale of dark times when the fight for survival was always a challenge for those without means.

The Swap

by Antony Moore

Delta
Paperback
ISBN# 978-0-385-34234-6
Suggested Retail Price: $11.00 or as low as $0.86 from Amazon.com!

Harvey Briscow owns a comic book shop in London. To his lasting regret, 20 years ago he traded a copy of the first issue of the Superman comic books to a childhood friend, Charles "Blleder" Odd, for a worthless toy. That regret has turned to obsession and turned him into something of a shambles of a human being. On a visit to his hometown in Cornwall for his high school reunion, Harvey discovers that Bleeder is enormously successful. To add insult to injury, Bleeder also denies any recollection of the trade. Naturally, this drives Harvey to the edge of sanity and beyond.

Despite the ominous themes, this is a dark comedy about a life gone astray over a trifling. Author Antony Moore gives us a bird's eye view of the life of a somewhat dorky collector whose life has spun out of control in ways that are not entirely his own fault. It's quirky and chilling, all at the same time, but definitely with a light touch. Sterling stuff.

Scared to Live

by Stephen Booth

Bantam
Hardcover
ISBN# 978-0-385-33907-0
Suggested Retail Price: $25.00 or as low as $7.88 from Amazon.com!

British mystery writer Stephen Booth's latest novel features the return of DC Ben Cooper and his partner DS Diane Fry. Fry is looking into an apparent case of arson has claimed the life of Lindsay mullen and two of her children as Cooper is involved with a woman who was killed by a shot that came through her bedroom window. Both crimes are filled with dead ends until one very thin thread lead them both to investigate a Bulgarian gang that has been active in the Peak District recently.

Fans of British mysteries will relish these popular characters as they work their way through the twists and turns of a barely believable plot.

Red Hook: An Artie Cohen Mystery

by Reggie Nadelson

Walker & Company
Paperback
ISBN# 978-0-8027-1638-5
Suggested Retail Price: $15.95 or as low as $4.78 from Amazon.com!

Scrappy Russian-American New York detective Artie Cohen is back. Having just married Maxine Crabbe, Artie and his bride are planning their honeymoon when he gets the news that his friend, cynical reporter Sid McKay has died. Sid had been pestering Artie for help with a story, but his pending nuptials kept him from getting involved. The city is in the grips of the 2004 Republican National Convention when Artie starts to investigate. He battles the Russian mob and the wealthy business establishment of New York City as he tries to uncover what Sid was trying so hard to find. Lots of tension as Artie unravels a convoluted set of clues to his friend's death.

Out of Calabria

by Peter Chiarella

Trafford Publishing
Paperback
ISBN# 142514218-4
Suggested Retail Price: $21.95 or as low as $11.86 from Amazon.com!

"Out of Calabria" is the story of a prominent family in the Calabria area of Italy (the toe of the penninsula), several of whom emigrated to the United States to escape the social and familial structures of that embattled region. Set in the early twentieth century, the story moves back and forth between the United States and Calabria as the family slowly splits apart. It's a charming and very human look at these incredible people and the many obstacles they faced in moving to America, where they often found only poverty and discrimination. In a time when illegal immigration is such an important topic, it's important to understand people like this whose only goal is to want a better life for themselves and their children. The stories of the men and women is told with great warmth and affection. It's a historical novel that will enrich your sense of how this country evolved during a fascinating era of social and technological upheaval as the Industrial Age came into full flower.