Top Pick
You have to wonder why one would bother to initiate a murder investigation immediately after half the world has gone kablooey in a nuclear holocaust. But I suppose there is not a lot else that takes precedence over a murder investigation in the wake of nuclear war. Some bastion of civility remains in a small boutique hotel in the Swiss Alps, where a young girl has just been killed. It matters not that the lead investigator in Hanna Jameson's The Last has no investigative experience—the list of possible suspects is quite short, and motives and opportunities are severely limited by the world events of the past 60-odd days. There are security videos, but the power has been turned off to preserve energy for the upcoming winter when it will be needed for heat. And the caretaker who controls access to the power is something of an enigmatic character, not to mention a prime suspect in the murder, so there won't be a lot of help from that quarter. Meanwhile, all communications are down, bands of predatory looters in search of food plague the countryside, and slowly but surely the aforementioned "bastion of civility" degrades into some distinctly un­civil behavior. This genre-bending novel neatly embraces dystopian fiction and murder mystery, with the Omega Man starkness of the former and the requisite twists and turns of the latter.

There's a lot of history between characters Hap Collins and Leonard Pine, dating back to 1990's Savage Season. The two have had each other's backs through adventure after adventure, and they have solved cases and cemented their unlikely brotherhood (by East Texas standards) of a straight white guy and a gay black guy. In The Elephant of Surprise, Joe R. Lansdale's dynamic duo doesn't expend a lot of energy developing their relationship further; there simply isn't time. There isn't even a moment available for self-reflection or friendship evaluation from the moment they rescue a young albino Asian woman with a nearly severed tongue until the epic storm in which they pilot a prison bus of innocent survivors through deep flood waters in an attempt to escape a killer posse of bad guys. You'd be hard-pressed to find a single one of the book's 256 pages sans bullets, blood spatter, murder and mayhem, all of which are overlaid with Hap's dry Texas wit. The Elephant of Surprise is the read of the year thus far for adrenaline junkies, action-hero aficionados and, as is always the case with Lansdale's novels, fans of clever and unexpected similes and metaphors. "The windshield wipers slaved back and forth like a mean librarian wagging her finger at a loud child. . . ."

I have to confess to strongly preferring first-person narration for suspense novels, perhaps because I cut my teeth on the laconic voice-overs of film noir. That said, I quite like Anne Perry's third-person omniscient voice in her Daniel Pitt novels, the second of which is Triple Jeopardy. The London-set narrative is delivered in period-correct Victorian dialect and prose, which gives it the feel of having been written in another era entirely. The case centers on the alleged bad acts of a man hitherto protected by diplomatic immunity and on his defense in the English court by newly minted barrister Daniel Pitt. It is the first case of Pitt's career in which he is lead barrister, and it is both a heady and decidedly frightening proposition for him. His client is on trial for embezzlement, but there is the very real possibility that further crimes, including assault and jewel theft, figure in as well—and perhaps even murder. Enlisting the help of his friend Miriam fforde Croft, an early practitioner of forensic sciences, Pitt divides his energies between defense and investigation, and just about the time you have your "aha!" moment, things take a sharp turn in another direction altogether. 

When Anne Hillerman took over the series that made her father, Tony, famous, she gave voice to the female characters in the series, bringing them into the mainstream narrative without taking anything away from the male characters upon whom the series was built. Hillerman wisely left the best parts of her father's beloved characters' storylines intact while creating compelling new additions. This time, in The Tale Teller, three parallel tales merge with unexpected results for each of the three protagonists. Retired cop Joe Leaphorn is investigating a case that the local museum director would like to have cleared up before her imminent retirement, that of a priceless traditional Navajo dress that has gone missing. Leaphorn's former colleague Jim Chee is involved in an investigation of jewelry thefts, largely of Native American antiques. And Bernadette "Bernie" Manuelito must, somewhat reluctantly, share the stage with the FBI in the investigation of a murder on a popular running trail in the Arizona desert. As is always the case with Hillerman novels (either Tony or Anne), the supernatural is never far from the reader's mind. Witchcraft and Native American lore permeate the narrative in a way that has appealed to readers for nigh on 50 years, with no end in sight.

Hillerman (Cave of Bones) presents the fifth in her series featuring retired Navajo policeman Joe Leaphorn and officers Jim Chee and Bernie Manuelito. Each is investigating a crime within the Navajo Nation. As a favor to a friend, Leaphorn is looking into the disappearance of a priceless, sacred artifact, a traditional dress dating back to the Long Walk, when the Navajo were forcibly removed from their homeland. A series of robberies and a shooting are the focus for Chee. And Manuelito becomes entangled with the FBI when she discovers a body while on a running trail. Mysterious deaths, lies, and secrets plague the investigators. Nevertheless, their diligent efforts uncover clues that assist them in unraveling each of the cases, and all are guided by the history and culture of the Navajo. VERDICT Hillerman's writing becomes stronger with every new installment in the series, deepening the development of each character. Fans will be intrigued by the intertwining stories that keep them guessing. The picturesque Southwest, as well as the history of the Navajo, come through on each page.—Patricia Ann Owens, formerly at Illinois Eastern Community Coll., Mt. Carmel

At the start of bestseller Hillerman's laconic fifth Leaphorn, Chee, and Manuelito novel (after 2018's Cave of Bones), PI Joe Leaphorn, a former Navajo police lieutenant, and Daisy Pinto of the Navajo Nation meet at the tribal library to discuss some recent museum donations, in which the most valuable item listed on the paperwork was either not included or has gone missing. They're interrupted by the news that a young woman is lying unconscious on the ground outside the library. When the woman later dies, Leaphorn investigates, despite anonymous warnings of witchcraft. He also agrees to help Daisy with the museum case. Meanwhile, Officer Bernie Manuelito and Sgt. Jim Chee look into a series of unsolved burglaries, further complicated by a body Bernie finds while running on a popular trail. The FBI and tribal cops butt heads as the various cases intertwine. Series fans not looking for dramatic momentum or a gripping plot will enjoy catching up with familiar characters, but predictability and lackluster prose mar this installment. Agent: Elizabeth Trupin-Pulli, JET Literary Assoc. (Apr.)

At the start of bestseller Hillerman's laconic fifth Leaphorn, Chee, and Manuelito novel (after 2018's Cave of Bones), PI Joe Leaphorn, a former Navajo police lieutenant, and Daisy Pinto of the Navajo Nation meet at the tribal library to discuss some recent museum donations, in which the most valuable item listed on the paperwork was either not included or has gone missing. They're interrupted by the news that a young woman is lying unconscious on the ground outside the library. When the woman later dies, Leaphorn investigates, despite anonymous warnings of witchcraft. He also agrees to help Daisy with the museum case. Meanwhile, Officer Bernie Manuelito and Sgt. Jim Chee look into a series of unsolved burglaries, further complicated by a body Bernie finds while running on a popular trail. The FBI and tribal cops butt heads as the various cases intertwine. Series fans not looking for dramatic momentum or a gripping plot will enjoy catching up with familiar characters, but predictability and lackluster prose mar this installment. Agent: Elizabeth Trupin-Pulli, JET Literary Assoc. (Apr.)