Oscar Wild and the Return of Jack the Ripper. London, 1894. Who is Jack the Ripper? In this sixth entry in Brandreth’s series pairing Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Oscar Wilde, rumors have resurfaced that Jack the Ripper is a member of the royal family. When a woman is brutally murdered, Chief Constable McNaughton asks Wilde to use his extensive knowledge of the underworld to help. Wilde enlists a reluctant Doyle and the two team up to solve the mystery. Verbal repartee abounds as the pair’s conversation works many of Wilde’s epigrams into the dialog. Fans of Sherlock Holmes and Oscar Wilde will enjoy the ride.
Lady Cop Makes Trouble. Hackensack, 1915. Constance Kopp is at it again! Having recently been appointed as Deputy Sheriff of Bergen County (although minus the badge), Constance is on duty at the jail when the notorious prisoner Dr. von Mattesius makes his escape. Constance, embarrassed and worried for the future of Sheriff Heath’s job, sets out to apprehend Mattesius. Based on a true story, this second title in the Kopp sisters series is at once meticulously researched and full of humor as Constance juggles her law enforcement responsibilities and her obligations to her two sisters: Norma, who raises carrier pigeons and Fleurette, whose eyes are filled with Broadway stars. Lady Cop Makes Trouble is a witty and consciousness raising romp.
Cold Bright Lights. Melbourne, present day. In this stand-alone mystery from renowned Australian crime writer, Garry Disher, readers are introduced to Alan Auhl, a former homicide detective who is called out of retirement to work cold cases. When a body is found under a cement slab, Auhl’s job is to identify “slab man”. Along with his cold case, Auhl is also trying to help one of his tenants, a young woman whose abusive husband is trying to take her child away. Disher’s characters are always complex and compelling and Auhl is one of the most challenging. With an ending that may shock and will leave readers pondering the nature of justice and morality, Disher’s latest is a must read.
-Marilyn B.
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