We meet monthly at the Henderson Library and Discuss Great Mystery Books!

 

Tuesday September 6, 2005 - 6:30 PM
Private Practices by Stephen White
A deranged husband pushes into Gregory's Boulder, Colo., office with a gun and a hostage, demanding to see his battered wife, Claire Draper, who's in session with Alan's partner, Diane Estevez. White weaves a near-flawless web of evil, and his prose is as smooth and fast as a downhill slalom, with enough twists and jumps to keep it interesting. - Publishers Weekly

Tuesday October 4, 2005 - 6:30 PM
When the Bough Breaks by Jonathan Kellerman
A psychologist, Dr. Alex Delaware turns detective when he is called upon to interview a young girl who is the only living witness to a brutal dual murder. The psychologist is soon out of his professional depth in pursuing clues and leads, but he plods onward to solve the case, nearly at the expense of the girl's and his own life. - Booklist

Tuesday November 1, 2005 - 6:30 PM
Contents Under Pressure by Edna Buchanan
Heroine, half-Cuban, overworked night owl Britt Montero, covers the crime beat for a big Miami paper. A black sports hero dying in a high-speed chase with some gung-ho, steroid-freak cops and no apparent motive for the chase. Outrage spreads through the black community, and once again real life seems to be hovering at the edges of the narrative. Contents under Pressure" revels in the small details that bring that weirdness alive: surly cops on a homicide gig grousing on Super Bowl day, multiple shoot-outs in taverns over jukebox disputes, a newspaper colleague drifting out to sea on a raft. If these are not accounts of actual events, they certainly feel like they should be. - Booklist

NO MEETING IN DECEMBER

Tuesday January 3, 2006 - 6:30 PM
Monkeewrench by P.J. Tracy
When people start dying in strange ways in Minneapolis, everyone wonders what the murderer will do next--everyone except the employees of Monkeewrench Software, who are all too aware that their new serial-killer computer game is the model for the crimes. The two teams of detectives--one from the big city and one from the small town but both with their own quirks, love interests, and insights--provide the sparkle in this engaging debut thriller by a mother-daughter writing team who lace their suspense with humor. - Booklist

Tuesday February 7, 2006 - 6:30 PM
The Italian Secretary by Caleb Carr
Mycroft Holmes, an advisor to the ailing queen Victoria, summons his famous brother and Dr. Watson to Edinburgh to investigate the puzzling murders of two of the Queen's aides. Because the men had been working on the renovation of the royal palace of Holyrood, Sherlock recounts to Watson the story of David Rizzio, "the Italian secretary" who had been butchered by supporters of Queen Elizabeth in front of Mary, Queen of Scots, in Holyrood. Commissioned by and written with the approval of the estate of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Carr's return to historical fiction (after Killing Time) blends detailed history and thrilling suspense while giving perfect cadence to the verbal discourse between Holmes and Watson. - Library Journal

Tuesday March 7, 2006 - 6:30 PM
Night Sins by Tami Hoag
Megan O'Malley, the first female field officer of the state's criminal investigation bureau, is forced into a close working relationship with Mitch Holt, the town's police chief, when a child goes missing. Against the background of a multijurisdictional criminal investigation, dialog and plot flow smoothly, and elements of romantic tension that serve to define the characters further are seamlessly inserted into the basic mystery/suspense theme. The investigatory techniques provide a strong framework for this gripping suspense tale. - Library Journal

Tuesday April 4, 2006 - 6:30 PM
Devil's Corner by Lisa Scottoline
Assistant U.S. attorney Vicki Allegretti's meeting with a confidential informant goes terribly wrong when the routine appointment turns into a bloodbath, leaving Vicki's ATF partner, Morty, dead along with the informant and her unborn child. Vicki's bosses tell her to move on to her next case, but Vicki, determined to find the killer, launches her own investigation. - Booklist

Tuesday May 2, 2006 - 6:30 PM
First Degree by David Rosenfelt
The $22 million inherited by New Jersey defense attorney Andy Carpenter from his father has helped make him extremely selective in choosing his clients. Regardless, Andy comes to the defense of the man who has been arrested for the murder of a notoriously corrupt cop. Andy's present-tense narration, peppered with self-deprecating humor and a rather large dose of cynicism, carries the story. - Booklist

Tuesday June 6, 2006- 6:30 PM
Without Due Process by J.A. Jance
The brutal murder of a black cop and his family tests the procedural skills of Seattle police detective J.P. Beaumont. Lean forward, grab on, and ride for adventure. - Library Journal

 

All discussions are free - no registration is required. Just read the book prior to the meeting!

For more information contact the Henderson Library

4805 Emerald St. Torrance

(310) 371-2075