Book Review: Two mystery-thrillers from the top of the batting order
Here's a couple of dependable books waiting for you at the Carson City Library: Johnathan Kellerman's "Mystery" and Stuart Woods' "Santa Fe Edge." Both are dealing with characters from earlier books and it's nice to see how they enlarge themselves herein.
Kellerman's chief character, Alex Delaware is here with his gay LAPD lieutenant Sturgis and his woodworking live-in girlfriend Robin. Alex and Robin are off to the closing of the Hotel Fauborg, a onetime romantic spot for them that has fallen to evil times. There they see an attractive woman sitting along and waiting for someone apparently. They also spot a man loitering nearby. They have their drinks and move on.
Two days later Sturgis asks Alex for help in the brutal murder of a a woman who turns out to be the one they saw at the hotel. She's been disfigured and there is no identification. But Alex uses his medical and psychology skills to help find the murderer.
As usual with Kellerman the violence is distant and the untangling of clues worth the 320 pages. At the new books section of the library.
Then there's Woods' thriller, starring Ed Eagle, defense attorney with an ex-wife who wants him dead. Problem is she's in a Mexican prison, but she goes along with the warden's sexual desires and escapes with the help of a Hollywood producer.
The ex-wife is smart and slippery and hires someone to slit Eagle's throat and the hired killer almost succeeds.
Much about the art town of Santa Fe that is enough to prompt one to get in the car and take off. The complexities stem from the murder in a golfer's estate and the hide-and-seek of the ex-wife as she casually bumps off her hired killer and decides to do the job herself. Bu wait, a phony will which cut her out of her late spouse's bundle is discovered and she inherits a fortune. Meanwhile, there are legal complications on all sides, which Eagle and friends untangle.
Both these authors are at the top of their field for mystery-thrillers, and for good reason. Both weave complex plots and create interesting characters. Can't ask for more than that. At the new books section of the library.
— Sam Bauman