Jeff Popple reviews three new entertaining crime novels from America. More of Jeff’s reviews can be found on his blog murdermayhemandlongdogs.com
Livid by Patricia Cornwell
Sphere, $32.99
Veteran thriller author Patricia Cornwell provides another engrossing entry in her series about Chief Medical Examiner Kay Scarpetta with her latest book, Livid. A controversial murder trial is interrupted when news comes through that the judge’s sister has been found dead, the apparent victim of a home invasion. Scarpetta rushes to the scene to find an unexpected and worrying cause of death that re-opens old wounds and new dangers. Cornwell is a confident and fluid writer, and once again she delivers an intriguing plot, plenty of suspense and an abundance of interesting forensic detail. Her many fans will not be disappointed.
Treasure State by C. J. Box
Head of Zeus, $29.99
C. J. Box is best known for his stellar series about game warden, Joe Pickett, but in recent years he has been developing a second series about Montana private eye, Cassie Dewell. Treasure State is the fifth book to feature Cassie, and it finds the investigator caught up in two cases involving a slippery conman and a supposedly buried treasure. Cassie is an interesting and flawed character who goes about her business with a professional ease that is enjoyable to watch. As always with a Box novel, the story unfolds smoothly and high interest is maintained all the way to the exciting conclusion.
The Resemblance by Lauren Nossett
Macmillan, $34.99
Unlike Box and Cornwell, Lauren Nossett is just beginning her career, but her first novel, The Resemblance, shows plenty of promise. Detective Marlitt Kaplan is the first on the scene when a student at the University of Georgia is killed in a bizarre hit and run. The daughter of a professor from the University, Marlitt becomes caught up in old secrets and the sordid world of US college fraternities as she tries to bring the perpetrator to justice. Battling pressure from the influential parents of the wealthy students, Marlitt comes to understand just how powerful the fraternity brotherhoods are. An impressive debut.
