A list of the top 15 mystery hardcover bestsellers for the week ending April 10, 2009 has been posted on the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books website.
Last week's featured newcomer, Long Lost by Harlan Coben, moves into second position this week. But the real news is that four new spring mystery titles enter the top 15.
At number 7 is About Face, the 18th mystery featuring Venice Commissario Guido Brunetti by Donna Leon. Incinerators across the south of Italy are at full capacity, burning who-knows-what and releasing unacceptable levels of dangerous air pollutants, while in Naples, enormous garbage piles grow in the streets. In Venice, with the polluted waters of the canals and a major chemical complex across the lagoon, the issue is never far from the fore. Environmental concerns become significant in Brunetti’s work when an investigator from the Carabiniere, looking into the illegal hauling of garbage, asks for a favor. But the investigator is not the only one with a special request. His father-in-law needs help and a mysterious woman comes into the picture. Brunetti soon finds himself in the middle of an investigation into murder and corruption more dangerous than anything he’s seen before. Publishers Weekly calls the series "wickedly entertaining" and says of About Face, "Leon flawlessly melds the two plot threads as she parallels her characters' vulnerability with that of Venice."
In 8th position is the 11th entry in The Dresden Files, Turn Coat by Jim Butcher. The Warden Morgan has been accused of treason against the Wizards of the White Council -- and there's only one, final punishment for that crime. He's on the run, wants his name cleared, and needs someone with a knack for backing the underdog. Someone like Harry Dresden. Now, Harry must uncover a traitor within the Council, keep a less-than-agreeable Morgan under wraps, and avoid coming under scrutiny himself. And a single mistake may cost someone his head -- someone like Harry. Publishers Weekly says "Dresden investigates with his trademark sardonic noir flair," adding, "Despite the sprawling plot, both fans and newcomers will get into the fast-paced action."
At number 9 is Fatally Flaky, the 15th mystery in the Goldy Schulz culinary series by Diane Mott Davidson. It's been a long, rainy summer for the Colorado caterer, who is engaged in planning wedding receptions for what seems to be all of Aspen Meadow. It's bad enough that Billie Attenborough, the bride from hell, wants to move the location to the Gold Gulch Spa just a scant two days before tying the knot to her doctor fiancé. Then Doc Finn, best friend of Goldy's godfather Jack, is killed when his car tumbles into a ravine. But Jack thinks Doc was murdered because of research he was doing at the spa—allegations that are confirmed when Jack himself is attacked. So Goldy dons chef's whites and goes undercover at the spa. Add in the obstreperous owner, who years ago tried to sabotage Goldy's fledgling business, and she's got her hands full. Above all, there seems to be a clever killer on the spa grounds, watching her every move. After what befell Jack, Goldy knows that she might be next. Catering weddings, and cooking low-fat food, could be killing her—literally.
Finally, arriving in 12th position is the 15th mystery in the Anna Pigeon series, Borderline by Nevada Barr. The killings on Isle Royale have left Anna drained and haunted, her memories of her time with the wolf study group forever marred by the carnage on the island. Diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, she is on administrative leave, per her superintendent's urging. Anna wonders if the leave might not be permanent, either by her own choice or that of the National Park Service. The one bright spot in Anna's life is Paul, her husband of less than a year. Hoping the warmth and the adventure of a raft trip in Big Bend National Park will lift her spirits, Paul takes Anna to southwest Texas, where the sun is hot and the Rio Grande is running high. The sheer beauty of the Chihuahuan Desert and the power of the river work their magic—until the raft is lost in the rapids and a young college student falls overboard, resulting in an even more grisly discovery. Caught in a strainer between two boulders and more dead than alive, is a pregnant woman, hair and arms tangled in the downed branches. Instead of the soul-soothing experience they'd longed for, Anna and Paul find themselves sucked into a labyrinth of intrigue that leads from the Mexican desert to the steps of the Governor's Mansion in Austin, Texas.
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The top four mystery bestsellers this week are shown below:
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