Two significant newcomers to the lists this week: The Old Wine Shades, a Richard Jury mystery, by Martha Grimes; and The Two Minute Rule, the latest thriller by Robert Crais.
The Old Wine Shades, the name of a London pub where Richard Jury finds himself listening to an improbable yet intriguing tale of the baffling disappearance of a mother, her autistic son and their dog—and the more baffling reappearance of the pet nine months later, is also the title of the 20th book in this mystery series. Publishers Weekly states, "The author's gift at melding suspense, logical twists and wry humor makes this one of the stronger entries in this deservedly popular series."
Reviews for The Two Minute Rule have been uniformly positive:
Denver Post: "Crais uses the novelist's complete bag of tricks to tell a story that's darker, denser, deeper and more satisfying than anything he's written before."
Los Angeles Times: "[A] full-bodied novel that explores such topics as honor and friendship and justice and love, that brings its protagonists to a new point of self-awareness and, not incidentally, that provides the kind of puzzle plot that sends mystery fans into paroxysms of joy."
The Washington Post: "[S]hrewdly plotted and sharply written, with not an ounce of fat on it. . . . a rare treat."
Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, mystery, mystery books, mystery bestsellers, martha grimes, richard jury, robert crais.