‘The Secret Lives of Murderers’ Wives,’ by Elizabeth Arnott (Berkley)
The wives of three serial killers form a friendship to find companionship and support. But when a series of murders occurs, the women suspect another serial killer. Police scoff at the idea, so the women decide to find the murderer on their own.
‘The Secret Lives of Murderers’ Wives,’ by Elizabeth Arnott (Berkley)
None of the three had anything to do with the crimes committed by their husbands, but they’ve all been shunned by neighbors and friends, and viewed as accomplices by outsiders. “The Secret Lives of Murderers’ Wives” is a good enough mystery, as the women face danger in their sometimes madcap adventure. But the real story is about the women themselves. Their world was destroyed; they are victims, too. The wives must reconstruct their lives and forgive themselves for failing to stop their husbands’ vicious deeds. (A “Good Morning America” Book Club pick.)
‘Make It Out Alive,’ by Allison Brennan (Hanover Square Press)
Three sets of newlyweds have disappeared from a Florida resort, their bruised and broken bodies washing up on the ocean shore. So Detective Kara Quinn and FBI agent Matthew Costa, members of the FBI’s mobile response team, go undercover as a honeymooning couple. Authorities bungle the case but still arrest a maintenance worker for the killings. Meanwhile, lovers Quinn and Costa stay on for a weekend together — then fail to show up for work on Monday.
The team believed the killer had acted alone. Now, they know he had an accomplice, and what a psychopathic murderer she is. After waking up from a drugged sleep, Quinn and Costa find themselves without food or water in a deserted, booby-trapped warehouse. It’s a Quinn and Costa mystery at its suspenseful best.
‘Such A Perfect Family,’ by Nalini Singh (Berkley)
When his wife’s parents are found dead in a burning house, and his wife, Diya, and her sister-in-law nearly dead from stab wounds, Tavish Advani becomes the primary suspect. And why not? Tavish, who just moved to New Zealand from Los Angeles with his bride, is a gigolo whose three previous aging lovers died under mysterious circumstances. The LA cops were closing in.
Tavish is a changed man, however. He dearly loves his wife, who knows nothing of his background. The New Zealand cops do, however, so as Diya fights for her life, Tavish fights for his freedom. And as he searches for the killer, he discovers the perfect family he thought he’d married into has some really dark secrets. But then, so does Tavish.
‘Robert B. Parker’s Big Shot,’ by Christopher Farnsworth (Putnam)
‘Robert B. Parker’s Big Shot,’ by Christopher Farnsworth (Putnam)
When Ramsey Devlin, a sleezy, corrupt and very rich crypto trader, hits Paradise, he seems to have it in for Chief Jesse Stone. Devlin throws a punch at Stone when the chief arrests him for drunken driving. He throws a wild party at his mansion that Stone has to shut down. Then his lawyer threatens legal sanctions. So when Devlin disappears, leaving behind a pool of blood on the living room carpet, the blame falls on the chief.
Of course, we know Stone isn’t a killer, and so does his staff. But authorities aren’t so sure, and relieve the chief of his badge. With the deputy chief off on vacation, Jesse’s on his own to solve the crime, with only his lawyer son for help. He learns that Devlin beat a federal rap in a financial scheme, so it does no good to dig up corruption charges. Jesse has a few tricks up his sleeve — and so does Deputy Chief Molly, for that matter.
‘The Midnight Taxi,’ by Yosha Gunasekera (Berkley)
Life’s rough for Siri Perera. The money she saved for law school went to pay her brother’s medical bills. Now she drives a cab in New York. She’s about to call it a night when she picks up one last fare who wants a ride to the airport. When they arrive, the fare is dead in the locked cab. The knife sticking out of him has Siri’s DNA on it. She’s promptly arrested for murder.
Fortunately for Siri, an earlier fare was Amaya, a public defender. Both women bonded over their Sri Lankan backgrounds, and she agrees to take on Siri’s case. After Siri’s rich childhood friend posts bail, Siri and Amaya set off to find the killer. Their search takes them to New York’s hidden districts with their bodegas and cafes, and “The Midnight Taxi” becomes as much a New York City tour of ethnic neighborhoods as it is a mystery.
‘Everyone in This Bank Is a Thief,’ by Benjamin Stevenson (Mariner Books)
This might be the most convoluted bank heist ever conceived. A man wearing a mask rounds up a group of customers in a bank and holds them hostage. His demand is a dollar bill from the bank’s vault. But the security code has been changed and nobody can get in. Moreover, the man who set the code has disappeared and is feared dead.
One of the hostages is self-appointed detective Ernest Cunningham, known for solving murders. The others include a teenage star of video games; a young woman awaiting a heart transplant; a priest with a vow of silence; a guard with a grudge against the bank; a fake receptionist; and Ernest’s fiancé, Juliette. Then, improbably, someone in the bank is murdered. Ernest attempts to identify which of the hostages is guilty of the murder and the attempted heist. The whole thing is so confusing that readers are likely to forget who’s who and what each has done, but Ernest draws it all together nicely.
Sandra Dallas is a Denver freelance author and book reviewer.
