The Reader
Deadrise
by Robert Blake Whitehill
Deadrise, the first book in the Ben Blackshaw series, will capture your attention and have you on the edge of your seat from page one when the title character finds a wealth of gold, a dirty bomb and the corpse of his father while diving for oysters in the Chesapeake Bay.
There’s something for most readers in this book: a suspenseful mystery, fast-paced action, compelling characters and vivid descriptions of the Eastern shore and specifically Smith Island. Add in a government agent who will stop at nothing to recover the wreckage, and readers will find a story they don’t want to put down.
–Read by Carol Dean, Area Librarian II, West County Area Library
Murder Most Austen
by Tracy Kiely
Fans of Jane Austen will enjoy this murder mystery by Severna Park resident Tracy Kiely. Elizabeth Parker and her Aunt Winnie are on their way to the English town of Bath for the annual Jane Austen Festival. In flight, they meet Professor Baines, who has some unusual theories about Austen’s works. At the festival, Elizabeth meets several of Baines’ family members and associates. She also discovers the professor’s dead body.
Will Elizabeth be able to figure out what happened? And why?
Kiely keeps the reader guessing and cleverly interlaces commentary about Austen’s books into the mystery. Readers will want more mysteries featuring Elizabeth Parker.
–Read by Aimee Maranto, Library Associate, West County Area Library
Tuscan Blood
by Dick Rosano
Filippo Trantini has inherited the Castello dei Trantini winery after his grandfather’s sudden death. But does he want to give up his life in Maryland, where he has lived since his parents emigrated from Italy when he was 12? Upon his arrival in Italy to consider his decision, his cousins Santo and Rita convince him that his grandfather, his beloved Nonno Filippo, was pushed to his death from a window that overlooks the estate.
Rosano, of North Beach and Potomac, is a wine, food and travel writer (and former wine-food columnist for The Washington Post Wine Enthusiast. He combines delightful descriptions of food and wine, an excellent sense of place and well-drawn characters in his first work of fiction.
–Read by Arleen Talley, Assistant, Materials Management: Anne Arundel County Public Library