Check it out

It’s no mystery that a good page-turner can smooth passage through the

dog days of August. If you’re hot on the trail for one, here are some

award-winning suspects:

“A Cold Day in Paradise” -- Recognized as a “Best First Novel” with

both a Shamus and an Edgar Award, Steve Hamilton’s thriller stars

ex-minor league catcher, ex-cop and current private investigator Alex

McKnight. When the maniac who killed his partner and sidelined Alex from

the Detroit Police Department 14 years ago resurfaces, a gripping double

mystery unfolds, replete with unpredictable twists.

“Boobytrap” -- In Bill Pronzini’s latest Shamus Award-winner, a

fishing vacation turns deadly when the always unnamed, rarely outgunned

San Francisco private detective falls into the revenge scheme of a mad

bomber. Facing him down takes Nameless through a battle of wits, leading

to an emotional turning point that may help him finally overcome the

suicide of his partner.

“No Colder Place” -- Set in New York’s dark underbelly, S.J.

Rozan’s Anthony Award-winning “Best Novel” sends unlikely detective

partners Lydia Chin and Bill Smith to a troubled building site. In a

compelling tale, what at first appears to be a simple case involving

crooked construction workers becomes a complicated story of twisted

family relationships.

“Dreaming of the Bones” -- Deborah Crombie’s romantic yarn was

honored with a Macavity Award as last year’s “Best Mystery Novel.” Set in

England, the complex tale of suicide and murder weaves together the

idyllic days before World War I, the rebellious student culture of the

‘60s and academic Cambridge in the present.

“The Killer’s Cousin” -- The winner of this year’s “Best Young

Adult” Edgar Award is a terrifying psychodrama by Nancy Werlin about a

teenager acquitted of murder in his girlfriend’s accidental death. When

he moves to live with relatives to finish his senior year of high school,

17-year-old David Yaffe is thrown into a hostile environment in which

he’s forced to realize he shares a complicity in murder with a young

cousin.

“The Doctor Digs a Grave” -- Robin Hathaway’s Agatha Award-winning

“Best First Novel” introduces cardiologist Andrew Fenimore in a

suspenseful caper that sheds light on the plight of the Lenage Indians.

The action takes place in Philadelphia’s posh Society Hill, where the

doctor and a teenage sidekick stumble upon a corpse while burying a

beloved cat.

“Mr. White’s Confession” -- Robert Clark illuminates the

relationships between truth and fiction while exploring the nature of

faith and memory in this gripping Edgar Award-winning “Best Novel.” The

action revolves around police Lt. Wesley Horner’s investigation into a

showgirl’s brutal murder, culminating in finding prime suspect Herbert

White -- an eccentric who spends his days writing gushing fan letters to

Hollywood starlets.

“Mystery Reader’s Walking Guide to Washington, D.C.” -- Dubbed

“Best Nonfiction” in this year’s Agatha Awards, this traveler’s guide for

mystery fans offers a fascinating way to tour the fictional side of the

nation’s capital. Eight walking tours described by more than 200

acclaimed mystery writers feature maps, recommended restaurants and

places of interest along the way.

CHECK IT OUT is written by the staff of the Newport Beach Public Library.

This week’s column is by Melissa Adams, in collaboration with Susie

Lamb-Hubbs.