San Francisco Sleuthing

Camouflage by Bill Pronzini
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Looking for a hard-boiled group of private investigators who won't rest until they find the rotten egg at the heart of the puzzle? Take a trip to San Francisco and discover what all that fog can really cover up. From abusive step-mothers to cases of stolen identity, the Bay area offers plenty of twists for a Noir-tinged mystery novel.

Country Music Crime Spree

In honor of tonight's broadcast of the 45th annual Country Music Awards, I thought I'd offer up some recent mysteries having to do with Nashville's most famous industry. These are all published within 2011 and can all be read with a twang, if you prefer.

First up, we've got a title that hearkens back to country songs of the past. I can't Make You Love Me, But I Can Make You Leave by Dixie Cash is part of the Domestic Equalizers series.

Irish Noir

Priest by Ken Bruen

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ex-cop Jack Taylor is back on the streets of Galway after a stint in the asylum where he landed after a young girl he was minding fell out of a window to her death. As he wanders around the city he runs into old acquaintances and new friends, trying to piece his life back together while looking into the murder of a priest whose head was found sitting in a confessional.

Complicated Families - Just in Time for the Holidays

The holidays.

Family get-togethers. Arguments over how to best cook the turkey, or ham, or roast beast. Trying to find the perfect present for people who have everything. Sibling rivalry. In-law squabbling.

The thought of these things makes me want to hide under the covers and order Chinese food.

If you think your family is complicated, try these reads. While they are not happy go lucky, they might make you feel better about your own situation.