Keep an eye out for these hot summer reads
As the dog days of summer draw nigh the book publishing industry shifts into siesta mode. They are still putting out books but the flow will be diminished until September. Here are some upcoming releases that I’m really looking forward to reading:
“Some Die Nameless” by Wallace Stroby ( July 10) (Mulholland Books, 352 pages, $26).
A retired former mercenary in Florida and a newspaper reporter from Philadelphia are cast together by fate. Suddenly they are being pursued by an assassin. Will the former hired soldier redeem himself ? Can the reporter nail her biggest scoop?
“Bibliomysteries-Volume Two-Stories of Crime in the World of Books and Bookstores” edited by Otto Penzler (Aug. 7) (Pegasus, 624 pages, $26.95)
The first volume of this series was fantastic. In the latest one writers like R.L. Stine, Elizabeth George, Megan Abbott, Ian Rankin, Denise Mina, and Joyce Carol Oates have penned mysteries that share bookish themes.
“Serpentine” by Laurell K. Hamilton (Aug. 7) (Berkley, 496 pages, $28).
Anita Blake the vampire hunter returns in this long-running and highly popular series.Anita thinks she’s headed to a restful and relaxing wedding party in Florida when human bodies begin transforming into masses of snakes. Ugh.
“Don’t Eat Me” by Colin Cotterill (Aug. 14) (Soho Crime, 304 pages, $26.95)
This incredible series which features Dr. Siri Paiboun, the former national coroner of the southeast Asian nation of Laos is notable for the deadpan humor and morbid plot-lines devised by a former Brit now living in Thailand. Lots of skeletal hi-jinks in this one.
“Dead Man Running” by Steve Hamilton (Aug. 21) (Putnam, 304 pages, $26).
A few years ago Steve Hamilton started writing a new series and fans of his long-running Alex McKnight series were wondering if that one was over with. Fortunately, it isn’t. In this one, the former Detroit cop ends up in Arizona hunting a serial killer.
“Closer You Are —The Story of Robert Pollard and Guided By Voices” by Matthew Cutter (Aug. 21) (Da Capo, 368 pages, $27).
This is the authorized biography of the musician and Daytonian Robert Pollard. Written by a long-time friend, it reveals the stories behind the scenes of the band Guided By Voices. The author enjoyed access.
“Inspector Oldfield and the Black Hand Society — America’s Original Gangsters and the U.S. Postal Detective Who Brought Them To Justice” by William Oldfield and Victoria Bruce (Aug. 21) (Touchstone, 320 pages, $26).
The true story of Frank Oldfield, a US Postal Inspector in Columbus. During the early 20th century he apprehended mail train robbers, killers, swindlers, and various reprobates. His biggest bust involved members of the dreaded underworld syndicate the Black Hand.
“Transcription” by Kate Atkinson (Sept. 25) (Little, Brown, 352 pages, $28).
In 1940, an English teenager named Juliet Armstrong was recruited into the spy agency MI5 and became a reluctant spy. After the war was over she returned to a more sedate life. A decade passed. Juliet is producing radio shows for the BBC when suddenly her covert life comes back to haunt her. A new book from Kate Atkinson is always an event!
Vick Mickunas of Yellow Springs interviews authors every Saturday at 7 a.m. and on Sundays at 10:30 a.m. on WYSO-FM (91.3). For more information, visit www. wyso.org/programs/booknook. Contact him at vick@ vickmickunas.com.