Watch out for this trio ofmysteries in 2021
The book publishing industry is grinding to a temporary halt while we take a moment, or even a month, to look back at favorite books from the year. It is also the time to gaze ahead to some books expected in 2021. I’ll close out the year with rundowns of my favorite books. In this first December column, I’m suggesting titles to watch out for early next year.
“The Breaker” by Nick Petrie ( Jan. 12, Putnam, 432 pages, $27)
Lee Child has favorably compared Nick Petrie’s ex-military character Peter Ash to his own creation Jack Reacher. Here’s a teaser from the press release for book No. 6 in the series:
“A man wanted by two governments, Peter Ash has found a simple, lowprofile life in Milwaukee, living with his girlfriend June and renovating old buildings with his friend Lewis. Staying out of trouble is the key to preserving this fragile peace . . . but when Peter spots a suspicious armed man walking into a crowded market, he knows he can’t stand by and do nothing. Peter does interrupt a crime, but it wasn’t at all what he’d expected. The young gunman appeared to have one target and one mission but when he escapes, and his victim vanishes before police arrive, it seems there is more to the encounter than meets the eye. Peter’s hunch is proven correct when a powerful associate from his past appears with an interest in the crime, and an irresistible offer.
“Finlay Donovan is Killing It” by Elle Cosimano (Feb. 2, Minotaur, 355 pages, $26.99)
Here’s crime fiction with a touch of dark humor. The press release sets this one up nicely: “The new book she promised her literary agent isn’t written, her ex-husband went behind her back to fire the nanny, the bills are piling up, and custody of the kids might be in jeopardy.
“Just that morning she had to send her 4-year-old to school with hair ducttaped to her head after an incident with scissors. When Finlay’s overheard discussing the plot of her new novel with her agent over lunch, she’s mistaken for a contract killer, and inadvertently accepts an offer to dispose of a problem husband.”
“Blood Grove” by Walter Mosley (Feb. 2 Mulholland, 309 pages, $27)
Walter Mosley can write anything it seems, from incisive essays to science fiction and beyond. He might be best known for his Easy Rawlins series, so it is a real treat to get a new installment. Easy is a Black private detective who has a small agency in L.A. This story unfolds in 1969. I love this promotional blurb that describes the story as “a crackling, moody, thrilling race through a California of hippies and tycoons, radicals and sociopaths, cops and grifters, both men and women. Easy will need the help of his friends -- from the genius Jackson Blue to the dangerous Mouse Alexander, Fearless Jones, and Christmas Black -- to make sense of a case that reveals the darkest impulses humans harbor.”