Beat the Reaper by Josh Bazell, Little Brown, fiction, 320 pp., $24.99 (avail. Jan. 7)

This powerhouse debut novel tracks a single day in the life of a former hit man turned medical doctor as he dodges his former associates while providing better than average care for his patients who include a young woman who's lost half her head as a result of piercing her tongue. Bazell takes his opportunity to vomit a torrent of outrage against the U.S. health care system, the pharmaceutical industry, sexual slavery, anti-Semitism, and native Poles (like Jerzy Kosinski (The Painted Bird) with a sense of humor. He rails against the current setup of Auschwitz, which apparently still reflects the third class status of Jews, and the mob, both Italian and Russian. There are footnotes which are informative and very funny.

Dr. Peter Brown used to be Pietro Brwna until he entered the witness protection program, but he's been found. Life hasn't been easy for Dr. Brown who found his grandparents shot to death in their modest home when he was fifteen. His unquenchable thirst for vengeance led him to the mob where he became an extraordinarily good hit man until he got caught. It is to the man's credit that he killed only the really bad guys.

In a more serious vein, Bazell examines the effects of lies on a single life.

This wild and unique novel is profane, obscene, violent, ugly, disturbing, wickedly funny, and spectacular. In its last moments, Dr. Brown uses an unprecedented defense maneuver that is excruciating to read, but it works. And then there's the scene in a shark tank. You don't want to miss that.

Josh Bazell is a medical resident at the University of California, San Francisco. He received his MD from Columbia and his BA in writing at Brown. He is at work on his next novel, and that's great news.

A Rule against Murder by Louise Penny, Minotaur Books, mystery, 320 pp., $24.95 (avail. Jan. 20)

Louise Penny has become the name on traditional mystery lovers tongues since her appearance on shelves several years ago. This is the fourth book in a series that has won numerous awards since it first appeared.

Normally, the action takes place in a tiny Canadian village called Three Pines which is so irresistible in its simplicity and charm that readers have said they'd like to call it home. Can't blame us for that. Wonderful characters abound including Ruth Zardo, a crotchety old poet with a pet duck, Myrna, the psychologist who chucked it all to run a new and used bookstore, and Gabri and Olivier, a gay couple who run the local B&B as well as a welcoming bistro where patrons sip cognac in front of a roaring fire. Dominating the action, however, are Peter and Clara Morrow, two artists. Clara has languished in the shade of her husband's gifts, because he is one of Canada's premier artists, while she awaits her chance. That chance is now on the horizon.

Armand Gamache is the homicide inspector who has had reasons to investigate murders which occurred in Three Pines, but this time out Gamache and his lovely wife Reine- Marie have come to the Manoir Bellechasse in the forest to celebrate their July 1 anniversary. They share the manoir with the Finney family, just about all of whom are rich, snotty, vindictive, and difficult to be around. The Finneys are there for the unveiling of the statue of their original patriarch. And it seems Peter Morrow is one of them.

While a fierce storm rages, Gamache finds himself investigating the murder of one of the better Finneys, and everyone is suspect, including Peter.

The character of Armand Gamache is special. He, despite pain in his own life, remains decent, forthright, intelligent, gentle, confident, and wise. He is that rare creature who finds himself content with who he is, what he has, and his ability to handle the most sensitive situations with an apparent ease borne of long habit.

I can't recommend this series highly enough.

The Fortune Teller's Daughter by Lila Shaara, Ballantine Books, fiction, 448 pp., $25

This is a laid back contemporary story, part mystery, and part 'everyman finds himself'.

Harry Sterling is a former Washington Post reporter who is now teaching at the law school of an undistinguished college in north Florida. He is divorced and aching for more regular contact with his 14 year-old son. He is a former reporter because the son of a judge he'd outed in an investigative piece shot and killed his brother. That's what ended Harry's marriage, and it's what has stolen his joy. Harry also has a drinking problem. In fact, it s information Harry heard during a fantastic binge that landed him at the home of some fortune tellers in a remote area of town that has him searching for the subject of his next book. Harry has two successful books under his belt, but the politics of academia demand that he continue to produce.

The rumor Harry heard was that an internationally known scientist who had brought fortune and fame to a prestigious school in Pennsylvania actually stole the work of one or more of his students. It's going to be hard to prove because the scientist is dead and so are the two grad students who worked most closely with him on an electrical conductivity theory. Part of what Harry heard is that a fortune teller on the outskirts of town knows something about the matter.

What Harry finds are a bunch of tough as nails ladies and one reticent young woman who captures Harry's attention and in the process brings to light his snobbery. He is conflicted in his attraction to this young woman, a cook at a modest restaurant in town.

This is, for the most part, a relaxing tour through someone else's problems. It is a tale of justice delayed but delivered, and who doesn't love one of those.

Three Weeks to Say Goodbye by C.J. Box, Minotaur Books, fiction, 340 pp., $24.95 (avail. Jan. 6)

C. J. Box creates terrific characters and he knows how to build suspense. The reader has to suspend belief, however, in this improbable tale of one man's need to prove himself to his family.

Jack and Melissa Mc Guane live in Denver. They have tried unsuccessfully to have a child of their own. Their prayers for a child are answered when they have the opportunity to adopt baby Angelina through a private agency. Unfortunately, the ball was

dropped when the agency failed to get the consent of the birth father, son of a powerful federal judge who now wants the child back. Three weeks time is what Jack and Melissa have to push back against great power and keep the child whom they love.

Do they hire a lawyer? No, instead Jack goes on a crime spree with his best friend Cody, a cop, who has his own reason to hate the judge who let a pedophile/killer go. The birth father is hanging around with a Latino crime gang who come to the Mc Guanes' home to intimidate them and do some damage.

Jack is no killer. He works for the city of Denver to attract business and tourism to the area, but confronted with the potential loss of his daughter, he loses all sight of who he is.

Despite its flaws, this book certainly incites sympathy for the characters, and the sense of urgency is made palpable in the hands of this good writer. It's definitely worth a read.
 

Cat Sitter on a Hot Tin Roof by Blaize Clement, Minotaur Books, cozy mystery, 288 pp., $24.95 (avail. Jan. 6)

Dixie Hemingway of Siesta Key, Florida is a pet sitter. At 33, she has suffered the tragic loss of her husband, a sheriff's deputy, and her three year-old daughter in an accident involving an elderly driver three years ago. In this fourth book in the series, Dixie tries to get beyond her pain and make a new girlfriend who lives in the neighborhood of one of Dixie's clients. This particular client is a dog trained to identify an oncoming seizure in a small boy who's gone off to have surgery, and this is a fascinating aspect of the story. Both dog and boy exhibit symptoms of depression while they are apart. The new glamorous, mysterious friend, however, is found murdered and mutilated, and Dixie is on the case. On the suspect list is a rich surgeon from Texas who is the dead woman's ex.

As Dixie yearns for a normal life, she is pursued by two intriguing men, one an enigmatic cop, and the other an attractive lawyer who's making no more moves until Dixie does, but Dixie is holding steady, afraid perhaps that she would be disloyal to her husband and child in seeking a relationship and any happiness at all. As always, Dixie seeks solace from her gay brother and his partner, both of whom are warm and sympathetic characters.

This has become a favorite series of mine for its tremendous heart and candor.

Never Tell A Lie by Hallie Ephron, Wm. Morrow, fiction, 271 pp., $24.99

A woman attends a yard sale in the small town of Brush Hills, MA and is never seen leaving. That's the basis for this well written thriller featuring a woman just about to give birth whose life is turned from perfect to grotesque in one afternoon.

Ivy Rose is finally having a baby after numerous miscarriages. Having decided to clear out her large Victorian home before the birth, Ivy holds a yard sale. One of her customers happens to be an old classmate from high school who knows both Ivy and her husband David. David shows the woman their home. No one sees her leave. It's a tale that's been told before, but Ephron's deft writing will keep you turning the pages.

David becomes a suspect in the woman's disappearance, and a distraught Ivy needs to learn the truth even as the couple is besieged by police presence and interference in their once quiet lives. Ivy is tough and determined, and one breathtaking action scene proves that.

Hallie Ephron reviews mysteries for the Boston Globe. She and her family live near Boston.