Friday, December 31, 2010

Frozen Moment by Camilla Ceder


Lars Waltz, owner of a car repair shop has been shot to death then run over repeatedly. In the course of investigating the crime, the police discover that another man, Olof Bart, was killed the same way as Waltz and that the bullets used in both crimes came from the same gun. Detective Christian Tell and his team devote their time to finding a connection between the two men, which they hope will lead to finding the murderer. Frozen Moment is the first novel by Camilla Ceder and is similar to Swedish mystery series by Ake Edwardson and Hakan Nesser. It hasn't been published in the U.S. yet though.

Monday, December 13, 2010

Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin


Since being the last person to see Cindy Walker before she disappeared over twenty years ago, Larry Ott has lead a solitary life. Ostracized by the town because many suspected he had something to do with her absence, Larry has tried to maintain the routine of keeping his father's garage open--even though he has no customers. When Larry is shot in his home, the police wonder if it was a suicide attempt or something more sinister. His estranged old friend, Silas Jones, now a cop, delves into the case himself and is faced with memories of his and Larry's secret childhood friendship (Larry is white and Silas African-American). Franklin has written a character-centered novel about secrets, friendship, and loneliness set in the rural south.