This column was submitted by Evangeline Cessna, local history librarian at the Warren County-Vicksburg Public Library.

This week’s column features New Adult Fiction.

The latest Bosch and Ballard novel by Michael Connelly is titled The Waiting. LAPD Detective Renee Ballard and her crew in the Open-Unsolved Unit get a DNA connection between a recently arrested man and a serial rapist and murderer who went dormant twenty years ago. The man is only twenty-four, but a family member could be responsible. In fact, his father turns out to be the infamous Pillowcase Rapist who was responsible for a five-year reign of terror in Los Angeles. Yet when Ballard and her team move in to arrest the suspect, they run afoul of all kinds of secrets and legal hurdles. Meanwhile, Ballard’s badge, gun, and ID are stolen, but she is chagrin to report the theft for fear of giving fodder to her enemies inside the department. Naturally, she turns to her old friend Harry Bosch for help. At the same time, Harry’s daughter Maddie is now a patrol officer who is invited to join the Open-Unsolved Unit. She jumps at the chance but for ulterior motives—a case that may be the most iconic in the city’s history.

Identity Unknown is the latest Scarpetta novel by Patricia Cornwell. Dr. Kay Scarpetta is summoned to retrieve a body from an abandoned theme park, but she is floored when she learns that the victim is a man with whom she once had an intense love affair. The murder scene is quite strange. There is a crop circle of petals around the body and the man’s, Giordano’s, skin is strangely red in color. Scarpetta’s niece Lucy offers a theory—the man was dropped from an unidentified flying craft. When Scarpetta gets her friend on the autopsy table, she realizes that her friend may have deliberately left her a clue. Investigators are suspicious of Giordano himself but can’t rule out foul play. Many think the UFO angle shouldn’t be ruled out either. Scarpetta, however, is convinced of an explanation a lot closer to home and a great deal more evil.

Longtime bestselling author Danielle Steel’s latest is titled Triangle. Amanda Delanoe is approaching her milestone fortieth birthday. She is also joyfully running a chic contemporary art gallery in Paris. Amanda is the only daughter of a French businessman and an American model who are both now deceased. She lives well and adores her dog, but it seems that the love of her life has eluded her. Then she meets a handsome publisher named Olivier Saint Albin and reconnects with an old boyfriend—Tom Quinlan—from her days at NYU at the same time. Tom is a lawyer and taking a sabbatical so that he can write his thriller. Though Olivier is charming and skilled at the art of flirtation, Amanda learns he is married just as she is falling for him. Amanda turns to her friend and co-owner of the gallery Pascal Leblanc to vent. When she begins to receive threatening phone calls, it is Pascal she turns to. Then someone breaks into her apartment on the Left Bank, and it becomes clear that she is in real danger. But she doesn’t know if it’s from an old love, a new love, or a stranger. What do you do when terror enters your life the same time as love does?

To kick off the holiday season, the following two titles are Christmas cozy mysteries.

The More the Terrier is the latest title featuring reluctant lawyer Andy Carpenter written by David Rosenfelt. After a week-long family vacation in the Adirondacks, Andy is happy to be headed back to New Jersey. Now that the holly jolly season is behind him, he’s ready to settle back at home with his three dogs. When they arrive, Andy sees there is an extra dog eager to greet them along with one anxious dog sitter. The dog sitter knew that Andy would know what to do after the poor pooch showed up on the doorstep a few days ago. Andy recognizes the dog as Murphy, a dog he fostered before he was adopted by BJ Bremer and his mother. BJ had been eager to know everything about taking care of a dog which endeared him immediately to Andy. Andy goes to take Murphy back to the Bremers but finds BJ’s mother crying. Murphy had run off after BJ was arrested for murder. Andy is fond of BJ and can’t help but get involved. The case isn’t as simple as he thought it would be. It seems that BJ is accused of murdering one of his professors. Andy sets out to prove BJ’s innocence, though he’s not quite sure how. It may take a Christmas miracle.

Jenn McKinlay’s latest is called A Merry Little Murder Plot. As the residents of Briar Creek prepare for the festivities of the holiday season, famous author Helen Monroe comes to town as the writer in residence. But Helen’s “Bah Humbug” attitude doesn’t endear her to many of the townspeople. Library director Lindsey Norris decides to spread some Christmas cheer and invites the new writer to join her Crafternoon Club. Helen is polite in her refusal of the invitation, but when there’s an altercation between her and another patron, Lindsey suspects the author has reason to keep to herself. Jackie Lewis is another newcomer who reveals to Lindsey that she has moved to town to be closer to Helen because the two are destined to meet. Lindsey knows what it’s like to be stalked, so she feels compelled to tell Helen about Jackie. Things fall apart however, when Jackie’s body is found in the town park with a copy of Helen’s latest manuscript in her hand. Helen naturally becomes the prime suspect. When Lindsey and her Crafternoon pals offer to help, Helen’s icy exterior melts away and the crew goes to work to prove the author’s innocence.