Dick Francis’s Damage is a suspense novel by Felix Francis. As an undercover investigator for the British Horseracing Authority, Jeff Hinkley is looking into the unsavory activities of a shady horse trainer. Jeff is horrified, however, that his quarry is murdered right in front of him at the Cheltenham Racing Festival. The trainer had been doping horses, which is why he was banned in the first place. A few days later, more horses test positive for illegal stimulants and the scandal it causes could disgrace the horseracing community. It becomes clear to Jeff that this whole thing has been orchestrated by someone; and, sure enough, the BHA receives a demand for ransom or the drug tests go public. Jeff must go up against a sinister figure that will stop at nothing to prevail.
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My Sister’s Grave is a novel by Robert Dugoni. For twenty years, Tracy Crosswhite has questioned the details surrounding her sister Sarah’s disappearance. Tracy doesn’t believe that the man they convicted of Sarah’s murder is the guilty party. Edmund House is a convicted rapist and everyone believes that he perpetrated the murder for which he was convicted. Tracy became a homicide detective with the Seattle Police Department to see that real justice is done. She has dedicated her life to tracking down killers. Sarah’s remains are finally found near Tracy’s childhood home in the northern Cascade Mountains of Washington State. As she begins to search for answers to who the real killer was, Tracy brings long buried secrets to the surface. These secrets will forever change her relationship with the past and they may open the gates to mortal danger.
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Done to Death is a thriller by Charles Atkins. If Barry Stromstein can’t come up with a new twist for an antiques television series, he is convinced his boss—the famous (or infamous) Lenore Parks–will fire him. Barry gets his miracle while talking to antiques columnist Lil Campbell. Her partner, Ada Strauss, not only pitches a terrific hook for the show, she is also the perfect person to host. Ada couldn’t be more thrilled, but the production of the show seems cursed before it can even get off the ground. Everyone is utterly shocked when Lenore is murdered. Barry seems oddly determined to continue with the show and Lenore’s children, Rachel and Richard, become involved. Ada is enjoying herself, but as the production of the show continues, the pilot episode becomes more gruesome. Ada and Lil find themselves drawn into the dark, twisted lives of Lenore’s children. Will the danger lurking in the background come for them all?
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Raging Heat is a novel by Richard Castle. (This book is a tie-in with the popular Castle television series on ABC television network.) NYPD homicide detective Nikki Heat’s latest case involves an immigrant who seemingly fell from the sky. This, of course, captures the imagination of her award-winning journalist boyfriend, Jameson Rook. Nikki is happy to have him along on the case: at first. She always has to endure his wild conspiracy theories and adolescent sense of humor, but she is glad to have him to run her ideas against. After her recent assignment abroad, Nikki is also just glad to get the chance to be close to Jameson; to feel that spark again. Things get complicated when Jameson tells Nikki that the suspect she has arrested is innocent of murder. This forces a strain on the lovers’ relationship and puts strain on an already risky case. Set against the raging forces of Hurricane Sandy, Nikki must navigate the machinations of an ambitious power broker, fight a group of urban mercenaries, and butt heads with the man she loves.
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Evangeline Cessna is a history librarian at the Warren County-Vicksburg Public Library.