Away in a Manager by Rhys Bowen

August 2016

Rhys Bowen was born in Bath, England, of a family that was half Welsh, half English. She was educated at London University and then began her career with the BBC, where she became a drama studio manager. She had made up stories all her life. While working on a boring play she decided to write a play of her own. With the bravado of a 22-year-old, she marched into the office of the head of BBC drama and handed him the script. Two days later he summoned her and told her that they were going to produce the play. Rhys has never looked back.

Molly Murphy Mysteries

A feisty yet resourceful Irish immigrant woman investigates intricately plotted mysteries and deals with an ever-dramatic and complicated personal life in these charming and atmospheric historical mysteries set in early 20th-century New York City. The lushly rendered period settings, well-developed characters, and suspenseful, fast-paced plots will keep historical mystery fans hooked.

1.    Murphy's law (Sep 2001)
2.    Death of Riley (Dec 2002)
3.    For the love of Mike (Dec 2003)
4.    In like Flynn (Feb 2005)
5.    Oh Danny boy (Mar 2006)
6.    In Dublin's fair city (Mar 2007)
7.    Tell me, pretty maiden (Mar 2008)
8.    In a gilded cage (Mar 2009)
9.    The last illusione (Mar 2010)
10. Bless the bride (Mar 2011)
11. Hush now, don't you cry (Mar 2012)
12. The family way (Mar 2013)
13. City of darkness and light (Mar 2014)
14. The edge of dreams (Mar 2015)
15. Away in a manger (Nov 2015)
16. Time of fog and fire (Mar 2016)

Series Read-alikes:

Fremont Jones mysteries by Dianne Day

Reason:  Both historical series feature strong willed young women who work as private detectives in the late nineteenth century. These cozy mysteries are fast paced, have a strong sense of place, and have likable characters. -- Merle Jacob

Gaslight mysteries by Victoria Thompson

          Reason:  Though Molly Murphy begins as an Irish immigrant fleeing a murder charge and Sarah Brandt of the Gaslight mysteries is a midwife, both are strong, determined women. These character-driven, detailed historical mysteries are set in a well-depicted early 1900s Manhattan. -- Shauna Griffin

Bryant and May mysteries by Christopher Fowler

Reason:  The darkly humorous, occult-inflected Bryant and May mysteries are set in London during and after World War II and the straightforward Molly Murphy tales are set in early 1900s New York; both series feature idiosyncratic sleuths and rich period detail. -- Mike Nilsson

Maisie Dobbs novels by Jacqueline Winspear

Reason:  The Molly Murphy and Maisie Dobbs historical mysteries feature feisty young women who become private detectives. The women are likeable and fight to be respected as professionals. These cozy stories paint a realistic historical picture of their time periods. -- Merle Jacob

Sarah Woolson mysteries by Shirley Tallman

Reason:  The Sarah Woolson and Molly Murphy mysteries are historicals set in the late 1800s and feature strong women sleuths. The books have realistic period detail and bring out the social problems of the times. The characters are intriguing. -- Merle Jacob

Other Series:

Royal Spyness mysteries (Most Recent: Aug 2016)

Alternate series name: Lady Victoria Georgiana Charlotte Eugenie novels

Constable Evans mysteries (Most Recent: Aug 2006)

Author’s website: http://rhysbowen.com/

CALL FOR THE DEAD by John Le Carre

July 14, 2016

PERSONAL INFORMATION: John Le Carre is the pseudonym of David John Moore Cornwell.

Born October 19, 1931, in Poole, Dorsetshire, England; Education: Attended Bern University, Switzerland, 1948-49; Lincoln College, Oxford, B.A. (with honors), 1956. Military/Wartime Service: British Army Intelligence Corps, beginning 1949. Addresses: Home: London, England; Cornwall, England. Agent: Bruce Hunter, David Higham Ltd., 5-8 Lower John St., Golden Sq., London W1F 9HA, England.

CAREER:

Writer. Millfield Junior School, Glastonbury, Somerset, England, teacher, 1954-55; Eton College, Buckinghamshire, England, tutor, 1956-58; British Foreign Office, second secretary in Bonn, West Germany (now Germany), 1960-63, consul in Hamburg, West Germany (now Germany), 1963-64.

Le Carré's espionage novels are concerned with the conflicts between duty and honor as well as the tension between man and institution. Le Carré's first novel, Call for the Dead, introduces the character of George Smiley, who would become a seminal figure in the author's work. Regarded as the antithesis of the glamorous James Bond, Smiley is a nearsighted, ordinary-looking man--but a brilliant, relentless, and cunning spy.

Novels

• Call for the Dead , 1960, [published as The Deadly Affair, 1966.] [Smiley, #1]

British undercover agent George Smiley accepts one final mission to reveal an insidious plot which may involve a suspect civil servant and a one­time hero of the German underground.

• A Murder of Quality 1962, [Smiley, #2]
• The Spy Who Came in from the Cold , 1963 [Smiley #3]
• The Incongruous Spy: Two Novels of Suspense (contains Call for the Dead and A Murder of Quality), 1964.
• The Looking Glass War, 1965.
• A Small Town in Germany (also see below), 1968
• The Naive and Sentimental Lover, 1971
• Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy 1974. [Smiley, #4]
• The Honourable Schoolboy, 1977. [Smiley, #5]
• Smiley's People , 1980. [Smiley, #6]
• The Quest for Karla (contains Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, The Honourable Schoolboy, and Smiley's People), 1982.
• Three Complete Novels (contains The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, A Small Town in Germany, and The Looking Glass War), 1983.
• The Little Drummer Girl, 1983,
• A Perfect Spy, 1986.
• The Russia House, 1989
• The Secret Pilgrim, 1991, [Smiley, #7]
• The Night Manager, 1993.
• Our Game, Knopf, 1995.
• John le Carré: Three Complete Novels (contains Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, The Honourable Schoolboy, and Smiley's People), 1995.
• The Tailor of Panama 1996.
• Single & Single 1999.
• The Constant Gardener, 2001.
• Absolute Friends, 2003.
• The Mission Song, 2006.
• A Most Wanted Man, 2008.
• Our Kind of Traitor, 2010.

Read­alikes George Smiley novels:

1. Bernard Samson novels by Len Deighton, Reason: The Karla Trilogy and the Bernard Samson Novels are leisurely ­paced, intricately­ plotted spy novels. These stories unfold, layer by layer, against a morally ambiguous background and have well developed characters. The authors both employ a world ­weary wit, but the Samson Novels have a slightly lighter tone overall than the Karla Trilogy. ­­ Rebecca Sigmon

2. Paul Christopher novels by Charles McCarry, Reason: The Karla trilogy and the Paul Christopher Novels are layered, intricate spy novels in which duplicity and betrayal are common. These series both include accurate details about spying and the intelligence community. Additionally, the characters are morally complicated and realistic, and the writing style is sophisticated. ­­ Rebecca Sigmon

Read- alikes for John LeCarre

Graham Greene tells sophisticated stories pondering the nature of sin and humanity while maintaining a high level of suspense

Henning Mankell writes lengthy, complex and character driven books, with plenty of introspection, wrestling with complex moral issues and wrapped in a suspenseful plot.

Eric Ambler is another author who writes intelligent, tightly plotted, and realistic spy stories.

Focusing on the human side of spycraft, both John le Carré and Ted Allbeury craft themes of loyalty and betrayal among the paradoxical fellowship of spies.

Fans of John le Carré's spy novels may appreciate Ward Just's realistic novels of political intrigue, written in a similarly compelling and psychologically acute style.

Fans of John le Carre's mastery of the cerebral spy thriller should also try Daniel Silva, who writes elegantly of ambiguous characters and bleak atmospheres

Both John le Carré and and Charles Cumming write intelligent and intricately plotted spy novels full of spycraft and procedural details that draw on their experience working for British spy agencies.

The Lost Key by Catherine Coulter

June, 2016

Born December 26, 1942, in TX; Education: University of Texas, B.A.; Boston College, M.A., 1973. Addresses: Home: Sausalito, CA. Agent: Robert Gottlieb, William Morris Agency, 1325 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10019.

Catherine Coulter began her career writing historical romances, but currently writes contemporary romantic suspense. Her historical novels feature dashing heroes, strong heroines, and a sense of humor. Her suspense novels also feature strong female protagonists, and her latest series has an FBI theme.

Brit in the FBI series: (written with J. T. Ellison)

The final cut (Sep 2013)                                                                         Chief inspector Nicholas Drummond of Scotland Yard investigates after the centerpiece of an exhibit of crown jewels is stolen from the Metropolitan Museum of Art and his colleague is murdered.  Series: Brit in the FBI, 1

The lost key (Sep 2014)                                                        Investigating the stabbing of a rare book dealer who had been secretly looking for a missing World War I U-boat full of treasure, Nicholas Drummond and his partner, Mike Caine, try to track down the victim's missing children.  Series: Brit in the FBI, 2

The end game (Sep 2015)                                                     Investigating an eco-terrorist group suspected in a series of bombings, FBI agent Nicholas Drummond and his partner, Mike Caine, work with an undercover counter-terrorism agent to stop an assassination plot against the president.   Series: Brit in the FBI, 3

Read­alikes

1. FBI suspense thriller series by Catherine Coulter   Reason: These thrillers follow determined law enforcement agents as they pursue criminal masterminds and serial killers. Although the FBI suspense thrillers are steamier and more richly detailed, both series are equally fast­-paced and action­packed. ­­ Mike Nilsson

2. Danilov and Cowley thrillers by Brian Freemantle   Reason: These fast-­paced international thrillers follow FBI agents from country to country as they stave off international disaster at the hands of criminal masterminds. Combining action with nail-­biting suspense, both series are intricately plotted and compelling. ­­ Mike Nilsson

3. Jack McClure novels by Eric Lustbader  Reason: While the Jack McClure novels are more overtly violent, these suspenseful thrillers all share a fast pace and plenty of action. Both series follow tough government agents as they hop from country to country in pursuit of dangerous international criminals. ­­ Mike Nilsson

Catherine Coulter writes a number of series:

Legacy Trilogy (latest 2/16); Brit in the FBI (9/15); FBI Series (latest: Nemesis [July 2016] and Insidious [Aug. 2016]; Medieval/Song (3/13); Viking Era Romances (3/13); Star Quartet (7/12); Night Trilogy (4/12);

Magic Novels (1/12); Bride Series (11/11)

Author’s Website:  http://www.catherinecoulter.com/

From website:  Coulter grew up on a horse ranch in Texas, and  graduated from the University of Texas, receiving her graduate degree from Boston College. She became a speechwriter on Wall Street, then, to her joy, she was able to quit her day job and become a full-time writer.

She lives with her physician husband and three cats in Marin County, California, right over the Golden Gate Bridge. She loves to travel, loves to kamikaze down the ski slopes, and reads voraciously while recuperating. She likes to laugh, loves a good joke, and believes the publishing business is too crazy to take seriously.

Fun web site:

http://www.thrillingdetective.com/charles.html

and Asta has his own website:

http://www.iloveasta.com/ThinMan.htm

Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett

March, 2016

PERSONAL INFORMATION:

Family: Born May 27, 1894, in St. Mary, MD; died of lung cancer January 10, 1961; Politics: Marxist. Military/Wartime Service: U.S. Army Ambulance Corps, 1918-19, became sergeant; U.S. Army Signal Corps, 1942-45, became sergeant.

CAREER:

Writer. Worked as freight clerk, stevedore, timekeeper, yardman, and railroad worker; private detective with Pinkerton National Detective Agency, c. 1914-l8 and 1919-21; Albert S. Samuels Jewelers, San Francisco, CA, advertising copywriter, 1922-27; worked sporadically as screenwriter for various motion picture studios from 1930 until after World War II. Active in various left-wing organizations, beginning 1937; member of Civil Rights Congress, New York state president, 1946, national vice-chair, 1948, New York state chair, 1951; convicted and imprisoned for contempt of Congress, 1951. Jefferson School of Social Sciences, faculty member, 1946-47 and 1949-56, member of board of trustees, 1948.

Hammett wrote more than 80 short stories and five novels: Red Harvest (1929), The Dain Curse (1929), The Maltese Falcon (1930), The Glass Key (1931) and The Thin Man (1934). He created tough guys Sam Spade and the Continental Op as well as debonaire sleuths Nick and Nora Charles. He wrote a comic strip ("Secret Agent X-9"), an original radio series ("The Fat Man") and worked on numerous scripts, often simply to polish dialogue. Hammett's crisp, colorful language brought gangster slang into everyday speech.

The Thin Man (Jan 1934)

Nick Charles searches for a wealthy inventor who is the prime suspect in a New York City murder case.

Return of the Thin Man: After the Thin Man and Another Thin Man [first publication Nov 2012]     Collects the two novellas that were the basis of the 1930s movies After the Thin Man and Another Thin Man, but were never published themselves, until now.

Dashiell Hammett is widely considered the father of hard-boiled detective fiction. Along with those of Caroll John Daley, Hammett's stories in Black Mask magazine helped to bring about a major movement in detective fiction away from the genteel detectives solving crimes perpetrated by masterminds, to rough, believable private eyes dealing with common crooks. In the words of Raymond Chandler, "Hammett took murder out of the Venetian vase and dropped it into the alley.... [He] gave murder back to the kind of people that commit it for reasons, not just to provide a corpse; and with the means at hand, not with hand-wrought duelling pistols, curare, and tropical fish." Hammett's importance as a writer lies in his influence as an innovator, his impact as a stylist, and his skill in characterization.

READ ALIKES:

Chandler, Raymond, (1888-1959)  Reason:  If Dashiell Hammett is the father of "hard-boiled" detection, Raymond Chandler is a son to make him proud -- both feature private eyes who seek common criminals in a grittily realistic, 1930s-50s setting. -- Bethany Latham

Estleman, Loren D.  Reason:  Loren Estleman's protagonist, Amos Walker, and Dashiell Hammett's archetypal private eye Sam Spade are the quintessential hardboiled detectives, and Estleman also shares stylistic elements with Hammett - sharp dialogue, an exploration of the seamy underbelly of crime in a large city, and an ambience that evokes all the familiar tropes of noir. -- Bethany Latham

Gardner, Erle Stanley, (1889-1970)  Reason:  Though he's most famous for his lawyer crimesolver, Perry Mason, rather than a private eye, Erle Stanley Gardner's formula shares some elements which may appeal to fans of Dashiell Hammett's stories of realistic detection and the common criminals it uncovers, all within a 1930s to mid-century setting. -- Bethany Latham

Harvey, Michael T.  Reason:  Michael T. Harvey and Dashiell Hammett write noir fiction in a gritty, urban setting. Their stories feature tough, strong private eyes who take on the underside of society. -- Rebecca Sigmon

Kerr, Philip  Reason:  Philip Kerr's adult fiction shares with Dashiell Hammett's a pervasive film noir atmosphere and a penchant for brooding, complex protagonists who must often navigate morally ambiguous settings. -- Bethany Latham

[from NoveList and Artemis Literary Sources]