After a man dressed in a long priest’s robe and a black, low-crowned, wide-brimmed ecclesiastical hat walked into a Catholic church just prior to the start of a funeral service, stuffed garlic into the deceased’s mouth, and pumped a bullet into the corpse, Detective Louis Martelli finds himself pursuing what may be his most puzzling case. Even more mystifying is the coroner’s report that the deceased, far from having died of respiratory failure and a possible heart attack, had been injected with a lethal dose of Philippine Cobra venom. "Lilith: Demon of the Night," by author Theodore Jerome Cohen, is filled with plenty of surprises that are sure to hook all readers!

An exciting book.

Detective Benjamin Kramer's quest to find his long-forgotten Great-uncle Jonathan led him to a secretive attorney in Cincinnati, an esoteric monastic lover, a professional dominatrix, and a murdered temple priestess. Along the way he discovered his family's secret: his mother and her ancestors were Dionysians, members of an ancient, and supposedly defunct, fertility cult that worships Dionysos, the god of wine and ecstasy. From the attractive young monk who teaches him the secrets of Tantric sex to the professional dominatrix who shows him the whip-induced path that leads to visions of gods, Benjamin probes, questions, and discovers a hidden Alliance with immense wealth, power, and influence. When they turn to him to solve the ritualized murder of Chicago's temple prostitute, the verse from the Book of Ezekiel ("And the harlot shall be slain by the sword") is the only clue to the perpetrator. Is it a modern day Salem witch hunt or a Bacchanalian rite gone terribly wrong?

Eric Caine, War on Terror veteran, finds himself wandering the streets of Miami after a car accident that leaves him robbed of his memories. Alone and suffering from PTSD, Eric is on a one-way road to self-destruction until a chance meeting in a bar presents an opportunity for him to begin anew. That opportunity is a new job that relocates him to his homeland of Venezuela. At first, things go well with his new job, but soon his life takes an ominous turn when a catastrophic event threatens the country’s stability. Author Henry Mosquera created a non-stop action thriller filled with layer after layer of conflict that keeps the book moving at breakneck speed; along the way, readers will enjoy plenty of romance, deception, intrigue, fascinating characters, and numerous international thrills. As a native of Venezuela, Mosquera does not settle for typical Latin American stereotypes but “gets it right” in terms of depicting his homeland. "Sleeper’s Run" represents the international crime thriller at its finest.

When the head of one of the largest investment banking and securities firm in the U.S. is assassinated on Times Square in the middle of New York City’s annual Festival of the Dead, Homicide Detective Louis Martelli begins an investigation that not only will lead to death and intrigue, but also reveal shocking connections between Wall Street and international terrorism. Martelli and NYPD Information Specialist Missy Dugan soon find themselves attempting to investigate a murder that the FBI wants to shut down even before they can get started. The FBI’s attempted cover-up is just the start. By the end of "House of Cards," written by author Theodore J. Cohen, more crimes will be revealed than even the most cynical person could imagine.

"Ding Dong the Diva’s Dead," by author Cat Melodia, is a well-paced and utterly charming mystery. Deborah de Lille is an opera singer in the least grand sense. Debbie doesn't foresee a future beyond Handel Messiahs and low-budget tours ... until her agent finagles her a minor role with a small-town company. The artists assembled for this production of Offenbach's spooky opera, Tales of Hoffmann, have more than opera on their minds. The singer Debbie replaced died under suspicious circumstances, and after another minor player bows out suddenly, she is also given her role. Now she has two small roles that no one in their right mind would kill for. So, either someone isn't in their right mind, or the close calls threatening Debbie's safety are all unlucky coincidences.

I can honestly say Lethal is a well-written thriller and is one of the best books I have read. This is the first book I have read by Sandra Brown but it will not be my last!

In "Boiled Peanuts," by author John Patrick Doyle, Paul Kirk is a librarian and one of his town's quirkier residents. In a childhood home lacking parents, Paul had imagined himself a member of the neighboring family. Now in his late twenties, Paul vicariously participates in the households of his community. His peeping-Tom proclivities express his awkward need for social bonding. Then Paul meets Bronwyn, a counselor who is lovely, independent and blind. She has inherited her Aunt Phyllis' house and is newly arrived in town. When Paul first sees Bronwyn at church, he knows he wants to be part of her life. As the mystery of Aunt Phyllis unfolds, Bronwyn and Paul become more deeply involved as they learn about Phyllis' secrets and how they relate to Bronwyn and her past, but Paul's peeping ways may ruin it all.

A woman reveals her most intimate fantasy, a stolen secret which could lead to murder! A strait-laced patient in San Diego running for District Attorney is threatened by a midnight phone caller who knows her dirty secret--her fantasy of living as a prostitute--a secret she shared only with Dr. Cory Cohen. After confronting her therapist, she vanishes. In "Stolen Secrets," by Sandra Levy Ceren, Cory wrestles with her patient's disappearance, the security breach and the potential harmful effects on other patients. Further, Cory is stalked, and her quarters burgled, forcing her to escape an unseen enemy and sending her on a spiraling trail of deceit, betrayal, blackmail and murder.

In "A Murderer's Mind," by author Patricia Turner, crime reporter Rusty Linden, in a career-defining moment, accepts an assignment to probe the mind of a recently paroled multiple murderer. Antonia Brandon, who has spent the past 39 years in prison for her part in a "Manson Family" style killing spree, agrees to go public with her story in order to convince the community of her remorse. If she is to survive on the outside she must quell the fury that her release has unleashed. While a media pack hunts for Brandon's current whereabouts, she secretly sets up house with Rusty for 10 days. However, when suspicious deaths occur of people who were instrumental in incarcerating her, she becomes the chief suspect. Although Rusty tries to keep an open mind, concerns about her own safety begin to grow. When her investigations uncover an ingenious plot for revenge, she finds she's been outwitted by an exceedingly cunning adversary.