I was having a particularly stressful few weeks so I picked up LAW OF ATTRACTION (Touchstone, $25), by Allison Leotta, hoping it would provide that special kind of reprieve from life’s problems that only a good mystery can. Thankfully, it did not disappoint. Set here in Washington, the engrossing tale Leotta tells focuses on a young prosecutor who finds herself involved (in many different ways) in a difficult homicide case. A first-time author, Leotta already excels at keeping the action going at a pace that will compel you to keep turning pages long after you should be asleep. There are plenty of local references to make you feel as though you are part of the story, and that the characters are people you know.
In a departure from his world-famous Wallender detective series, Henning Mankell’s new murder mystery is set in 1874 and focuses on crimes of colonialism and racism. The first victim is a mentally retarded Swedish girl. Her crime goes unsolved until much later, when the central plot, involving an entomologist and the orphaned African boy he brings back to Sweden, converges with the novel’s opening. DANIEL (New Press, $26.95) is an evocative and often troubling look at history, ambition, and betrayal. Mankell’s acute psychological sensitivity makes Daniel, as the San boy is re-christened, an unforgettable character, struggling with a strange new culture and yearning to return home and avenge his parents’ killings.
The lives of Mikhail Blomkvist and Lisbeth Salander cross again in the follow-up to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. In The Girl Who Played With Fire (Vintage, $15.95), Stieg Larsson brings Lisbeth’s secretive past to the surface. When Lisbeth is accused of murdering two of Blomkvist’s colleagues, she is forced to go on the run, relying on her inexhaustible range of talents, including disguise, kick-boxing, and computer-hacking. Meanwhile, Blomkvist delves into the world of sex-trafficking in an attempt to prove her innocence. Larsson’s unique characters, unpredictable plot, and fascinating political backdrop create a riveting story that will stick with the reader long after all the pieces come together and the book is closed.
