October Publications

Five Star presents two novels from first-time mystery writers: newcomer T. Dawn Richard's comic cozy Death for Dessert, in which senior sleuth May List discovers blackmail and murder in the geriatric community she joins ($25.95 204p ISBN 1-59414-060-X); and children's book author and playwright Andy Gregg's suspense novel Cannibal Lake, set in northern Wisconsin and involving a missing person case and the legendary Native American cannibal the windigo($25.95 214p -059-6).

The same publisher also offers Max Allan Collins's Quarry's Greatest Hits, which collects three stories and a novel, Primary Target, featuring the author's taciturn hit man known only as Quarry. ($25.95 262p -061-8)

In Gillian White's (Refuge, etc.) crime novel Copycat, neighbors Jennie and Martha become friends, but Jennie envies everything about the successful Martha, from her handsome husband to her bohemian wardrobe. But eventually their roles reverse, and it becomes clear that only one woman will survive the relationship unscathed. (Bantam U.K. [Trafalgar Sq., dist.], $15.95 339p paper ISBN 0-593-04787-7)

Severn House rolls out three novels from British crime veterans: Jeffrey Ashford's Fair Exchange Is Robbery, in which a computer expert's drive home takes a perilous turn after thugs hijack his car and hit a pedestrian ($26.99 224p ISBN 0-7278-5972-2); Rendezvous with Death, by Sally Spencer writing as Alan Rustage, the author's first mystery to feature Victorian Det. Inspector Blackstone ($26.99 256p ISBN -5932-3); and Veronica Heley's Murder of Innocence, an Ellie Quicke mystery, in which the amateur sleuth investigates the disappearance of her neighbor's 10-year-old son and encounters some rather strange stamp collectors ($25.99 256p ISBN -5982-X).

September Publication

In Sean Doolittle's twist-filled crime caper Burn, homicide detective Adam Timms looks into the murder of a celebrity fitness instructor, found near his burned-out sports car in the dry mountains above Los Angeles. Blurbs from Jan Burke, Laura Lippman and John Connolly should give a lift to this publisher's first hardcover release. (UglyTown [www.UglyTown.com] $25.95 384p ISBN 0-9724412-2-0)