Need For reads

Fiction Painful secrets IDYLL HANDS A Thomas Lynch Novel By Stephanie Gayle 304 pp. Seventh Street Books Stephanie Gayle is back with the third entry (the previous entries are also reviewed on this site) in her Thomas Lynch mystery series set in late 1990s New England and featuring a compelling hero cop protagonist with a refreshing twist. After serving for 15 years as NYPD detective, Thomas Lynch left the mean streets of New York City to become the police chief of the quaint, quiet, affluent, and aptly named New England town of Idyll, Connecticut. Unlike most cops, Lynch has a secret – one that could derail his career in law enforcement. Thomas Lynch is a gay man working in a profession that’s traditionally homophobic – fiercely homophobic. The town’s none too bright and intolerant mayor already made it clear to him that he was only hired because of his impeccable record with the NYPD. So, afraid of being fired for the slightest reason, (and living and working in a conse...

Fiction Careful what you eat! BETRAYAL AT IGA: A Hiro Hattori Novel By Susan Spann 256 pp. Seventh Street Books Reviewed by Eric Petersen Mystery writer Susan Spann is back with the fifth entry (the previous entry, The Ninja’s Daughter, is also reviewed on this site) in her series of mysteries set in a most unusual time and place and featuring a most unusual pair of sleuths. The time and place is 16 th -century Japan, and the sleuths are Hiro Hattori, an honorable samurai and deadly shinobi (ninja) warrior, and Father Mateo, the Portuguese Jesuit priest for whom Hiro has been hired by an unknown party to serve as a bodyguard and translator. Hiro is impressed by the foreign priest’s intelligence and courage, while Father Mateo is impressed by the shinobi warrior’s wisdom, compassion, and devotion to honor and justice. The two men have become close friends and acquired well deserved reputations for solving baffling murders and bringing killers to justice. Betrayal At Iga opens with Hir...