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or alarming a skittish populace. Her inves-
tigation leads her to the Midlands, where
she speaks with farmers, miners, and others
over a broad spectrum of society. Kate is
determined to get to the truth before an
innocent young man becomes a convenient
scapegoat to mask bureaucratic ineptitude.
This well-told tale is enriched with
vignettes of daily life at a time in England
when threats of strikes and fears of com-
munist incursion were rampant. Readers
must be on their toes to catch the subtle
hints Brody skillfully drops. Agent: Rebecca
Winfield, Rebecca Winfield Literary. (Nov.)SF/Fantasy/Horror
Council of Fire
Eric Flint and Walter H. Hunt. Baen, $25
(480p) ISBN 978-1-982124-15-1
Ghosts and fiends from Native American,
Caribbean, and African folklore populate
this well-constructed but slow-moving
alternate history prequel to the Arcane
America series (Uncharted, etc.). In 1759,
the appearance of Halley’s Comet unleashes
magic and raises a mountain range in the
Atlantic Ocean that permanently severs
the Americas from Europe. The Native
tribes and the early British and French
colonizing forces must make peace and
learn to survive on their own amid Scottish
ghosts, Jamaican vodou revenants, and a
kraken. After the Six Nations’ peaceful
Council Fire is extinguished, Seneca
strongman Guyasuta harnesses magical
power to raise storm spirits and stone
golems, planning to expel white invaders
from the continent. Meanwhile, Adm.
Edward Boscawen rescues the ship-
wrecked French astronomer Charles
Messier and his assistant, Catherine
LaGendière, in the Caribbean. Messier
has created an “alchemetical” compass to
detect magical aether, which may be of
use amid rising tensions. Boscawen also
enlists the help of Prince Edward,
grandson of England’s King George and
the highest ranking royal in the Colonies,
and one Col. George Washington. Readers
will enjoy the smart worldbuilding and
historical details of colonial shipping,
political conflict, race relations, and
Native cultures. Unfortunately, the slow
start, extraneous plot threads, and the
scarcity of female characters mar an other-Rutledge, Poppy converses, if at a light-
hearted level, with someone who isn’t
real—the feisty heroine of the mystery
novel she’s writing. Cozy readers will best
appreciate this one. Fans of British home
front mysteries will find nothing new.
Agent: Kevan Lyon, Marsal Lyon Literary
Agency. (Nov.)Raven Lane
Amber Cowie. Lake Union, $24.95 (288p)
ISBN 978-1-5420-0372-8
Esme and Benedict Werner, the couple at
the center of this unsettling psychological
thriller from Cowie (Rapid Falls), have
lived for years on Raven Lane, a cul-de-sac
with five detached homes in Fraser City
somewhere in the Pacific Northwest.
Benedict is a partner in a modeling agency,
and Esme owns a successful restaurant in
town. They and their neighbors mingle at
weekly dinners and at annual parties they
feel social pressure to attend. All is well
until Benedict backs his car over a
neighbor, bestselling author Torn Grace,
who’s riding his bicycle without a helmet.
Though witnesses declare Benedict without
fault, Benedict is arrested. When Torn dies,
Benedict is put on trial for second-degree
murder. Thereafter, the secrets and lies of
Raven Lane’s residents slowly emerge, and
neighbor is pitted against neighbor. Esme
and Benedict each have pasts they hoped to
hide, some aspects of which they’ve hidden
even from each other. Smooth prose and
relatable characters keep the pages turning.
Cowie delivers surprises all the way to the
end. Agent: Gordon Warnock, Fuse Literary.
(Nov.)The Body on the Train:
A Kate Shackleton Mystery
Frances Brody. Crooked Lane, $26.99 (336p)
ISBN 978-1-64385-160-0
When Scotland Yard hits a dead end in
Brody’s intricate 11th Kate Shackleton
mystery (after A Snapshot of Murder), private
detective Kate takes over investigating
the circumstances surrounding the death of
an unidentified man discovered on a goods
train at London’s King’s Cross Station in- The Yard refuses to share any more
information, citing national security.
Kate’s initial inquiries reveal another
unsolved murder at about the same time,
and she must feel her way as she seeks
answers while not treading on official toes
chairperson of the town’s annual Halloween
event, is busy sorting out preparations for
the children’s play area when she sees her
nephew-in-law, police chief Dan Dunham,
heading into the bank followed by a person
dressed as a clown. She doesn’t have long
to ponder this strange sight before hearing
gunshots come
from inside the
bank. The clown
races out and
makes his get-
away after
wounding Dan
and killing a
woman. With
Dan out of
commission,
Det. Sean Ryan,
from San Louis Obispo’s homicide depart-
ment, steps in to handle the murder case.
Mary soon decides that Sean’s an arrogant
bully who knows nothing about Santa
Louisa’s social dynamics. She rounds up
her friends and her faithful, if cowardly,
cocker spaniel, Millie, and sets off to
investigate. Readers should be prepared
for a lot of talk about dog care. This cozy is
simple, relaxing fun for anyone, particularly
those who prefer the company of dogs to
that of people. Agent: Dawn Dowdle, Blue
Ridge Literary. (Nov.)Poppy Redfern and the
Midnight Murders
Tessa Arlen. Berkley Prime Crime, $16 trade
paper (320p) ISBN 978-1-9848-0580-5
Poppy Redfern, the narrator of this
unremarkable series launch from Arlen
(the Lady Montfort books) set in WWII
England, leaves London, where she has
trained as an air raid warden, for the town
where she grew up, Little Buffenden, to
serve as its first air raid warden. Her return
coincides with the arrival of American
fighter pilots—and a series of strangulation
murders of attractive young women,
starting with Doreen Newcombe.
Newcombe was garroted with a pair of
nylon stockings her American boyfriend
had given her, making him the obvious
suspect. Poppy, who isn’t so sure of his guilt,
begins to play detective. Meanwhile, Poppy
develops an American love interest of her
own, Lt. Griff O’Neal, “the most handsome
man I had ever seen in my life.” Like Charles
Todd’s shell-shocked WWI veteran, Ian