John's Staff Picks

John Kwiatkowski, Publicity Manager at Murder By The Book since 2010

In previous career incarnations, John has sold model and toy trains, and been a barista. Prior to joining the Murder By The Book team he managed one of the local chain bookstores. When his nose isn't in a book he loves going to concerts, seeing musicals, going to Las Vegas, and spending afternoons in Hermann Park.

John's favorite authors include: Arturo Perez-Reverte, Tasha Alexander, Kelley Armstrong, Melissa Marr, Daphne Du Maurier, Wilkie Collins, Jacqueline Sussan, Victoria Laurie, and Louise Penny.

For more of John's recommendations, visit the Kids Staff Picks Page.

Point of Honour (Google eBook)

By Madeleine E. Robins

$9.99

Model: X780oSFJ_eQC
Published: Forge Books, 5/2005

Miss Sarah Tolerance ran away with her brother's fencing master when she was sixteen. Now he's dead and she's back in England, and a Fallen Woman. But she refuses to follow the Fallen Women who have gone before her and become a courtesan. Sarah is a straight shooter, with her pistol as well as her wit, and her mind is as sharp as the blade of her sword. She's clever and discreet--she has reinvented herself as a private investigator.

Miss Tolerance is an Agent of Inquiry, the sole one of her kind in London in this year of 1810, with mad King George III on the throne and Queen Charlotte acting as Regent. Sarah's position in society allows her to float between social layers, unearth secrets, find things that were lost, and lose things too dangerous to be kept.

An agent of the Earl of Versellion has asked her to find a fan that the Earl's father gifted to a lady with brown eyes. When Sarah discovers the secret of the fan, both she and the Earl are targeted by ruthless killers. They realize the fan has a second secret, one that will affect the fate of England itself, and they must decipher it.

Sarah's life is getting more and more complicated-and she's growing closer and closer to the Earl. To save England and herself, she must decide whether to be guided by her heart... or her conscience.

John's Review: This might be my favorite discovery of the 2012! It kills me that this book is currently only available in eBook format. Sarah Tolerance is a FANTASTIC character, and Robins gives us an interesting take of the Regency by making Charlotte Queen Regent. Robins is a sword wielding, quick-witted heroine that will win you over within the first few pages.

The Gods of Gotham (Hardcover)

By Lyndsay Faye

$25.95

ISBN-13: 9780399158377
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 days
Published: Amy Einhorn Books/Putnam, 3/2012

Other Editions of this Title

Signed Copies Available.

John's Review: My first contender for book of the year. This book just immediately grabbed me any wouldn't let go. Set in 1845, it gives the reader incite into a very interesting period in New York's history. As the Irish flood into the city to escape dying of starvation back at home, the city creates a new group of police officers. Neither are well received in the city.

Timothy Wilde, a new police officer, is on patrol one night when a young girl runs into him. She doesn't seem to be injured, but her clothes are drenched in blood. Against his better judgement, Wilde takes the young girl home with him. The investigation into what happened to her will change his life and his career forever.

The characters are all complex. Timothy Wilde is essentially forced into being a copper star after a fire leaves him jobless, homeless, and disfigured. His former skills as a bartender lend well to his new profession. I'm anxious for more books featuring Timothy as he could easily become one of my favorite detectives in the mystery genre. HIs police work is as much about following clues as it is about being able to read people. I enjoyed watching him grow over the course of the book, and enjoyed the tender moments he shares with Bird Daly.

Faye has created a story that will you teach you a lot about the politics of NYC at the time, and introduce you to characters that will stay with you well after you've finished the book. I can't recommend this one enough!

Also HIGHLY recommended by Sally!

Let Them Eat Stake: A Vampire Chef Mystery (Mass Market Paperback)

By Sarah Zettel

$7.99

ISBN-13: 9780451236456
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 days
Published: Signet, 4/2012

Charlotte Caine isn't called the OVampire ChefO because she's a member of New York's burgeoning undead community--she just cooks for them. But when she caters a vampire-witch wedding, she's in for a rude reception.

John's Review: One of my favorite new light paranormal series. This 2nd installment is just as funny as the first. Charlotte, The Vampire Chef, finds herself in over her head as she talkes on her biggest challenge yet!