Title of Event: DEBORAH CROMBIE
When: Monday, July 7, 2008 7:00 PM
Location: Prairie Lights Books
Description: Mystery writer Deborah Crombie will read from her new novel, Where Memories Lie. Deborah Crombie was born and educated in Texas. After living in both England and Scotland, she wrote her first novel, A Share in Death, which was nominated for both an Agatha and a Macavity Award. Her fifth novel, Dreaming of the Bones, was a New York Times Notable Book of the Year, and was chosen by the Independent Mystery Booksellers of America as one of the 100 Best Crime Novels of the Century.
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The Dead Fathers Club by Haig, Matt Set in northern England, this modern retelling of Hamlet has all the elements of Shakespeare's tragedy but with some notable exceptions. First of all, our hero is an eleven-year-old boy. How does a child go about committing murder, even in the name of vengance? And Philip's father's ghost visits him over and over again--not just the two appearances as in Hamlet--and is only seen by him; perhaps this is not a ghost, but a child's coping mechanism for a parent's death. Told with a truly unique voice, and with an ending that will leave you astonished, this book is nothing short of brilliant.--Tim

Go with Me by Freeman, Castle, Jr. Go With Me weighs in at 160 pages. It is an incredibly tight narrative, suspenseful and funny on every page, about an old fart and a muscular young stud who set out to keep a small town bully from having his way with a vulnerable but courageous young woman in the wilds of Vermont. You could call this a country noir, but you don’t have to call it anything to take the few hours it will require to read this wonderful novel.

Three Bags Full: A Sheep Detective Story by Swann, Leonie A witty philosophical murder mystery with a charming twist: the crack detectives are sheep determined to discover who killed their beloved shepherd. On a hillside near the cozy Irish village of Glennkill, the members of the flock gather around their shepherd, George, whose body lies pinned to the ground with a spade. George has cared for the sheep, reading them a plethora of books every night. The daily exposure to literature has made them far savvier about the workings of the human mind than your average sheep. Led by Miss Maple, the smartest sheep in Glennkill (and possibly the world), they set out to find George's killer. The A-team of investigators includes Othello, the "bad-boy" black ram; Mopple the Whale, a merino who eats a lot and remembers everything; and Zora, a pensive black-faced ewe with a weakness for abysses. Joined by other members of the richly talented flock, they engage in nightlong discussions about the crime and wild metaphysical speculations, and they embark on reconnaissance missions into the village, where they encounter some likely suspects. There's Ham, the terrifying butcher; Rebecca, a village newcomer with a secret and a scheme; Gabriel, the shady shepherd of a very odd flock; and Father Will, a sinister priest. Along the way, the sheep confront their own all-too-human struggles with guilt, misdeeds, and unrequited love. "Three Bags Full" is already an international hit. "It's rather as if Agatha Christie had re-written "The Wind in the Willows," and I ended by loving it, "Jane Jakeman wrote in "The Independent," Funny, fresh, and endearing, it introduces a wonderful breed of detectives to American readers.