Brief Mention: Summer Thrillers from Jule Selbo and Ashley Winstead

Portland, Maine, already home and home-away-from-home to several stellar mystery and crime fiction authors, has acquired a new one: Jule Selbo, a rambling screenwriter determined to enter the genre. With 10 DAYS, released earlier this month from Pandamoon, she's launched a police-trained sleuth who's clearly destined for series appearances. 

Set on the Maine coast, including islands and boats, the mystery pits Dee Rommel and her PI godfather Gordy Greer against the manipulations and hidden crimes of a family of tech inventors specializing in valuable artificial intelligence solutions. Dee's line-of-work injury has landed her with a prosthetic leg and a big chip on her shoulder. She's still got good friends ... but she's reached the point where comfort and congeniality, instead of cheering her up, can send her into a depressive tailspin. That makes her hunt for missing AI heiress and scientist Lucy Claren edgy and perilous, and Selbo spins an excellent crime novel with unflinching pace.

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Are you facing a dreaded high school or college reunion? IN MY DREAMS I HOLD A KNIFE by Ashley Winstead, the debut from this Houston writer, could keep you from agreeing to attend. Which might be a good thing, really.

Jessica Miller's been planning a triumphant return to her elite Southern college for the 10-year reunion. She's shaped herself into the stylish and high-flying success that she wants her former buddies to admire and respect. But she'd built this on the grounds of a college disaster: a death in the circle of friends, and a long-simmering doubt about who's responsible.

As the title suggests, this is a thriller, laced with betrayal and risk. The author plays more than fair with red herrings and clues, resulting in a pace that's perhaps a bit too predictable; the first-person style is unusual for this kind of crime novel, and raises the tension. Love a good nail-biter? Try this one, from Sourcebooks.

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PS: Looking for more mystery reviews, from cozy to very dark? Browse the Kingdom Books mysteries review blog here.