New Sharpe & Donovan Mystery from Carla Neggers: LIAR'S KEY

I look forward all year to each new mystery from Carla Neggers -- and sometimes there are even two of them, as she's currently writing two series at a time. Art sleuth Emma Sharpe and her fellow FBI investigator (and fiancé) Colin Donovan are my favorites. I'm also a fan of their family members and friends, whom Neggers weaves in and out of the series, sometimes focused on one, sometimes on another, and usually combining scenes in both Ireland and Maine, where the warm welcomes of small inns and dinner spots provides a charming contrast to the rocks, fogs, rutted back roads, and sometimes boats and excursions into, say, Dublin or London.

LIAR'S KEY is a delight -- a traditional mystery with reliably smart sleuths and just enough danger to season the development of Emma and Colin's sturdy romance. Actually as the book opens, their wedding is mere weeks away, and Colin's struggling to decompress from his most recent undercover work while also setting up a honeymoon location. But it's Emma whose skills must cut forward first, when former FBI legend Gordy Wheelock turns up on her turf. Gordy's supposed to be retired, making a civilian life with his wife in the South. But when he lands in Emma's Boston office, he's sniffing for details of a presumed art crime, a heist of a mosaic. The part that has him back on the trail of a crime -- when he shouldn't be! -- is that he caught word of the theft during a London party that involved way too many memorable people: Emma's parents, for instance, and her wily grandfather, as well as the sophisticated and probably criminally minded Oliver York. Plus an agent from Britain's MI5, complicating the gathering to a level of suspense and intensity that Gordy just can't resist.

His attempt to probe Emma for news of the crime or of her noted family members, owners of Sharpe Fine Art Recovery, falls flat. But Emma has to work hard to make sure that's the case:

Gordy started past her but stopped abruptly. "I hoped you'd level with me, Emma."

"That's a two-way street, Gordy."

"I always believed there were no secrets between us. I should have known better. You're a Sharpe, after all."

"Sorry the fishing expedition didn't work out for you."

He laughed. "I had that coming. You're tougher than you used to be."

Emma needs to be tough, for the perils of her job on the HIT (High-Impact Target) team of the FBI, "focusing on criminals with virtually unlimited resources." Readers of the series will recall her risky efforts in Ireland to nail the brilliant Oliver York for art theft ... and will enjoy York's abrupt reentry into her casework. But this isn't the moment she wants to be on the job, with her wedding so close and the need to create a safe harbor in Maine for Colin's return.

As in the earlier books in the Sharpe & Donovan series, there are budding romances here, blossoming around the passion and joy that the engaged couple share with their community of sleuths and family members. Count on some intriguing scenes with Father Fin Bracken, too. Most importantly, the challenge of figuring out whether there's actually been a mosaic theft, and why it might affect Emma's hometown, is central to the investigating that Emma pursues. The twists are clever, the pace relentless, and the clock's ticking toward the wedding -- if all the wedding party can arrive at that point, alive, healthy, and ready.

Why the title, LIAR'S KEY? Neggers doesn't reveal that until nearly the end of the mystery -- but from the start there is at least one consistent liar on scene, and several who doggedly mislead. Emma Sharpe's task is to figure out the danger -- before it can spoil her big celebration ahead.

The book's now on sale (August 30 release date); although Neggers has few events scheduled for signings (see http://www.carlaneggers.com), she's highly accessible through the website, where other 2016 releases are also described. Let me know if you, too, get hooked on her neat plots, warm and sensible sleuths, and gorgeous backdrops. Good storytelling, from MIRA Books.

Brief Mention of KEEPER'S REACH, Carla Neggers

There are so many subgenres of "mysteries" now -- with the most familiar being the endpoints of "cozy" (a traditional amateur-sleuth version with most violence taking place offstage and little specific description of any injuries or deaths), and hard-boiled (drenched in grim determination to solve the crime and bring the perpetrator to justice -- which may or may not involve actual court proceedings, and is likely to include a sturdy dose of depression and substance abuse).

I enjoy and appreciate the full spectrum, including its modern international versions and the related but differently paced espionage and "young adult" sleuth fiction.

One area I don't read a lot of, though, is romantic mysteries. Still, I read at least one every year, because I so much enjoy the New England and Ireland settings and complex, maturing characters provided by Carla Neggers. Her newest in the Sharpe and Donovan series came out in August: KEEPER'S REACH, set in Maine, and in the Cotwolds of England. I saved my copy for relaxing, and enjoyed it earlier this weekend.

Emma Sharpe, an art crimes expert, is happily moving toward her scheduled marriage to Colin Donovan, and the couple are learning how to share some secrets and protect others in their dual roles as FBI agents. The art thief they've pursued through the four earlier books is very much at the center of KEEPER'S REACH -- and so are the Donovan brothers, especially Mike this time. Add in winter, transatlantic investigations, and a shadow from Mike's military past, and the plot quickly grows complex. Watch for plenty of appearances by Father Finian Bracken, too.

St. Brigid's cross plays a role in KEEPER'S REACH.

I enjoyed all the interactions in the book, particularly the way Neggers handles gender differences in people committed to fast-paced and dangerous work. I didn't see the final twist coming -- maybe I missed a clue or two? -- but I'm satisfied that the complications of modern crime-solving, seasoned with romance, could indeed work out to the situations in this book. It's a good read, easy to enjoy, and full of memorable scenes -- and that, of course, forms the ultimate combination of a book well worth recommending. I'll be putting this title onto the gift list for a couple of my friends at the end of the year!

PS - For extra fun, check out the author blog for Carla Neggers, here.

Classic Mystery Puzzle With Dash of Romance: HARBOR ISLAND, Carla Neggers

The new Sharpe and Donovan mystery from Carla Neggers, HARBOR ISLAND, came out just as the garden demanded harvesting and pickling, but I managed to stay up extra late and keep reading -- because Neggers is a storyteller who constantly nudges the next "and then ..." into place.

FBI Agent Emma Sharpe's new status as fiancée of another FBI agent, Colin Donovan, hasn't yet been announced to her family, and there's always a fresh conflict of interest for her on the job: Which is more her core, her agent status or her family's profession in solving art crimes? Added to that, Colin's still wondering how she'll handle the engagement, considering that her past includes a season in Maine as a postulant -- not quite a nun, but to Colin and his brothers, there's not much difference.

True to classic Neggers style, the author juggles Emma and Colin's uncertainties with the way each of them is called to step into danger to chase the art thief they've hunted for in Ireland in a preceding book. And now the thief seems to have followed them home to New England and may be turning violent -- a sudden death by gunshot of an informant can't be a coincidence, can it?

HARBOR ISLAND is also a traditional puzzle mystery, as it sets up a small cast of characters and moves the question around the group: Motive? Means? Opportunity? Will it be Emma or Colin who finally cracks the case?

A big part of the charm of this series is its settings, from Boston to Maine to Ireland and back again. Count on each clue holding some meaning, neat twist of plot, and tidbits about Irish whiskey tucked in often. This isn't quite a "cozy" mystery, as the sleuths are professionals, not amateurs, but between the romance and the landscapes, it's a gentle read, ideal for unwinding by an autumn woodstove with a cup of tea and a cat. Or something even sweeeter.

Romantic Suspense in Ireland: Carla Neggers, DECLAN'S CROSS

A little more edgy than a "cozy," a little less did-I-lock-the-doors than a thriller -- romantic suspense fits into a comfort zone. DECLAN'S CROSS, from the deft Vermont/Ireland/Maine author Carla Neggers, provides an escape to the lush and rugged hills of the Emerald Isle. Following her usual path, Neggers centers the crime detection efforts on a pair of characters from her earlier books, this time FBI agents Emma Sharpe and Colin Donovan. But she also weaves in other characters we haven't yet grown to know as well, like Julianne Maroney, in love with another Donovan brother and trying to get over it.

Julianne is in Ireland on impulse, expecting her two-week visit to connect her with the start of a marine lab and to give her a restored sense of independence. Emma and Colin, on the other hand, are wrestling with how their intermeshed careers can make room for a relationship -- not easy, especially since Emma still has confidences to keep from her family's art theft investigations.

But Colin in particular senses irregularities in the invitation that Julianne has accepted and the FBI agents head across Ireland to check things out. And when a murder (thinly disguised as an accident) takes place within the marine lab situation, neither Colin nor Emma will leave the Irish village of Declan's Cross until Julianne is safe and the crime has been resolved. Emma may even need to bring her secretive grandfather into the solution -- and Colin isn't keeping any of this away from his brother in Maine, who's very worried for Julianne.

Cleverly plotted, with ample helpings of scenic luxury and warm generosity of heart, DECLAN'S CROSS is a gem of a diversion from winter's arrival and the holiday stresses. No need to read the previous title in the series (Heron's Cove) beforehand, but for a special treat, pick up both at once and indulge.

Can FBI Agents Fall in Love? Sure! But Will It Work Out? HERON'S COVE, New From Carla Neggers

I try not to review books ahead of their release date very often -- it's too frustrating if the review makes you decide you want to read the book, and you can't get it yet! But I've been waiting a while to "do" the newest Sharpe & Donovan book from the top-notch romantic suspense author Carla Neggers, and it's coming out on July 31, just a week from now. So -- here we go!

HERON'S COVE is one of a handful of books that have been on my "must read" list for summer. It's that whole idea of a good "beach read": a book where the suspense keeps you turning the pages (except for a little siesta when the sun's in your eyes), the characters are smart and quick enough to satisfy, and the complications are tangled just the right amount -- so you can guess a part of the solution to the crime, but not quite all. Plus, of course, in a Neggers book, there's always the question of whether the best "she" and "he" on the scene will be able to connect well enough to survive as a couple, after the crime's been solved.

And Emma Sharpe, FBI art-crime specialist, is already on tough ground with her new love, FBI "deep cover" agent Colin Donovan. As the two of them arrive at their home segment of the Maine coast, Colin's moving Emma to the top of his list of what he's been missing while away. But Emma's already caught up in a tangle involving a Russian criminal, a collection of jewelry he's trying to repossess, and a London-based Russian jewelry designer, Tatiana Pavlova, who won't reveal why she's in Maine or what her interest is in the jewels. Emma's brother and grandfather, both in Europe, get drawn into the research and risks. And because the details involve "Sharpe family business," Emma can't reveal them all to Colin, even when he and his brothers are under threat.

She flopped back onto the soft duvet and gazed up at the ceiling, knowing it wasn't just the whiskey that was keeping her in Rock Point. It was being here, in Colin's house. In his bed.

"Colin, Colin. Where are you?"

Her whisper sounded hollow, even bewildered. ... Her cell phone rang and she realized she still had on her raincoat and dug her phone out of the outer pocket.

A private number.

She answered without giving her name. "Hello, who is this?"

"Hello, Emma Sharpe. It's good to hear your voice."

Her breath caught in her throat at the Russian-accented voice of the man on the other end. ... "And yours," she said.

A half beat's pause. "Your man is in danger."

Mark your calendar, call your bookseller and reserve a copy for July 31, and oh yes, come meet Carla Neggers here at Kingdom Books in Vermont on September 9. Neggers is so well known as a national and international suspense writer that it's easy to forget that she lives among the Green Mountains, close enough to her beloved Maine coast, and an easy ride from Boston (the scene of another of her series of books, and the airport that launches her to Ireland, her third locale).

More delights: a video trailer for the book, here.

And, in case you've wondered what that new "social media" thing called Pinterest might do for you, here's the best answer yet: on Pinterest, a collection of images of gorgeous Russian jewelry, presented by Neggers herself. Wow!