April Mystery Book Club

April 03, 2012

For our April discussion, we are reading two stories involving someone who is missing. One plot revolves around the hero’s missing brother. The other plot revolves around a missing baby. Join us at the Antioch Branch on April 23 at 7:00 p.m. to see if each is found.

Vanished by Joseph Finder is the first book in a new series starring Nick Heller, a high-powered international investigator and corporate security consultant. Nick tackles the jobs that no one else will attempt, but his newest assignment is personal. His nephew Gabe calls from Washington, D.C. to appeal for his assistance. Gabe's stepfather and Nick’s brother, Roger, has vanished, and his mother, Lauren, is in the hospital, the result of a late-night attack. Both Roger and Lauren worked for Gifford Industries, a multibillion-dollar corporation. Is there a connection to Roger’s position in mergers and acquisitions or to the $12 billion in U.S. funds that went missing in Iraq. Was Roger kidnapped or did he disappear on his own? Utilizing skills acquired during his time with U.S. Special Forces and the latest high-tech wizardry, Nick peels back layers of secrets that others want to hide. Where will it all end?

Our other book club selection is Cat Sitter Among the Pigeons by Blaize Clement. This is the sixth in the Dixie Hemingway Mysteries, starring the pet-sitting sleuth and former Sarasota, Florida sheriff's deputy. In this latest adventure, Dixie meets Ruby Carlyle, the estranged wife of celebrity drag racer Zach Carlyle, at the Siesta Key home of Ruby's crusty granddad, Mr. Stern. Ruby has sought shelter with her grandfather while waiting to testify against her one-time boss, Ponzi schemer Myra Kriegle. There is an instant connection. As Mr. Stern's next-door neighbor, Dixie's job is to cat sit Mr. Stern's American shorthair cat, Cheddar. But Dixie is also concerned about Opal, Ruby's baby girl. When kidnappers snatch Opal, Dixie and company are on the case.

James H.
Antioch Branch