The Right Book at the Right Time

Title: The Keeper of Lost Causes

Author: Jussi Adler-Olsen

Publisher: Dutton, 2011 (originally published in Britain with the title “Mercy” by Penguin Books)

Summary: Ever since Stieg Larsson’s wildly popular “Millennium Trilogy,” it seems that any crime/mystery writer that hails from Scandinavian can’t escape being held up in comparison.  It does seem, though, that Jussi Adler-Oslen has what it takes to live up to the promise of being the next  Stieg Larsson.  “The Keeper of Lost Causes” is a police procedural that is suspenseful, well-written and sufficiently creepy enough to keep the reader on edge all the way to the end.

“Keeper” is the first novel in a planned series by Adler-Olsen entitled “Department Q,” which also happens to be the name of a newly-created “unsolved crimes” squad of the Copenhagen Police Department in the book.  Carl Morck, our flawed and surly lead detective, has been appointed head of Dept. Q, mostly to get him out of the way.  He’s still recovering from being wounded in a shootout that left his best friend dead and another colleague paralyzed.   So when he’s placed in charge of the department, he’s less than enthusiastic.  His lone assistant, Assad, seems more mysterious than anything else, although it isn’t long before Assad proves to be quite the capable detective, which only adds to the mystery about him. Banished to the basement with stacks of cold case files, Morck and Assad begin to investigate the case of Merete Lynggaard, a beautiful politician who disappeared five years earlier.  What follows is a chilling and gripping thriller that is entertaining, disturbing and completely satisfying – and will leave you anxiously awaiting the next installment.

Who will like this book?  Fans of Stieg Larsson, Jo Nesbo, Henning Mankell.

Recommended by: Mary, Branch Reference

Does this look like a book you’d like to read? Visit the Fairfield Public Library catalog here, where you can check availability and place a hold.

Title: The Thieves of Manhattan

Author:  Adam Langer

Publisher: Spiegel & Grau (2010)

Summary: Ian Minot is a struggling writer working at the Morningside Coffee diner. Ian works alongside Joseph, a struggling actor, and Faye, an aspiring artist. Of the three, Ian has been the least successful in his career. His Romanian girlfriend Anya, however, is very close to getting her collection of short stories published while Ian continues to get rejection letters. One of the most memorable of these comes from the literary agent Geoff Olden who simply wrote “good luck placing this and all future submissions elsewhere”.

When Faye draws Ian’s attention to a customer they have nicknamed The Confident Man, Ian is appalled to see that he is reading a copy of the recently published memoir “Blade by Blade”. In Ian’s opinion, the book is a “bogus piece of crap”. As it turns out, The Confident Man feels the same way about it. The Confident Man is Jed Roth, a former editor at a very respectable publishing house. Jed left his position at Merrill Books when his decision not to publish “Blade by Blade” was overruled by the owner of Merrill Books. Jed has devised a plan to bring down Merrill Books and agent Geoff Olden and recruits Ian to play a crucial role in his scheme. Ian agrees but soon finds himself in over his head and unsure who to trust.

This is a fun story, full of humor and intrigue, which takes a few shots at the publishing industry along the way. The last few pages contain a glossary of selected terms used throughout the book, all based on literary figures.

Who will like this book? Anyone looking for a fun read, especially those who like intrigue. Anyone familiar with the publishing industry.

Recommended by: Sue, Circulation Coordinator