Love Kills

by Edna Buchanan

When a bulldozer in the Everglades unearths the skull of an infamous kidnapper, the Cold Case Squad is brought in to investigate. Journalist Britt was the last person to see him alive, and the detectives have questions only she can answer.

Meanwhile, on a remote desert island where she has sought solace, Britt finds a camera on an isolated beach. The film inside yields photos of a happy young couple on their honeymoon. Soon after, Britt is shocked to learn the newlyweds were lost at sea.

When only the groom is rescued, the connection between the reporter and the new widower astonishes her -- and Britt is even more astonished when she finds out the truth. Ultimately, her search for the bridegroom's secrets and the Cold Case Squad's search for the kidnapper's killer collide.

The Fallen

by T. Jefferson Parker

T. Jefferson Parker's crime fiction thriller revolves around a cop with a rare neurological condition called synesthesia -- where senses become transposed (emotions are perceived as colors, smells invoke sounds, etc.). Years after being chucked out of a sixth-floor hotel window -- and barely surviving -- San Diego homicide detective Robbie Brownlaw is faced with a murder case that will not only uncover widespread corruption among the city's political elite but also force him to utilize a medical condition that up until this point has been perceived as an affliction.

Origin

by Diana Abu-Jaber

A spike in the number of local SIDS deaths piques the interest of Lena Dawson, a fingerprint specialist at a Syracuse, N.Y., forensics lab. Is it a statistical fluke or is there a killer at work? Determined to account for the dead infants, Lena joins the investigation, which stirs tantalizing memories from her dimly recollected early childhood. Despite her fragile mental state, Lena proves capable of surprising resolve. Her relationship with her protective ex-husband, her budding romance with a detective and her quest for her own lost past add psychological depth. Top-notch thriller!