REVIEWS FROM THEODORE FEIT

Ted and Gloria Feit live in Long Beach, New York, a few miles outside of New York City. For 26 years, Gloria was the manager of a medium-sized litigation firm in lower Manhattan. Her husband, Ted, is an attorney and former stock analyst, publicist and writer/editor for, over the years, several daily, weekly and monthly publications. Having always been avid mystery readers and since they're now retired, they're able to indulge their passion. Their reviews appear online as well as in three print publications in the UK and US. On a more personal note: Both having been widowed, Gloria and Ted have five children and nine grandchildren between them.

THE HOUSE AT SEA'S END         
ELLY GRIFFITHS         
Mariner Books Trade pb 11/12

As the book opens Kate, the baby born to Ruth Galloway, the forensic expert, as a result of a one-night stand with Detective Inspector Harry Nelson in the prior entry in the series, is now four months old and the mother is still juggling her maternal and professional duties, sometimes to much criticism from friends. But the baby seems to survive.

In any event, her motherly demands don't seem to prevent Ruth from getting involved with more forensic investigations and police investigations. Especially when six skeletons are discovered on a beach and her examination indicates that they are probably from Germany, perhaps dating back to an invasion during the early days of World War II on a lonely Norfolk beach. Indications are that each was shot in the back of the head. The question arises: Did the various persons in the Home Guard play any role in their deaths?

As in the previous two novels featuring Ruth and D.I. Nelson, they combine to discover the facts surrounding the mystery of past and present. The prose is lean and the plot moves apace with agility. The characters remain immensely human and intriguing, and the novel lives up to the standards of the predecessor novels. RECOMMENDED.

STANDING IN ANOTHER MAN'S GRAVE          
IAN RANKIN         
Reagan Arthur Books / Little, Brown & Co.   January, 2013

Old soldiers may never die and John Rebus hopefully will never fade away. After a couple of years in retirement he's back as a civilian consultant on cold cases (which seems to be becoming a trend in resurrecting protagonists in crime fiction). In the course of this work he is informed by the mother of a girl who disappeared many years before that her daughter may have been the first in a series of disappearances (and presumably murders) along a northern highway (serial murders apparently are becoming de rigueur among retired detectives as well). And Rebus is off to the wars, albeit with no official standing.

Rebus worms his way into an active investigation with the help of his old sidekick, Siobhan Clarke. And he uses all the old techniques frowned upon by his old nemesis, Malcolm Fox, of the Complaints, including consorting with the likes of gangsters such as Rafferty to gain information. While a massive police force goes about the investigation by the book, of course Rebus goes it alone.

It's good to have Rebus back, and hopefully more is in store because the rules have been changed and he has applied for reinstatement. All he has to do is pass the physical. Can he do so, despite all that hard liquor and cigarettes? And, of course, if successful, Fox is looking forward to Rebus making a colossal mistake on the job to justify his enmity.

As with all the previous novels in the series, this one is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

GUILT          
JONATHAN KELLERMAN         
Ballantine Books   February, 2013

The team of psychologist Alex Delaware and LAPD homicide detective Lt. Milo Sturgis has been solving cases for a long time. But not like the crimes described in this latest installment. It starts out with the discovery of a child's bones, which appear to be old, perhaps dating to the 1950's. Soon, however, a fresh set of bones is found in a nearby park. And on the other side of the park, a murdered young woman. Are all these connected?

Following the familiar plot line, the detective follows procedure, and the psychologist thinks off the wall. And together they find the path to solving the mysteries a tough road. Looking into the history of ownership of the first site provides little guidance. And there isn't much more to go on in the case of the new set of bones or of the murder victim.

The hallmark of the series is the interchange and quips between Alex and Milo, and GUILT is no exception. The author has perfected the novels, plotting and characters to such a high degree as to make each new entry a joy to read. And the newest book conforms to that ideal, and certainly is RECOMMENDED.

THE RIPTIDE ULTRA-GLIDE         
TIM DORSEY         
William Morrow & Company   February, 2013

There's nothing sane about a novel featuring Serge A. Storms and his sidekick, Coleman. There usually is a plot, but the real show is the madcap escapades and far-out situations described. And no less so are the irreverent observations from Serge's mouth, which are too numerous to mention.

As in the former entries in the series, this novel takes place in Florida, giving Serge the opportunity to hold forth on the many locales and highlights of the State. It begins with Serge and Coleman driving down to the Keys, filming what is to be a reality show on a camcorder. And the rest of the book, of course, turns out to be surreal, when a couple of teachers from Wisconsin lose their jobs and decide to go to the Sunshine State on vacation. Instead they become embroiled in the midst of two gangs fighting for control of drug traffic. It remains for Serge to rescue them.

The novels in this series are not particularly easy reading because much of the time Serge's observations and comments are so outlandish that the reader has to stop and regroup. But, crazy as it sounds, most of the time they make sense. Nevertheless, a Serge A. Storms novel is always enjoyable. And RECOMMENDED.

Ted's review of
BEFORE THE POISON by Peter Robinson appears on the PAPERBACK PAGE .