Whats’s New in December?

December holds another lovely variety of books to choose from.  Many long running series characters will be back.  Names like Pike Logan, Cotton Malone, and the Sigma Force team.  The ever popular Jack Ryan of Tom Clancy fame will appear the first of the month. Dean Koontz introduces a new character as well this month as well.

Suspenseful mysteries, equally engaging thrillers, romantic suspense and cozies too.   Below you will find a few that have been anticipated.  You can see a more complete list here on Mystery Suspense Reviews.  Of course, there is no end to the number.  If you have any you would like me to add, please let me know.

Tom Clancy’s Commander in Chief, by Mark Greaney

Let’s start with Tom Clancy. This newest book debuts on December 1st, 2015. Though Mr. Clancy died in 2013, no doubt his fans were thrilled to know his stories would continue.  Mark Greaney, the man who wrote this one, has earned my respect (and auto-purchase) with his Gray Man series.  If you haven’t read him, you should.  Suspense thriller all the way through the fast moving books.

In Commander in Chief, Jack is now President, facing issues with the Russian President at a time of crisis in Russia.  When a series of terrible attacks occur in seemingly random places, President Ryan seems to be the only one who sees a connection.  But can he stop the man behind it before it is too late?

Mr. Clancy’s books were always well researched, well put together and very timely. That alone has given them such credibility.  You can count on an exciting thriller when you pick one up. Hopefully some of the same players will be helping out behind the scenes.

Ashley Bell, by Dean Koontz

Dean Koontz’ new book sounds like a change from his usual, though with the variety he writes, I’m not sure what usual would be.  Though it won’t be released until December 8th, advance review copies of Ashley Bell are earning rave reviews.  Comments on his playfulness, his wicked imagination, and his prose are included.  No doubt a pre order for his multitude of fans.  It’s in my cart already.

A young woman named Bibi Blair learns she has a brain tumor.  The doctors give her one year to live.  Then she suddenly and miraculously recovers.  When someone tells her she was healed for a reason, that being to save another woman, Ashley Bell, the search becomes her mission. Yet even as she searches, she wants to know why.  Why does she need saving at all.

If you are a fan of suspense thrillers, this sounds like one you won’t want to miss.  Fast moving, lots of surprises—or shocks, and a likable character named Bibi.

Secret Sisters, by Jayne Ann Krentz

Another new release for December 8th is Secret Sisters by Jayne Ann Krantz.  The description sound like an exciting mystery with almost a gothic flare.  An abandoned hotel, a mysterious death, a haunted past.

Two sisters, Madeline and Daphne,  return to Washington to their grandmothers old run down hotel.  Though the girls had been separated by the secret they kept, they will reunite with their grandmother’s mysterious death.

It turns out their secret may be about to come out. Know they need help, but it can’t be the police, they call for Jack Rayner, hotel security expert, a man Madeline trusts.  Together they will discover the truth of who is behind the murders.  A killer is near, more than willing to kill again, to keep the answers hidden.

Guilty as Cinnamon

For the cozy this month, also due out on December 1st,  I couldn’t resist Guilty as Cinnamon, by Leslie Budewitz.  Not only is the cover charming, so typical of cozy covers, but the Spice Shop mystery series is set at Pike’s Market in Seattle, Washington.  A fun place to wander, most visitors to the city try to include it in their tour.  It’s an event.

This appears to be the second book in the Spice Shop Mysteries, though the author has written a number of other books, include a few other cozy series.

Selling spices to local restaurants, plus running the little shop in Pike’s Market, Pepper Reece is looking forward to a good season.  That is until a young chef is found dead, apparently killed by one of the strong hot spices Pepper carries in her shop.  Pepper is determined to find out why someone wanted the chef dead. A bonus will be to get out of the middle of a police investigation at the same time.

The first book in the series, Assault and Pepper, was published in March of 2015. If the second continues like the first, you will enjoy getting to see the city and the market through the author’s words.  Likable characters, an enjoyable mystery to solve, and recipes besides.  Sounds like a lot of fun, doesn’t it?

Whatever your preference, you will find a selection of each in December.  Great for gifts or for a way to relax during the busy Christmas season, you might want to pick out several.

Enjoy!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Merry Citarella, often writing as Merrci, writes on a wide range of topics. Recently relocated to the Oregon Coast in the northwest United States, she frequently writes travel features on the beautiful Pacific Northwest. She specializes in health and aging, Alzheimer’s Disease, food, lifestyle, and book reviews. For more information you can see her on The Writers’Door. You can read more articles here or at her websites Mystery Suspense Reviews .