If You Like Michael Connelly...

If you like Michael Connelly and his Harry Bosch series, you might enjoy these authors and series as well.

	John Rebus series by Ian Rankin This series is set in Edinburgh, Scotland and features a brooding, troubled cop who loves include good scotch, classic rock, and the crime-filled streets of his city. First in the series is Knots & Crosses.
	Strange & Quinn series by George Pelecanos This series features two police-officers-turned-private-investigators working the drug-ridden, racially-charged streets of inner-city Washington, D.C.. First in the series is Right as Rain.
	Prey series by John Sandford This series centers around Twin Cities cop Lucas Davenport, a compelling, complex character who goes up against criminals of all kinds — from bank robbers and serial killers to corrupt politicians and computer hackers. First in the series is Rules of Prey.
	Elvis Cole series by Robert Crais This series takes place in Los Angeles. Wisecracking P.I. Elvis Cole and his brooding sidekick (and former LAPD officer) Joe Pike take on cases that lead them to the darkest corners of the city and of human nature. First in the series is The Monkey’s Raincoat.
	Alex McKnight series by Steve Hamilton This series features a former Detroit cop trying to escape the demons of his past in the isolated locale of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. He starts over as a P.I. and finds that crimes old and new abound. First in the series is A Cold Day in Paradise.
	Matthew Scudder series by Lawrence Block This series is about a hard-boiled, hard-drinking P.I. in New York City trying to piece together crimes and put back together his personal life. First in the series is The Sins of the Fathers.
	Dave Robicheaux series by James Lee Burke This series features a former New Orleans cop who is suspended from the force and retires to a small town. There he must do battle with the demons of his past and of the bottle, while facing crimes old and new. First in the series is The Neon Rain.

Sara Paretsky is Visiting the Library

On Friday, September 25, acclaimed writer and Lawrence native Sara Paretsky will be at the library for a reading and book signing. Paretsky’s latest book Hardball was released earlier this week.

Hardball is the thirteenth book to feature V.I. Warshawski—Paretsky’s female, no-nonsense private investigator. The book finds Warshawski taking the case of an elderly woman whose son has been missing for forty years. It draws on Paretsky’s own experience in Chicago during the late 1960s to address themes of race, corruption, and long buried secrets.

For more about Paretsky, check out the recent article about her in the Lawrence Journal-World or visit her website at www.saraparetsky.com. Reviews of Hardball can be found at Barnes and Noble Review and the New York Times.

The Raven Bookstore will make copies of Hardball available for purchase. The event begins 7 PM and is free and open to the public.

Staff Pick: Darling Jim

Darling Jim by Christian Moerk

This debut novel opens with the discovery of a grisly murder scene and quickly unfolds into the story of three Irish sisters and their aunt who all fall for the same man -- a darkly seductive lothario who travels the countryside telling mesmerizing tales. Wherever he goes, dead bodies soon follow, yet few seem to notice, blinded as they are by his charming ways. Part folktale, part gothic romance, part supernatural thriller, this complex story-within-a-story is a satisfying, genre-bending read.

Susan - Adult Services

More about the book

If You Liked The Other Boleyn Girl...

If you liked Philippa Gregory's The Other Boleyn Girl you might enjoy these fictional accounts of powerful women caught up in some of history's most tumultuous times.

	The Winter Mantle by Elizabeth Chadwick When William the Conqueror forbids his niece to marry an earl whose allegiances are in doubt, he sets in motion a series of power plays and betrayals that will span two generations of noble families in Norman England. More about the book
	The Memoirs of Cleopatra by Margaret George Sweeping in scope and rich in period detail, this novel presents the life of an historical icon, told in her own voice. Readers follow the Queen of the Nile from age three, when she witnesses her mother's death, to her own infamous suicide. More about the book
	Innocent Traitor: A Novel of Lady Jane by Alison Weir Critically praised for her nonfiction accounts of the Tudor period, Weir ventures into fiction with this rich rendering of the coming of age of one of history's great pawns--Lady Jane Grey, the "Nine Days Queen". More about the book
	The Many Lives and Secret Sorrows of Josephine B. by Sandra Gulland The first in a trilogy about one of history's great political pairings, this fictional diary begins with Rose, a humble Creole girl who grows up and transforms herself into Josephine Bonaparte, wife of Napoleon. More about the book
	Katharine of Aragon by Jean Plaidy From one of the masters of historical fiction, this epic recounts the life of Henry VIII's first wife--from her childhood in Spain to her role in history's most famous divorce. More about the book
	Time and Chance by Sharan Kay Penman The second entry in a trilogy about power and personality in medieval England, this novel centers on Henry II, Archbishop Thomas Becket, and Eleanor of Aquitaine, a passionate, ambitious, and powerful woman uncommon for her time. More about the book
	Empress Orchid by Anchee Min A young girl in nineteenth century China comes to court as a concubine and through bribery, seduction, and intrigue becomes Empress of China, gives birth to the "Last Emperor," and rules for decades as regent. More about the book

Staff Pick: Wild Douglas County

Wild Douglas County by Ken Lassman

Ken Lassman's book, Wild Douglas County, encourages us to bring the outdoors into our social conscience. Ken wants to reconnect each of us to our bioregion with a greater sense of place. Ken's book may also be used as a reference guide to become more familiar with nature in our own backyards and the whole region. Read Wild Douglas County to learn how valuable and important our local ecology is and how we can help create justice for this piece of the earth.

Ken writes: "Today... we have a landscape that has shrinking islands of native habitat surrounded by agricultural and urban landscapes." How can wild animals that do not fly travel from one natural area to the next? Every summer I witness several turtles attempting to cross our roads; unfortunately, I can't always help them across. We must find a way to help wildlife survive. Ken offers these practical solutions: connect areas of nearby native habitats with natural corridors, "nature's highways", transform your yard to native habitat, control invasive species, get actively involved in local restoration and preservation efforts, and cultivate ecological literacy.

This thorough guide makes the seasons more accessible with descriptions of happenings throughout the year in the cycles and rhythms of various organisms. An annotated list of recommended local organizations to join or contact for more information is also provided. Recommended native habitats to visit are highlighted, including access pointes to the Kaw and Wakarusa Rivers, and where to see healthy examples of native prairies and woodlands.

Also note that Ken offers an invitation, if you would like to ask him to give a presentation and/or lead a nature walk, his contact information is inside the front of the book.

Shirley - Adult Services