December Dread

August 13, 2012
The innocuous Christmas candy cane assumes monstrous connotations when it becomes the calling card of a serial killer in Lourey’s wryly comic eighth Murder-by-Month mystery (after November Hunt). Librarian Mira James discovers to her dismay that not only is she temporarily unemployed but also she fits the profile—same age, weight, and hair color—of the victims the killer is now targeting in small Minnesota towns. Afraid she’s being stalked, Mira continues to pursue her PI license and self-defense classes, and teams with an unlikely ally, feisty 80-year-old Mrs. Berns, whose salty wisecracks and poor judgment keep the story humming. Despite amateurish bungling and annoying the FBI in major ways, determined Mira is able to gather invaluable leads from her local connections that go back to grade school. Lourey, who keeps her secrets well, delivers a breathtaking finale. Agent: Victoria Skurnick, Levine Greenberg Literary.

October 1, 2012

Intrepid Mira James returns to her hometown of Battle Lake, MN, for Christmas and PI school, never suspecting a serial killer has holiday plans for her. Lefty Award finalist Lourey pulls out all the stops in this eighth case (after November Hunt).

Copyright 2012 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2012
Mira James, a librarian, reporter, and investigator, finds out how tough things are during the Christmas holiday season when she's furloughed from both her library position and her job at the paper. Much to her surprise, her editor gives her a check to cover the tuition for a course in private investigation. Now Mira can finally apply for her PI license. She gets more than she bargained for, however, when her detective work brings her face-to-face with a serial killer who leaves a candy cane as a calling card. Lourey creates a splendid mix of humor and suspense as Mortuary Mira solves yet another murder the hard way. Characters from other books in the series make welcome appearances: Mira's mother, now a woman with a secret; Mrs. Berns, Mira's spunky octogenarian sidekick; Battle Lake's flamboyant mayor; and, of course, Luna, the German shepherd. There is one disappointment. There are only four months left in Lourey's Murder-by-the-Month mystery series. These must-have books are guaranteed to deliver hours of reading enjoyment to your library customers.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)