International Mystery Book Group

Winter/Spring 2013
International Mystery Book Group

The Coroner’s Lunch by Cotterill, Colin
Thursday, January 10th
7:00 PM
This first Dr. Siri Paiboun mystery introduces readers to a delightful old man conscripted in 1975 to become the chief medical examiner of Laos. Siri thought he’d settle down with a state pension after helping the Communists force the Laotian royal family from power, but the party won’t let him retire. So he settles into a routine of studying outdated medical texts and scrounging scarce supplies to perform the occasional cursory examination. But when the wife of a party leader turns up dead and the bodies of tortured Vietnamese soldiers start bobbing to the surface of a Laotian lake, all eyes turn to Siri.

Chinese Alchemist by Lyn Hamilton (Canada- archeological mysteries # 11 in the series)
Thursday, February 14th
7:00 PM
Antiques dealer Lara McClintoch is targeted by ruthless criminals while trying to recover an eighth-century Tang Dynasty silver box-with an alchemical formula for the elixir of immortality etched on the inside of the lid. The rare item holds the key not only to the mysterious death of a museum curator, but to Lara’s own survival. (excerpted from goodreads.com)

Inspector Singh Investigates: A Most Peculiar Malaysian Murder by Samini Flint (Malaysia #1 in the series)
Thursday, March 14th
7:00 PM
Inspector Singh has been sent from his home in Singapore to Kuala Lumpur to solve a murder that has him stumped. Chelsea Liew – the famous Singaporean model – is on death row for the murder of her ex-husband. She swears she didn’t do it, he thinks she didn’t do it, but no matter how hard he tries to get to the bottom of things, he still arrives back at the same place – that Chelsea’s husband was shot at point blank range, and that Chelsea had the best motivation to pull the trigger: he was taking her kids away from her. Now Inspector Singh must pull out all the stops to crack a crime that could potentially free a beautiful and innocent woman and reunite a mother with her children. There’s just one problem – the Malaysian police refuse to play ball. (excerpted from goodreads.com)

The Raphael Affair by Ian Pears (Art History Mysteries #1 in the series)
Thursday, April 11th
7:00 PM
Thrills and excitement enter this first novel when a British art dealer discovers a Raphael portrait. After an astounding auction, the painting finds its way to a national museum in Rome, where its acquisition solidifies the director’s reputation. Taddeo Bottando and his favorite assistant Flavia, both of the national art theft squad, become suspicious when a vagrant art student’s story of fraud and the jottings of a famous forger come to their attention. Clever research, museum politics, and foreign setting add to the story’s interest, especially for those who enjoy art and art history. Thrills and excitement enter this first novel when a British art dealer discovers a Raphael portrait. After an astounding auction, the painting finds its way to a national museum in Rome, where its acquisition solidifies the director’s reputation. Taddeo Bottando and his favorite assistant Flavia, both of the national art theft squad, become suspicious when a vagrant art student’s story of fraud and the jottings of a famous forger come to their attention. Clever research, museum politics, and foreign setting add to the story’s interest, especially for those who enjoy art and art history. (Booklist)

Death at the Chateau Bremont by Longworth, M.L. (French #1 in the series)
Thursday, May 9th
7:00 PM
Set in charming and historic Aix-en-Provence, France, Death at the Château Bremont introduces readers to Antoine Verlaque, the handsome and seductive chief magistrate of Aix, and his on-again, off-again love interest, law professor Marine Bonnet.
When local nobleman Etienne de Bremont falls to his death from the family château, the town is abuzz with rumors. Verlaque suspects foul play and must turn to Marine for help when he discovers that she had been a close friend of the Bremonts. This is a lively whodunit steeped in the rich, enticing, and romantic atmosphere of southern France.
(Excerpted from mllongworth.com)