Psst. Are you reading this review/voting for that candidate/gobbling that fast food/watching that game show or TV anchor because you want to, or are you controlled by the CIA or the Illuminati? When billionaire banker Anthony van Wyck Ross and his patronizing Main Line wife Charlotte are killed barely a week apart in their spacious Bryn Mawr driveway and Father Tibor Kasparian's Holy Trinity Armenian Christian Church in nearby Philadelphia is bombed almost the moment the financier cashes his last check, the common denominator seems to be the Harridan Report, a handful of tracts delivered by a fringe group called America on Alert. Although no one's ever met chief Reporter Michael Harridan, the FBI is watching his paranoid followers, especially lumpen Kathi Mittendorf. When an undercover FBI agent also turns up dead, the press and the local fuzz are convinced the wacko conspiracists are at work again, but Armenian-American Poirot Gregor Demarkian focuses instead on analyzing the motives of Ross's family members and his confidential assistant David Alden, now immersed in the Price Heaven bankruptcy. Briefed on society decorum by his girlfriend Bennis and on crime-scene clues by Police Commissioner Jackman, Gregor zeroes in Harridan, but not before tracing conspiracy theorists back to the Middle Ages. Sometimes windy but never preachy, Haddam (Somebody Else's Music, 2002, etc.) provides a well-documented primer (Internet sites duly cited) on the scary reasoning shared by generations of conspiracy nuts and the snobbery of old money. Agent: Don Maass
Haddam plays the mystery game like a master...Bound to satisfy any reader who likes multiple murders mixed with miraculous apparitions and a perfectly damnable puzzle.” —Chicago Tribune on A Great Day for the Deadly
“Haddam keeps her long-running series fresh by developing suspects and victims who are as fascinating and entertaining as her recurring cast...this is one of Haddam's best Demarkian outings yet...riveting!” —January Magazine on Somebody Else's Music
“News of a new Jane Haddam mystery is music to the ears of her fans...whether it's read as next in the series or a stand-alone, Somebody Else's Music is a standout.” —The Drood Review
“A delightful read for lovers of classic crime stories.” —Romantic Times on Skeleton Key
“[A] smoothly running mystery marked by lively characters, good descriptions, and enough misdirection to keep a reader's interest high.” —Publishers Weekly on Skeleton Key
“A sophisticated style, excellent delivery, and riveting plot make this an excellent choice for all collections.” —Library Journal on Skeleton Key
“A real winner...sure to grab readers from the first page...a fine entry in a fine series.” —Booklist on Skeleton Key
“Bound to satisfy any reader who likes multiple murders mixed with miraculous apparitions and a perfectly damnable puzzle.” —Chicago Tribune on A Great Day for the Deadly
“A rattling good puzzle, a varied and appealing cast, and a detective whose work carries a rare stamp of authority...this one is a treat.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review) on Bleeding Hearts
“Not A Creature Stirring will puzzle, perplex, and please the most discriminating reader.” —Murder Ad Lib
“Juicy gossip abounds, tension builds, and all present are suitably suspect as Demarkian expertly wraps up loose ends in this entertaining, satisfying mystery.” —Publishers Weekly on Act of Darkness
“An absorbing, good-humored tale complete with vivid characters, multiple murders, and a couple of juicy subplots.” —Orlando Sentinel on Bleeding Hearts
“Haddam's usual deft writing, skillful plotting, and gentle humor...Refreshing and entertaining.” —Booklist on Bleeding Hearts
“Go ahead, have this one wrapped and waiting with your name on it.” —Detroit Free Press on A Stillness in Bethlehem
“Haddam is a fine and compassionate writer, and Demarkian, the retired chief of the FBI's Behavioral Sciences Unit who now solves crimes in his spare time, is one of the more interesting series leads in the mystery marketplace. It's a pleasure to find a solid mystery combined with engaging discussions of issues outside the genre. A guaranteed winner.” —Booklist on True Believers
“Haddam's large cast pulses with petty jealousies, vanities, and fears as they confront the mysteries of life and religion. This is an engrossingly complex mystery that should win further acclaim for its prolific and talented author.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review) on True Believers
“Dazzlingly ingenious, Jane Haddam's novels provide style, humor, and philosophy-they're real spellbinders, sparklingly written and smashingly plotted.” —Drood Review
“Readers will have lots of fun trying to guess whodunit. A fine entry in a fine series.” —Booklist on Skeleton Key
