Ian Rankin's best story ever

The Inspector Rebus books are thrilling crime fiction novels, with a central dark hero - Rebus.
Ian Rankin's brainchild of a series and I've just discovered one reason for the books being so realistic - 


Ian Rankin visited India on a tour or something, and he was on radio in Chennai while we were there - which is why I picked his books up initially.

Teaser Tuesday #38 - A Curious Affair

A Curious Affair: The only book I've read by this author and it definitely captured my interest. Melanie Jackson writes in that trickiest of styles - First person, yet manages to draw the reader into a murder that disrupts an idyllic countryside.

"I was unnerved, and not because I was following a talking cat, though I’m betting that’s the part of the story that most bothers you, since I assume you’re sensible and sane."

Only one line for a teaser today - from Chapter 2, Para 1. 

Mini Review:This is a mystery with a borderline supernatural element and I would suggest you pick it up if you are a cat lover. Or an animal lover.
I'm into Melanie's writing style now, and would be happy to find other books by her. If you have any recommendations for more mysteries by her, add that in your comment! 
I'm also interested in hearing about books that transcend the fantasy genre - like Jasper Fforde's novels,  Wicked by G. Maquire, and The Hunger Games.
See more here: Literature vs. Fantasy

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Teaser Tuesdays is hosted at Should Be Reading.

Review: Dirty Martini by K.A. Konrath

The Grade: A-
Summary from the Book:
Homicide Lieutenant Jacqueline “Jack” Daniels is in some serious trouble. Her boyfriend wants to get married. Her partner wants to transfer to another department. Her dead father may not be dead after all. And a brilliant sociopath known as the Chemist is poisoning Chicago’s food supply, killing hundreds of people.

Plus: Jack Daniels is one of the hardest, most admirable heroines in crime fiction today, and I find myself attached to her fast-paced, manic action-filled life. J.A. Konrath really makes his stories amazingly rich and complete.

Minus: My only minor crib has been that I wonder why all of Jack's cases seem to attack her family too. This time, however, Jack's fiance is ill though not because of being personally targeted by the psycho poisoner. I'd like to see a little more of some normal FBI-led investigation too, it doesn't always have to be one psycho working on his own, right?

Overall: After I finished the first three books, I literally had trouble sleeping -  I had read them one after the other, with no breaks in between. The chilling tales of crime gave me a shock! It is so easy for anyone to commit large-scale acts of torture/poison/murder, so scary...
Where to Start: You don't need to have read any or all of the previous books to be able to read Dirty Martini, so if you do find Mr. Konrath's books in a store/library, you pick them up without looking at the series number. He also has several short stories and novellas on his website for free: http://www.jakonrath.com/

I would recommend this to: Any crime fiction / detective fiction fans, readers of Patricia Cornwell.