Whether you like World War II-era historical fiction or murder mysteries, “Blame the Dead” by Ed Ruggero can fill the bill. In 1943 Sicily, an army surgeon is found dead following a German air raid. Not so unusual, until it’s discovered that he died of a shot to the back of the head. Lt. Eddie Harkins, a former Philadelphia cop who is now an MP, is called on to oversee the investigation. In good mystery fashion, almost everyone has a plausible motive. The doctor was an unlikable character who sexually harassed the nurses. Harkins determines not only to find the killer but also expose the horrific treatment of the nurses, despite the hospital commander’s wishes.
“The Big Finish” by Brooke Fossey is a warm and funny look at the lives of two elderly men whose lives are unexpectedly altered. Duffy and Carl, roommates at an assisted living center, try to keep out of the bullseye of the administrator, who threatens to send any wayward residents to a nursing home with a fearful reputation. They find the trouble they are trying to avoid when Carl’s granddaughter Josie climbs through their window one evening, running from her abusive boyfriend. The men try to keep Josie’s presence a secret while fending off her ex.
“The Engineer’s Wife” by Tracey Enerson Wood is a biographical novel based on the life of Emily Warren Roebling. Emily’s husband Washington is the builder of the Brooklyn Bridge. When he spends years as an invalid while the bridge is in progress, Emily steps in to lead the project.
It seems like an ordinary day when Ally Linden arrives for work at her office in “Have You Seen Me?” by Kate White. That is, until her boss approaches and asks why she’s there. It seems that Ally hasn’t worked there for years. What happened to Ally during that time, and what put her into a dissociative state, guide the plot of the book.
Will Chesney is a former Navy SEAL, and Cairo is his canine partner. Chesney tells about SEAL training and life and how he became a canine handler in “No Ordinary Dog.” The two were deployed together several times, including a mission where Cairo was shot twice and the raid which killed Osama bin Laden. After Chesney’s medical retirement, he fought hard for the right to take Cairo home with him.
