Under the Eye of Kali: An Anita Ray Mystery

Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

Oleksiw, Susan

Mystery

Hale Street Press

On an old estate along a quiet river in South India, a family waits for the arrival of a granddaughter they haven't seen in quite a while. When she fails to appear, they begin to worry. Anita Ray arrives at her grandmother's house to comfort the family and try to figure out where her cousin has got to. While she is there, a maidservant falls into a trance and reports that Devi, the Great Goddess, is angry with the family, very angry. Even worse, the maidservant predicts that Surya, the granddaughter, will never arrive. When the family astrologer advises an exorcism to cure the maidservant, Anita becomes curious about the astrologer, his associates, and a number of family antiques that have gone missing. The Wrath of Shiva takes the reader into a little-known world in Kerala, South India, a place of sacred groves and gods who guard them, of devotees who face divine possession and exorcists who would cure them, of treasures that lie scattered across the Indian landscape and those who would claim them.

The Wrath of Shiva: An Anita Ray Mystery

The sharp sea air and the biting tongue of Beth O'Donnell invigorate the lovely coastal village of Mellingham. Younger sister of one of Mellingham's most prominent residents, Beth arrives uninvited, unexpected, and unwelcome every two years from New York City to renew her shaky relationship with her generous brother and to share her venomous view of life with anyone who will listen. Her current visit will be her last. Surrounded by her brother and sister-in-law's cocktail party guests, Beth insults anyone who catches her interest. She sends a dart to test the thickness of a young editor's skin; she threatens another young man who only wants to do his job; a knowing look at an older woman unaccountably strikes fear into the other woman's heart. Those who have met Beth before move quickly away, eager to escape someone who is as intensely disliked as her brother is loved. Chief of Police Joe Silva has plenty of suspects as he investigates the murder of the perfect victim, a woman whose death brings relief instead of sorrow. A thoughtful, attractive man, Chief Silva had hoped never to encounter another murder when he moved to Mellingham, but he soon recovers his old investigative skills and discovers exceptional depths in the members of his force. He also finds unexpected secrets behind the polished facades of the moneyed families of Mellingham. With a kindly and humorous eye, the author takes us into a world now eclipsed by suburban tracts and shopping malls, a world as refreshing as a cool ocean breeze.

Murder in Mellingham (A Mellingham Mystery)

Life seems to be just about perfect at the Massasoit College of Art in the picturesque village of Mellingham. Certainly things couldn't be much better for Preston H. Mattson, chairman of the painting department, as the students prepare for a show honoring his work. It hardly matters that Mattson's work is mediocre. As long as he can play the role of expert and get the students to do his bidding, Mattson is satisfied. But there are potential problems at Massasoit too. Work-study student Hank Vinnio is a surprisingly gifted artist. his talent may be enough to threaten Preston Mattson's sense of superiority. New to the area and without close friends, Vinnio has at least one enemy--and perhaps more. Another member of the college community sows unrest and fear just by his presence. Chickie Morelli appears to be indifferent to the effect he has on people. He lingers contentedly on the sidelines, watching and waiting. In town, sculptor Henry Muir has been known for years for his disdain for some of the local artists. Now their mutual animosity moves toward a crisis. When someone at the college is murdered, Chief of Police Joe Silva must study both art and diplomacy as he searches for the killer in a crime that envelops both town and gown.

Double Take (A Mellingham Mystery)

Beautiful Mellingham--it appears to be a safe haven on the New England coast where men, women, and children, old and young, can live in peace and harmony. But looks can deceive, as Chief of Police Joe Silva has discovered all too often in his long investigative career. When murder occurs at the Arbella House, the headquarters of the local historical society, Silva is probably the only one in town who is not surprised. He knows all too well that crime, even murder, can take place in the most genteel environment. He's worried, though, about at least one of the suspects, Gwen McDuffy, who volunteers at the Arbella House. A single mother with two young children, Gwen seems to have a secret that is too heavy to bear. But is the secret related to the murder, or is it something more personally threatening to Gwen and her young family? Silva wants to know, for reasons that are not entirely professional. There are others connected to the Arbella Society who are even more upset than Gwen when George Frome, the only member who pushed to bring the Society into the twentieth century, is found murdered in the Arbella attic. Catherine Rocklynd, the oldest and wealthiest member, seems to be crustier and more resentful than ever after the murder. Her nephew, Edwin Bennett, is hardly himself these days, but insists it's because he's worried about his aunt's health. Society board member Kelly Kuhn, an art dealer and collector, worries about his escalating debt and becomes even more obsessed than before with building up his private art collection. And Annalee Windolow, one of Kelly's customers as well as a generous donor to the Society, develops her own compulsive habits and knows just how to exploit Kelly's weaknesses. They all claim to know nothing about the murder. George Frome had suspected theft at the Arbella House. Now George is dead, and Silva is left to sift through the lives of these always unpredictable suspects in his search for a killer. The only obvious clue is a collection of five paintings hidden away by an unknown hand. Rich in character, setting, and finely crafted plot, Family Album asks meaningful questions about family and place and the need to belong. It is the best yet in a critically acclaimed series.

Family Album (A Mellingham Mystery)

Mellingham's police chief Joe Silva, "the likable protagonist of this polished series" (The New York Times Book Review), has his hands full when the Mellingham High School Class of 1969 holds their twenty-fifth reunion. Not every member of the class is looking forward to the gathering. Eliot Keogh is returning to his hometown to find the person responsible for sending his father to prison on a false charge. Becka Chase, on the reunion committee, is distracted because the husband of her best friend, Mindy, Vic Rabelard, is trying to revive their long-dead affair. She fears her husband will find out and leave her. The reunion has barely begun when Mindy Rabelard disappears and Vic is found near death, apparently the victim of some strange toxin. Joe Silva will have to travel back twenty-five years and fit together a series of interlocking events and crimes to figure out what's going on in Mellingham. Kirkus Reviews calls it "a red-herring heydey for whodunit fans."

Friends and Enemies (A Mellingham Mystery)

Wolfsbane: Best New England Crime Stories 2023

Wheeler, Leslie

Bagley, Christine

Literature & Fiction

In Sita's Shadow: An Anita Ray Mystery

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