Pre-Pub Book Buzz: The Lover by Laura Wilson

I was fortunate enough not only to be able to attend the Denver Publishing Institute, but to attend while the fabulous Gladys Topkis was still part of the program. As a total book junkie and a mystery fanatic, I was thrilled to learn that Topkis's daughter had started a company focused on bringing overseas and out of print mysteries to the US.

I love Felony & Mayhem's mission and I especially love being able to promote their titles, which is why it was super cool to receive a review copy of Laura Wilson's The Lover. Wilson has a few books available here in the States, but this is her first to be released from F&M.

Here's the synopsis from the back of the book:

It's the fall of 1940, and London is being destroyed by the Blitz. Every night, its citizens cram into shelters, basements, subway stations -- anything to avoid the bombs. And every morning, they awake to scenes of fresh devestation. But some of those citizens don't wake up. In many cases, it's the bombs that are to blame. But for a handful of the dead, there seems to have been a more immediate cause. The victims were all prostitutes, like the victims of another notorious serial killer. Jack the Ripper may be long gone, but it's clear that someone is following in his footsteps. Based on the true story of the "Blackout Ripper."

There are many cool things about Felony & Mayhem, but two of my favorites are their classification icon system and their recommendations. Each book is categorized according to an icon: British, Espionage, Foreign, Vintage, etc. Wilson's The Lover is classified Historical. And on the back of the books is a little recommendation. For Wilson's, the rec reads -- Who's Likely to Like This? Fans of Barbara Vine, Daniel Silva, and Christopher Hyde.

The Lover was released in the UK in 2004. The F&M edition hits shelves November 16.