A madcap mystery romp in a coastal California college town, where students fit in studying after hitting the beach.

Down-on-his-luck Hollywood star Lance Steele (aka Pavel Popoff) is temporarily residing with his Russian-professor mother, Galya. Taking Lance’s “stepbrother”—a poodle named Kroshka (Breadcrumb)—for an early morning walk on campus, Galya narrowly escapes being crushed by the body of Chancellor (“Nazi”) Nottbeck falling from the campanile. As in most cozy mysteries, the local police believe the deceased died by accident (free climbing, in this case), but Galya is convinced he was the victim of foul play. She enlists, or forces, her son to investigate, drawing Lance/Pavel into a series of implausible but hilarious situations—e.g., hiding under a widow’s bed while Galya attempts to seduce the officer sent to inform the widow of her husband’s death. George exhibits a skill comparable to Janet Evanovich in crafting the zany ethnic matriarch, with Galya showing more depth and intelligence than Grandma Mazur. As a hapless pawn in his mother’s machinations, Lance is a sympathetic, likable fellow who can’t be blamed for his conflicted feelings for the delectable but young reporter Tiffany/Tanya. (In George’s hands, the fact that nearly every character has at least two names isn’t the least bit annoying.) While the combination of an extremely ethnic Russian in a groovy, surfer-infested beach town might seem unlikely, George not only makes it work, but turns it into a rollicking adventure the reader will not want to end. Detective Michael Lewis stretches credulity a bit too far with his willingness to overlook his former professor’s repeated meddling in a crime scene, but he’s so addled with lust for Nottbeck’s widow, how can he be expected to focus?

A wacky but wonderful new cozy by a talented author.

In George’s (Galya Popoff and the Dead Souls, 2012) murder mystery, two San Francisco homicide inspectors take a trip to Napa Valley’s wine country in search of a killer.Nothing spoils opening night at the opera house like a dead body in the men’s room. Fortunately, Inspector Renzo Dante is there to secure the crime scene, and it turns out that he knows the victim, Augusto Venturi, a family friend and successful winemaker. The murder is exceptionally brutal; the killer not only wrote the titular phrase on the ceiling in blood, but also pulled Augusto’s heart from his chest and, according to forensics expert Igor Tarakanoff, may have bitten into it. Renzo is convinced that he’ll find the murderer in Napa Valley, so he and his partner, Jackie Wong, move their investigation to Venturi Vineyards. It turns out that someone’s waiting for them there, and as the cops attempt to uncover the killer, they find themselves literally in the cross hairs. The novel opens strongly, contrasting the restroom’s stark white walls with the red blood spatter. It also quickly establishes its dry humor, sprinkling the serious crime-scene examination with comedy; Igor, for example, repeatedly cites “old Russian proverbs” in clipped English. Most of the novel is set in wine country, where the story maintains an earnest but breezy approach, although Igor regrettably appears only intermittently. The novel gains momentum with the introductions of famous Hollywood actress Cassandra Kelly, Renzo’s love from years ago who may be interested in rekindling their romance; and undocumented Mexican immigrant Maria and her young son, Salvador, who are desperate to reach Venturi Vineyards. Wine connoisseurs will be impressed with George’s doting descriptions of the grape (such as “a glass of opaque garnet-hued wine” or “heady aroma of cassis, caramel and spiced vanilla”). The author also provides context for uncommon terms, such as “fruit bombs” and “brix,” which will prove quite helpful for novices. The focus on the bucolic setting often sidelines the cops’ investigation, but vineyards do make great hiding places for a steely killer to lie in wait. Indeed, Napa Valley has never looked lovelier—or more terrifying.A mystery with a boisterous cast of characters and dazzling ambiance.

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This SF novel sees seven Earth high school students journey to Mars to stay with host families.

Sixteen-year-old twins Aaron and Alta Scott are studying at Terra/Mars Bilingual High in Arizona and will be numbered among the Mars 7—a group of classmates selected for the first ever foreign exchange stay on the Red Planet. Besides Alta and Aaron, there are five teenagers from Russia, Saudi Arabia, Kenya, India, and Japan. All are fluent in Martian and will be paired with Martian teens. It is hoped that by living with the host families, they will forge bonds and further strengthen relations between Earth and Mars. Yet the situation on Mars is more volatile than the Earth teens have been led to believe. Among the Martians, there are minority conservative groups that vehemently oppose humans coming to their planet. On the human side, there are mining consortiums that would put profit ahead of both cultures’ terraforming ambitions. The teens’ foreign exchange goes well. The earthlings quickly become friends with their Martian companions. But someone is out to sabotage the Mars 7 mission. Can Alta and Aaron use their secret twin telepathy to avoid disaster and unmask the culprits? George, a mystery writer, constructs a straightforward, omniscient narrative in the past tense aimed at middle-grade and YA readers. For the most part, the tale focuses on events from either Alta’s or Aaron’s perspective. Both twins are likable, offering a good-natured sibling relationship and few foibles (beyond the usual tendency of teen protagonists to take matters into their own hands). The cultural diversity of the Mars 7 is presented in broad but agreeable strokes, with the teens’ spirit of togetherness foreshadowing a similar, more exotic dynamic with their Martian counterparts. The sabotage plot bobs nicely alongside Aaron and Alta’s explorations. The Mars 7’s youthful buoyancy comes to the fore throughout and rubs off on the adult characters. The dialogue is upbeat and offers plenty of fun moments, especially by way of the Russian-English malapropisms of Mars 7’s Boris Liefkovich. As events accelerate and Alta, Aaron, and their classmates embrace the near future, so too will young readers take to heart this story of friendship and acceptance.

A fast-moving SF adventure showcasing the zest and optimism of youth.