I finished Denise Hamilton's new book (Last Lullaby) over the weekend (due in April). It's the 3rd book in the series featuring L.A. Times reporter Eve Diamond. As with the first two, L.L. is a terrific read; well-written, with an interesting plot, intriguing (and believable) characters, and enough suspense to keep the reader hooked.

Last Lullaby isn't as deep a book as The Jasmine Trade or Sugar Skull, but the mystery is better and the pacing is faster. I enjoyed the first two more, I think, because their plotting was denser and the stories more complex. But the new one has some excellent action-packed scenes and good suspense.

It probably won't engender me to the PC police if I say this too loudly, but I think Denise Hamilton is one of the few female authors who is doing something interesting and exciting in the hardboiled/PI/detective genre.

This is not to say that other writers aren't producing good work -- but it's not necessarily to my taste. Hamilton's books, though, are expanding on the work of Chandler, Macdonald, Connelly, etc. in a way that is enriching the genre.

If you haven't read Hamilton's work, pick up Jasmine and give it a go.