Long-running series by well-known authors sometimes run into problems – the books seem all alike!  Two recent releases show that creative writers are often up to the challenge by producing fresh, innovative plots.

"Find Me" by Carol O'Connell (Putnam, $24.95) is latest in her exceptionally popular series starring quirky New York homicide detective Kathy Mallory.

During the course of the series, Mallory (Don't call me Kathy!) has gained the respect of the department for her computer wizardry and tenacity as she has helped solve many difficult cases.

Mallory is as unique as her wheels – she drives a 911 Twin Turbo Porsche that's hidden beneath the frame of a silver and black VW Beetle – her travels play a pivotal role in this complex tale.

A woman's body is discovered in Mallory's New York apartment – Mallory's nowhere to be found; her police department partner Riker and another friend track her to Chicago and beyond.

Her journeys lead to old Route 66, where she's got her own priorities, but she encounters an odd caravan of parents looking for their children who've disappeared years earlier.  On the trail of a devious serial killer who may be in the caravan, Mallory's adroitly dealing with a stubborn, obnoxious FBI boss, a variety of perplexed local authorities and eager media members.

This is a powerful, gripping, crime novel with a wicked sense of humor that's tough to put down.  While it's still best to read the series in order, O'Connell never disappoints the reader in this violent, bloody tale of death and redemption.


"Ask the Parrot" by Richard Stark (Mysterious Press, $23.95) is another compelling entry in a series that focuses on the anti-hero and professional criminal known simply as Parker.

This is the sequel to "Nobody Runs Forever" where Parker is on the run after a heist goes terribly wrong.  Parker's used to this though, he's frequently fleeing angry cops or tracking down people who've double-crossed him.

The recent Mel Gibson movie "Payback" was based on "The Hunter", the first novel in the series; over the years Parker has dealt with scores of thieves, partners, planners, get-away drivers and criminals with ulterior motives.

Parker is rescued by an unlikely source, Tom Lindahl, an aging rabbit hunter who hides him for a while then reveals his true colors: he wants Parker to help him hold up a local racetrack.  Of course, the scheme doesn't quite go as planned, as deadly and ironic complications arise.

Stark (actually award-winning author Donald Westlake using a pseudonym) has written another superb, tough, taut tale, a razor-sharp page-turner that's ideal for movie adaptation.