I'll make mention of some great mystery-thrillers that have come my way over the past couple of months.

You can't go wrong with anything by Jonathan Kellerman. "True Detectives" (Ballantine, 2009, $27), featuring half-brothers Moses Reed and Aaron Fox, is no exception.

Reed and Fox were introduced in "Bones," and you'd never find two more dissimilar types of investigators. Reed, an LAPD detective is a by-the-book fellow; Fox, an ex-cop turned private eye, doesn't mind taking a few chances.

Circumstances find them involved in the disappearance of Caitlin Forstig, a young woman known as a good student and dependable young woman.

There's more there than meets the eye as the brothers try to work together to solve the case.

Kellerman's readers will also welcome appearances by psychologist Alex Delaware and detective Milo Sturgis, who have been protagonists in his earlier books.

"Nightwalkers," by North Carolina writer P.T. Deutermann (St. Martin's Pres, 2009, $24.95) is a slam-dunk read. The book is the fourth in the Cam Richter series as Cam closes down his detective service and moves into an old North Carolina plantation home.

For some reason he can't fathom, he becomes the target of a murderer, so Cam calls in reinforcements from his old firm.

Filled with fascinating characters, Deutermann's book grabbed me from the get-go.

I admit that this was the first Cam Richter novel that has crossed my desk, but I'm looking forward to reading the earlier books.

"Angel's Tip" (Harper, 2009, $7.99) is the second of Alafair Burke's series featuring NYPD detective Ellie Hatcher.

Ellie and her brother are out for a morning run when she discovers the mutilated body of Chelsea Hart.

Hart, who was due to go back home, had visited Pulse, a trendy nightclub, the night before. Ellie and her partner, J.J., investigate several individuals and are pretty sure they know the guilty party.

But when Ellie realizes that there are similarities between this murder and those of other college students in the recent past, she begins to wonder.

This book is one that makes you want to just stay in the chair and read from beginning to end without a break.

"The Gilded Seal," by James Twining (Harper, 2009, $7.99), is another good read.

Tom Kirk used to be an art thief, but now he uses his skills to help catch the bad guys.

When a Da Vinci painting is stolen, Tom is pretty sure he knows the culprit. The "message" left behind seems to be directed at him.

Then a friend who just happens to be a master forger, is brutally killed in Spain, and a prominent attorney is murdered in New York.

Enter FBI agent, Jennifer Browne, with whom Tom has worked before.

This fast-paced novel takes readers on a journey through the world of art as Tom and Jennifer try to find the killer or killers involved.

For a mystery filled with fun and quirky characters, pick "Revenge of the Spellmans," by Lisa Lutz (Simon & Schuster, 2009, $25).

Lutz' tales about a dysfunctional family of private detectives are hilarious. This is the third of the series, which seems to improve with each book.

Contact Faye Dasen at fdasen@thepilot.com or 693-2475.