Fall has become the season for publishing tentpole books, but I find these winter releases featuring kickass female protagonists with SoCal connections well worth exploring. They are among the mysteries I’m most excited about for early 2020. ‘Pretty as a Picture’(Viking)In Elizabeth Little’s nimble “Pretty as a Picture,” part of the fun is figuring out L.A. film editor Marissa Dahl. A veteran writer of countless mystery series and a collaborator with Janet Evanovich, Goldberg shines a light on the lesser-known SoCal crime-fighting agency. (Feb. 18; Blackstone Publishing; 352 pages; $26.99)Paula L. Woods is a book critic, editor, author of several mystery novels.

Source: Los Angeles Times January 02, 2020 21:00 UTC