For an early peek at Sunday's Baltimore Sun, here's a roundup of mystery reviews from Oline Cogdill:

Devil’s Garden by Ace Atkins (Putnam / $24.95/ 368 p.) Before O.J. Simpson and other trials of the century du jour as well as endless news of celebrities acting badly, there was silent film comic Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle’s 1921 rape and manslaughter trial. Atkins uses this real event as the basis for his historical mystery Devil’s Garden. Atkins’ meticulous research enhances his eighth novel, a look at the fascination with celebrities, the power of the press, dirty politics, voyeurism and the thrill that the early movies brought to audiences. Atkins doesn’t just throw real-life facts into his novel; he skillfully weaves them into a suspense-laden story that serves as a look at the early film industry, an homage to Hammett and his Maltese Falcon, and a valentine to San Francisco of the 1920s. Even if Devil’s Garden has the reader racing to the Web to learn about the real case, Atkins’ gritty take on the era is riveting.

The Last Child by John Hart (Minotaur Books / $24.95 / 373 p.) Johnny Merrimon — a 13-year-old who looks 10 — has learned what no child his age should even begin to think about. His twin sister, Alyssa, is last seen getting into a white van, his father leaves a few weeks later and his once vivacious mother gives into drugs, alcohol and grief. Edgar-winner Hart succinctly pulls together a terrifying, emotionally heartbreaking story that lays bare the extent of human emotions. Hart is an extraordinary storyteller, and his third novel, The Last Child, surpasses his superb first two.