Ottawa is no slouch when it comes to lining the bookstores with good home-spun mysteries. Two new releases recently landed from city author Ilze Berzins and promising newcomer Brian Meech.

For author/artist Berzins, A Tear in God's Eye (Albert Street Press; $24) is her third capital plot starring amateur detective Doreen Bell. Her two earlier novels -- Death in the Glebe and Revenge on the Rideau -- were both well received by mystery readers. Murder, deceit, madness and police corruption are the stuff of Berzins' latest, which offers not only a neatly plotted story but also, for Ottawa fans at least, the comfort of mayhem in their home town. As Berzins notes, this is a tale to "expose the rough underbelly of this staid government town." To read Berzins' books is to enjoy detail, exacting detail. And there's also the added attraction of her original cover art on each new book. For more information about Berzins' book and the author, you can contact her at berzins@altavista.com