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| Murder in Bel-Air by Cara BlackParisian private investigator Aimée Leduc is about to go onstage to deliver the keynote address at a tech conference that is sure to secure Leduc Detective some much-needed business contracts when she gets an emergency phone call from her daughter’s playgroup: Aimée’s own mother, who was supposed to pick Chloe up, never showed. Abandoning her hard-won speaking gig, Aimée rushes to get Chloe, annoyed that her mother has let her down yet again.
But as Aimée and Chloe are leaving the playground, Aimée witnesses the body of a homeless woman being wheeled away from the neighboring convent, where nuns run a soup kitchen. The last person anyone saw the dead woman talking to was Aimée’s mother, who has vanished. Trying to figure out what happened to Sydney Leduc, Aimée tracks down the dead woman’s possessions, which include a huge amount of cash. What did Sydney stumble into? Is she in trouble? |
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| Almost Midnight by Paul DoironWarden Investigator Mike Bowditch already has a troubling mystery on his hands: finding the archer who mortally wounded Maine's only wild wolf. Then he learns his best friend, Billy Cronk, has been released from prison after heroically defending a female guard from a stabbing. Mike comes to believe the assault was orchestrated by a wider criminal conspiracy. When the conspirators pursue Billy's wife and children to a "safe" cabin in the woods, Mike rushes to their defense only to find himself outnumbered, outgunned--and maybe out of options. |
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| The Cutting Room by Ashley DyerWhile Britain is obsessed with the newest hit true-crime television show, Fact, or Fable? detectives Ruth Lake and Greg Carver are tormented by a fiendish flesh-and-blood killer on the loose.
Lured to a “crime scene” by a mysterious digital invitation, Ruth Lake is horrified by what she finds: a bizarre and gruesome tableau surrounded by a crowd of gawkers. The deadly work is the latest “art installation” designed by a diabolical criminal dubbed the Ferryman. Not only is this criminal cold-blooded; he’s a narcissistic exhibitionist desperate for an audience. He’s also clever at promoting his deadly handiwork. Exploiting England’s current true-crime craze, he uses social media to titillate and terrorize the public.
Ruth is joined in the investigation by her partner Greg Carver, who is slowly regaining his strength after a run-in with another sadistic criminal. But Greg can’t seem to shake the bewildering effects of the head wound that nearly ended him. Are the strange auras blurring his vision an annoying side effect of his injury, or could they be something more : a tool to help him see a person’s true nature? |
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| A Lady's Guide to Gossip and Murder by Dianne FreemanThough American by birth, Frances Wynn, the now-widowed Countess of Harleigh, has adapted admirably to the quirks and traditions of the British aristocracy. On August twelfth each year, otherwise known as the Glorious Twelfth, most members of the upper class retire to their country estates for grouse-shooting season. Frances has little interest in hunting and is expecting to spend a quiet few months in London with her almost-engaged sister, Lily, until the throng returns.
Instead, she’s immersed in a shocking mystery when a friend, Mary Archer, is found murdered. Frances had hoped Mary might make a suitable bride for her cousin, Charles, but their courtship recently fizzled out. Unfortunately, this puts Charles in the spotlight—along with dozens of others. It seems Mary had countless notes hidden in her home, detailing the private indiscretions of society’s elite. Frances can hardly believe that the genteel and genial Mary was a blackmailer, yet why else would she horde such juicy tidbits? Aided by her gallant friend and neighbor, George Hazelton, Frances begins assisting the police in this highly sensitive case, learning more about her peers than she ever wished to know. Too many suspects may be worse than none at all—but even more worrying is that the number of victims is increasing too. And unless Frances takes care, she’ll soon find herself among them . . . |
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| The Shallows by Matt GoldmanA prominent lawyer is found dead, tied to his own dock by a fishing stringer through his jaw, and everyone wants private detective Nils Shapiro to protect them from suspicion: The unfaithful widow. Her artist boyfriend. The lawyer’s firm. A polarizing congressional candidate. A rudderless suburban police department. Even the FBI.
Nils and his investigative partners illuminate a sticky web of secrets and deceit that draws national attention. But finding the web doesn’t prevent Nils from getting caught in it. Just when his safety is most in peril, his personal life takes an unexpected twist, facing its own snarl of surprise and deception. |
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| The Darwin Affair by Tim MasonLondon, June 1860: When an assassination attempt is made on Queen Victoria, and a petty thief is gruesomely murdered moments later—and only a block away—Chief Detective Inspector Charles Field quickly surmises that these crimes are connected to an even more sinister plot. Was Victoria really the assassin’s target? Are those closest to the Crown hiding something? And who is the shadowy figure witnesses describe as having lifeless, coal-black eyes?
Field’s investigation exposes a shocking conspiracy in which the publication of Charles Darwin’s controversial On the Origin of Species sets off a string of murders, arson, kidnapping, and the pursuit of a madman named the Chorister. As the investigation takes Field from the dangerous alleyways of London to the hallowed halls of Oxford, the list of possible conspirators grows, and the body count escalates. And as he edges closer to the Chorister, he uncovers dark secrets that were meant to remain forever hidden. |
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If You Like: Donna Andrews' Meg Langslow novels
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| Aunt Dimity Digs In by Nancy AthertonWhat it's about: American-in-England Lori Shepherd is struggling with new motherhood when the vicar asks her to find a missing historical pamphlet that details antiquities shenanigans. Lori gets help from ghostly Aunt Dimity, who communicates via otherworldly writing, and the elderly Pym sisters, who send a nanny.
Series alert: This 4th Aunt Dimity novel is just as charming as the other entries in the delightfully cozy and slightly supernatural series; the 24th book, Aunt Dimity and the Heart of Gold, came out this summer.
Why Donna Andrews fans might like it: the charming village, the highlighting of life with young twins, and the quirky characters. |
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| Bones to Pick by Carolyn HainesWhat happens: The well-to-do 23-year-old author of a tell-all book about her hometown is found dead in a cotton field. The main suspect's upper-crust brother hires southern belle and intrepid PI Sarah Booth Delaney and her partner Tinkie to find the real killer -- and they quickly unearth some "accidental" deaths that might be related.
Series alert: This is the 6th in a humorous cozy series which now has 20 books (the latest, Game of Bones, was recently published).
Why Donna Andrews fans might like it: the witty humor, the zany characters, and the Southern small-town setting. |
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| Birthday Party Murder: A Lucy Stone Mystery by Leslie MeierWhat happens: Part-time reporter and mom of four Lucy Stone helps plan a party for Tinker's Cover, Maine's oldest resident, Miss Tilley. But when a local attorney suspiciously dies and Miss Tilley's long-lost niece unexpectedly appears and moves in, Lucy has more things to worry about than parties, gray hairs, and her teen's coed sleepover.
Series alert: This is the lighthearted 9th Lucy Stone book; the 26th, Invitation Only Murder, hits shelves in November.
Why Donna Andrews fans might like it: the details of family life, Lucy's civic engagement, and the entertaining townspeople. |
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| The Body in the Birches by Katherine Hall PageFeaturing: Caterer Faith Fairchild, her minister husband, and their kids, who live with a friend while renovating their Maine vacation cottage.
What happens: A murder occurs at the next-door neighbor's coastal estate, where relatives have gathered to hear the elderly owner's decision of who will inherit the coveted home.
Why Donna Andrews fans might like it: The pleasing mix of crime, beloved characters, and domestic life found in this 22nd Faith Fairchild mystery (which is fine for newcomers) and all the Faith books (the 25th and most recent novel is The Body in the Wake). |
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Contact your librarian for more great books! |
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Avon Lake Public Library 32649 Electric Blvd. Avon Lake, Ohio 44012 440-933-8128alpl.org |
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