|
|
|
A Will to Kill by R. V. RamanWhat it's about: Aging and wheelchair-bound patriarch Bhaskar Fernandez has finally reclaimed his family property after a bitter legal battle, and now wants to reunite his aggrieved relatives. So, he invites them to remote Greybrooke Manor in the misty Nilgiris --a mansion that has played host to several sudden deaths. But Bhaskar has other, more practical problems to deal with. He knows that his family is waiting for him to die to regain the family fortune, and to safeguard himself against violence during the house party, he writes two conflicting wills. Why you might enjoy it: For fans of Knives Out, this Agatha Christie-esque manor house mystery combines all the classic elements, haunted mansions, greedy relatives, murder...with all the modern and cultural elements of India.
|
|
| The Diabolical Bones by Bella EllisStarring: Anne, Emily, and Charlotte Brontë, pen-wielding sisters who live in a Yorkshire parsonage with their father and brother...and solve crimes.
What it's about: In December 1845, the skeletal remains of a child are found in a nearby home's chimney. The sisters set out to find who the child was, which has them checking out local rumors, monster stories, and abusive child labor practices.
Series alert: Full of Gothic atmosphere, this is the compelling sequel to The Vanished Bride; the author is currently working on the 3rd Brontë Sisters mystery. |
|
|
Out of Hounds by Rita Mae BrownWhat it's about: "Sister" Jane Arnold and her hounds must sniff out a thief with expensive taste when a string of missing paintings leads to murder in this exciting foxhunting mystery from New York Times bestselling author Rita Mae Brown. Who is the victim? Delores Buckingham, retired now but once a formidable foxhunter, is strangled to death after her own Munnings sidesaddle painting is stolen. To read more by the author: Check out the Mrs. Murphy Sneaky Pie Brown mysteries and the previous 12 Jane Arnold books.
|
|
| Blood Grove by Walter MosleyWhat happens: In the summer of 1969, Black Los Angeles PI Easy Rawlins, a World War II vet, agrees to help a traumatized white Vietnam vet, who says that while trying to save a woman, he thinks he killed a Black man -- but the scene of the supposed crime is completely clean.
Why you might like it: Featuring unforgettable characters, this atmospheric 15th Easy Rawlins mystery takes place against the backdrop of the social and political changes of the 1960s.
Award buzz: The National Book Foundation recently presented Walter Mosley with the 2020 Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. |
|
| Picnic in the Ruins by Todd Robert PetersenWhat it's about: Crossing paths with two inept criminals hired to steal Native American maps, Ph.D. student Sophia Shepard, who's in the Utah-Arizona border region working on her dissertation, finds herself on a madcap trip that involves a magician, a German tourist, a local sheriff, and a video game designer.
Why you might like it: Picnic in the Ruins is a clever noirish caper with a vivid setting that thoughtfully looks at the ethics of artifact collection.
For fans of: Tony Hillerman, Carl Hiaasen, and William Boyle's A Friend Is a Gift You Give Yourself. |
|
|
Portrait of Peril by Laura Joh RowlandWhat it's about: Newly wedded crime-scene photographer Sarah Bain and her detective sergeant investigate a stabbing victim found in the crypt of a church in 1890s London, in the latest addition to the series following The Woman in the Veil. Reviewers say: "Well-crafted...Rowland blends acute psychological observation and meticulous historical research to explore the conflicts faced by an independent woman in Victorian society." --Publishers Weekly Who might enjoy it: fans of the C. S. Harris Sebastian St. Cyr series.
|
|
|
Aftershock by Judy MelinekWhat it is: A sequel to First Cut finds forensics prodigy Jessie Teska investigating a carefully staged fatal accident that is further complicated by a major earthquake that decimates San Francisco. What happens: Jessie is hot on the murderer's trail, then an earthquake sends her and her whole city reeling. When the dust clears, her case has fallen apart and an innocent man is being framed. Jessie knows she's the only one who can prove it, and she races to piece together the truth--before it gets buried and brings her down in the rubble. Why you might enjoy it: With Melinek and Mitchell's trademark blend of propulsive prose, deft plotting and mordant humor, this rollicking new installment in the Jessie Teska Mystery series will shake you up and leave you rattled.
|
|
| Aunt Dimity's Good Deed by Nancy AthertonWhat it's about: When her husband must miss their planned trip to England to visit the charming cottage she's inherited, Lori Shepherd 's father-in-law goes in his place. When the older man goes missing, Lori sets out to find him, guided by the ghost of Aunt Dimity.
Series alert: This is the 3rd in a bestselling cozy series; the 24th and most recent book, Aunt Dimity and the Heart of Gold, came out last year.
Read this next: Carolyn G. Hart's Bailey Ruth mysteries, which star a ghost; Donna Andrews' Meg Langslow mysteries, which also has quirky characters and chronicles family and village life. |
|
| The Good Detective by John McMahonStarring: rural Georgia detective P.T. Marsh, who's drinking too much after the accidental deaths of his wife and son.
What happens: His troubles culminate the morning after he beats up the abusive boyfriend of a stripper and awakens with little memory of the previous evening -- and learns the man is dead. Did P.T. kill him? Adding to the questions, the boyfriend seems to have taken part in a hate killing hours before his own death.
Why you might like it: This 1st in the P.T. Marsh series is a debut that was named a 2019 New York Times Top 10 Crime Novel, and it offers a complex mystery that examines grief, race issues, and what it means to be good. The 3rd entry, A Good Kill, comes out in June. |
|
| An Elderly Lady Is Up to No Good by Helene Tursten; translated by Marlaine DelargyWhat it is: a dark, slyly humorous collection of five crime stories by Helene Tursten, who writes the Irene Huss police procedurals.
Starring: Maud, a cunning 88-year-old Swedish woman who lives happily alone in her roomy apartment in Gothenburg -- and who has no compunction with dispatching those who bother her.
What happens: Maud handles a local celebrity who covets her apartment, foils the engagement of her long-ago lover, and even meets Inspector Huss after a body is found in Maud's apartment. |
|
Contact your librarian for more great books!
|
|
|
|
|
|