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| The Death of Kings: A John Madden Mystery by Rennie AirthHistorical Mystery. A year before Great Britain enters World War II, an actress is murdered at an English country house party; an itinerant farm worker confesses to her death and, though he later retracts his statement, is hanged. Now, in 1949, an anonymous letter and a jade necklace indicate the wrong person was convicted. Scotland Yard doesn't think there's enough evidence to reopen the case, but retired Inspector Madden investigates anyway, as a favor for a friend, hoping to find proof one way or the other. Though war raged during the intervening years, people still remember the case, and Madden digs up some curious facts. This atmospheric 5th entry in the John Madden mysteries should please fans of leisurely paced WWII-era mysteries. |
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| A Rustle of Silk by Alys ClareHistorical Mystery. Queen Elizabeth I has died and King James I, the son of Mary Queen of Scots, has just taken the throne. As the king's official coronation approaches, former ship's surgeon Gabriel Taverner, who now works as a physician in Devon, is called by the coroner to help with a corpse. Realizing the dead man has been murdered, Gabriel investigates with the coroner's help, and finds the crime connected to the silk trade, people he holds dear, and the coronation. Filled with engaging personalities and fascinating history, this well-researched series debut by veteran author Alys Clare is sure to leave fans longing for the next Gabriel Taverner mystery; readers who can't wait may want to try Robin Blake's Georgian-set mysteries featuring Coroner Titus Cragg and Dr. Luke Fidelis. |
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| The Cat Sitter and the Canary: A Dixie Hemingway Mystery by Blaize and John ClementCozy Mystery. In sunny Siesta Key, Florida, former-deputy-turned-pet-sitter Dixie Hemingway arrives on a job and finds a suspicious man in front of the house and a dead body inside. Even worse, there's a note on the body referring to Dixie. Is someone targeting her? Or trying to frame her? When another murder and note are discovered, Dixie needs to solve the crimes to avoid being arrested or killed. Meanwhile, Dixie's ex is getting married, and she's having a bit of trouble dealing with her feelings about that. This amusing 11th outing for Dixie provides a sunny getaway for readers. |
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Dead Letters
by Caite Dolan-Leach
Ava Antipova has her reasons for running away: a failing family vineyard, a romantic betrayal, a mercurial sister, an absent father, a mother slipping into dementia. In Paris, Ava renounces her terribly practical undergraduate degree, acquires a French boyfriend and a taste for much better wine, and erases her past. Two years later, she must return to upstate New York. Her twin sister, Zelda, is dead, allegedly burned alive when she passed out in the barn with a lit cigarette. But Ava finds the official explanation a little too neat. A little too Zelda. Then she receives a cryptic message—from her sister. Just as Ava suspected, Zelda’s playing one of her games. In fact, she’s outdone herself, leaving a series of clues about her disappearance. With the police stuck on a red herring, Ava follows the trail laid just for her, thinking like her sister, keeping her secrets, immersing herself in Zelda’s drama and her outlandish circle of friends and lovers. Along the way, Zelda forces her twin to confront their twisted history and the boy who broke Ava’s heart. But why? Is Zelda trying to punish Ava for leaving, or to teach her a lesson? Or is she simply trying to write her own ending?
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| The Dry: A Novel by Jane HarperMystery. In this highly acclaimed debut novel by an Australian journalist, Melbourne-based federal agent Aaron Falk receives a troubling note from the father of his childhood best friend: "You lied. Luke lied. Be at the funeral." Against a backdrop of the worst drought the small town of Kiewarra has seen in a century, which is causing financial problems for just about everyone, Falk returns to his hometown for the first time since he was a teen. Even though his expertise is in financial crimes and he hasn't talked to Luke in years, he agrees with his friend's dad: Luke didn't kill his wife and daughter and then himself. Teaming up with Raco, the newly arrived local cop, Falk confronts the fallout of 20-year-old false alibis and a long-ago death. Richly detailed and beautifully plotted, The Dry is set to catch fire (Reese Witherspoon's already snagged the movie rights). |
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Bell, Book and Candlemas
by Jennifer David Hesse
The Wiccan holiday of Candlemas is right around the corner, but when vandals target New Age gift shop Moonstone Treasures, the mood is far from festive. Frightening threats and accusations of witchcraft aimed at the owner have some Wiccan patrons calling it a hate crime. And when things escalate to murder, the community turns to Keli. As a friend and customer, Keli wants to help. But there’s one problem: she’s fiercely private about her religion. How can she stop the harassment, not to mention catch a killer, while keeping her faith hidden from her colleagues, clients, and her promising—and long awaited—new boyfriend? At a time meant to banish darkness, will Keli have to choose between risking the spotlight and keeping her beliefs locked in the proverbial broom closet? Or will she call on her deepest convictions to conjure the perfect path?...
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Assault and Beret
by Jenn Mckinlay
London milliner Vivian Tremont and her American cousin and partner, Scarlett Parker, tip their caps to their beloved shop on Portobello Road in Notting Hill and set off for Paris, where Viv can’t wait to teach a hat-making class. But she has another reason to travel to the City of Light: to find the man she impulsively eloped with years ago and have their marriage annulled. William Graham is not only handsome and charming, but he also has a glamorous job as an insurance investigator who works with priceless pieces of art, most recently a small Renoir that has been discovered in a junk shop. But when both Will and the masterpiece suddenly disappear, it’s up to the ladies from London to follow the trail of clues. They’ll need to hold on to their chapeaux, however, because someone is a master in the art of deception.
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| A Perilous Undertaking: A Veronica Speedwell Mystery by Deanna RaybournHistorical Mystery. In September 1887, after a much-looked-forward-to research trip to Fiji is canceled, English adventuress and lepidopterist Veronica Speedwell finds herself called to a secretive meeting at a ladies-only club. There, she's engaged by Princess Louise, one of Queen Victoria's daughters, to find the real killer of a pregnant artist, one of the princess' dear friends. The police have arrested the dead woman's married lover, and he will hang in a week if Veronica and her dashing partner Stoker can't sort out the truth. Readers who enjoyed A Most Curious Beginning will appreciate this delightful follow-up, which has the same delicious humor and romantic tension. |
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Duplicity
by Ingrid Thoft
When Ceci Jhavad hires Ludlow and Associates to sue the hip new church that she believes has brainwashed her daughter, Fina Ludlow is assigned to the case. Covenant Rising Church has all the trappings of a less-than-holy organization: a slick young pastor and his comely wife; fancy houses and luxury cars; and devoted congregants who seem eager to part with their money. Fina wonders if Ceci disapproves of Covenant Rising’s theology or the pastor’s ability to solicit generous donations—until prominent church member Nadine Quaynor dies unexpectedly. Fina’s investigation requires her to delve into Nadine’s life—both in and out of Covenant Rising—and ask a host of difficult questions. Is the pastor leading his flock astray? Did the church have a hand in Nadine’s death or were there less savory elements in her life outside the parish? The case proves to be a complicated morass of misplaced loyalties and questionable motivations, rivaled only by the current state of the Ludlow family. The return of eldest brother Rand sets in motion an explosive showdown that threatens the very fabric that holds the family together, forcing Fina to confront the true meaning of faith.
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| Aunt Dimity's Death by Nancy AthertonCozy Mystery. Lori Shepherd is down on her luck: she's divorced, broke, and still grieving over her mother's death. To comfort herself, she has a stuffed bunny and her mother's "Aunt Dimity" stories -- but Lori soon finds out from upper-crust Boston lawyers (including a young one, who seems more than a little interested in Lori) that the indomitable Dimity was real! A rich English lady and friend of Lori's mom, she's named Lori in her will. Leaving Boston for the Cotswolds (along with the young lawyer) and the house she's inherited, Lori discovers that even though Dimity has died, she has not exactly passed on to the other world entirely. Readers who enjoy English villages, sweet romances, and a touch of the supernatural will relish this charming series, of which this is the 1st entry. |
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| Busman's Honeymoon: A Lord Peter Wimsey Mystery with Harriet Vane by Dorothy L. SayersClassic Mystery. Swoon -- one of the world's most appealing sets of husband-and-wife detectives have gotten married and embarked on their honeymoon. But it turns into a working holiday for Lord Peter Wimsey and mystery writer Harriet Vane when they discover their new Hertfordshire home surprisingly unprepared for their arrival...and then they discover the previous owner's body. Originally published in 1937 with the subtitle "A Love Story With Detective Interruptions," Busman's Honeymoon, the 11th in a series, is a treasure for Dorothy L. Sayers' fans. Though this is a fantastic read for anyone who appreciates literate novels that examine strong relationships, newcomers should start with an earlier book, like Strong Poison, in order to follow the evolution of the couple's love. |
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| I Shall Not Want by Julia Spencer-FlemingMystery. Opening with a tense scene in which a man holding women and children hostage in a rural New York farmhouse is shooting at police outside, I Shall Not Want follows the investigation of murders targeting the migrant community of the Adirondack mountains. In charge is recently widowed police chief Russ van Alstyne, who consults with Episcopal priest Clare Fergusson for help since she works with that community. But since Clare and Russ have complex, unresolved feelings for each other, that colors their time together as the case is plagued by media hysteria and a conflict within the police unit. This 6th of eight books in a superb series is fine for readers who don't mind jumping into something midstream, but those who want to see the slow burn of the romance slowly ignite can start with the initial entry, In the Bleak Midwinter. |
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