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"'To a great mind, nothing is little,' remarked Holmes, sententiously." ~ Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930), British author and physician, A Study in Scarlet
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| King Maybe: A Junior Bender Mystery by Timothy HallinanMystery. Burglar Junior Bender sets out to steal a rare stamp at the behest of another crook. When the owner returns home early, it sets into motion a series of events that have Junior agreeing to break into the house of one of Hollywood's most powerful producers, a feared man known as King Maybe. But surprises await since no one Junior is dealing with seems to be on the up and up...not even his 13-year-old daughter's new best friend, who isn't as nice as she seems. With a twisty plot, witty first-person narration, and Junior's clever solutions to problems, this 5th series entry is a standout. |
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| Gold of Our Fathers by Kwei QuarteyMystery. In his 4th outing, newly promoted Chief Inspector Darko Dawson is blindsided by a transfer to Ghana's remote Ashanti region. Arriving at the posting, Dawson discovers his new office is a mess: papers are everywhere and morale is low. He tries to put things in order, worries about uprooting his family, deals with finding housing -- and then Ghanaian mine workers unearth their boss, one of the thousands of Chinese entrepreneurs who've moved to the area to illegally mine for gold. Dawson's still getting used to his surroundings and with rich, powerful people involved, he must tread carefully. Want more richly detailed, evocative mystery novels that provide fascinating looks at modern Africa? Pick up Michael Stanley's Botswana-set Detective Kubu mysteries. |
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| The Midwife and the Assassin: A Mystery by Sam ThomasHistorical Mystery. England is in the midst of a civil war in 1648 when a mysterious letter from London has midwife Bridget Hodgson and her assistant, Martha Hawkins, heading to London. There, they are manipulated into service by Jonathan Marlowe, Oliver Cromwell's chief spymaster, and while working undercover, they end up investigating a murder. With this 4th book in his midwife mysteries, historian Sam Thomas once again provides readers a thoroughly researched, well-crafted whodunit; for similar mysteries featuring another medical-minded female sleuth in England, pick up the late Arianna Franklin's wonderfully evocative Adelia Aguilar mysteries, set in the 12th century. |
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| London Rain: A New Mystery Featuring Josephine Tey by Nicola UpsonHistorical Mystery. In spring 1937, London prepares for the coronation of George VI. As part of the festivities, writer Josephine Tey's play Queen of Scots is being adapted for radio by the BBC. While she's in town for the occasion, multiple murders occur (it all starts when the play's lead actress has an affair with a veteran news reader, and his wife, who also works for the BBC, finds out). Donning her sleuthing hat, Tey helps her friend, Detective Chief Inspector Archie Penrose, investigate in her 6th outing. Meanwhile, she worries over her own love triangle. Those who enjoy the leisurely pace and period detail of Jacqueline Winspear's popular Maisie Dobbs series should appreciate this series based on real-life Golden Age author Josephine Tey. |
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| Aunty Lee's Chilled Revenge by Ovidia YuCozy Mystery. Known all over Singapore for her delicious food (and nosy nature), elderly Rosie "Aunty" Lee runs Aunty Lee's Delights...and sometimes investigates crimes. When a British expatriate -- who drew widespread ire after euthanizing an adopted dog she no longer wanted -- returns after five years away only to be killed in her hotel room, Aunty Lee is in the thick of things. Her café is a meeting spot for an animal rescue group involved in the case even before she meets the dead woman's sister and offers her accommodations. This 3rd book in the Singaporean mysteries features charming characters, mouth-watering food (recipes included!), and a fascinating locale. |
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| A Study in Scarlet; The Sign of the Four; The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan DoyleClassic Mystery. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote many short stories about Sherlock Holmes, but only four novels. The first three of these are featured here: A Study in Scarlet (1887), which introduced the amazing detective and his genial sidekick to the world as they investigate a London murder with ties to Utah Mormons. The next novel, The Sign of Four (1890), involves the East India company, treasure, and a group of convicts. Finally, in The Hound of the Baskervilles (1901-02), a ghost dog is said to stalk a cursed family. There have been numerous TV shows inspired by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's works over the years, including several recent versions featuring Holmes in modern times (Sherlock stars Benedict Cumberbatch and is set in London, and Elementary features Jonny Lee Miller and takes place in New York). |
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| Queen of the Flowers: A Phryne Fisher Mystery by Kerry GreenwoodHistorical Mystery. Who is chosen as St. Kilda's Queen of the Flowers in 1928 Melbourne, Australia? The Honourable Phryne Fisher, of course! But the independent-minded, glamorous flapper finds herself dealing with more than her royal floral duties when one of her four young flower maidens vanishes. Amateur sleuth Phryne investigates, but another girl soon disappears. And then there's Phyrne's unexpected reunion with one of her many former lovers. Though this is the 14th book in this "consistently strong series" (Booklist), newcomers who like lighthearted tales peopled with witty, intriguing characters can start here. Want to see Phryne on screen? Look for the Australian-produced Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries starring the delightful Essie Davis. |
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| Death Without Company by Craig JohnsonMystery. In rural Wyoming, tenacious Sheriff Walt Longmire, his foul-mouthed Philadelphia-transplant deputy Victoria Moretti, and brand-new deputy Santiago Saizarbitoria try to solve the poisoning murder of an elderly Basque woman at her assisted living home. Who would kill her? The answers lie in her past, which include connections to the coal-bed methane industry, a relationship with Longmire's predecessor, and an abusive husband. Death Without Company is the 2nd in a compelling, critically acclaimed series; newcomers who'd like to begin with the 1st book should pick up The Cold Dish. A TV series based on books, Longmire, aired on A&E for three years before being picked up by Netflix, who should release season five sometime this year. |
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| Pronto by Elmore LeonardMystery. U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens (viewers of TV's Justified, which ran from 2010-2015, will certainly know who he is) has let 66-year-old bookie Harry Arno get away once, and he isn't about to let it happen again, even if it means following him to Europe. Harry just wants to retire, but he's also on the run from his mafia boss after the FBI let it be known he was skimming money (they wanted to pressure him into giving them information, but that didn't work). When Harry, Raylan, and several mafiosos converge in Italy, things get even crazier. Combining the feel of a western with modern-day crimes, Elmore Leonard's fast-paced, darkly humorous novel is the 1st of three books in his Raylan Givens thrillers (there's also a short story, "Fire in the Hole," which was the primary inspiration for Justified). |
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| Sidetracked: A Kurt Wallander Mystery by Henning MankellScandinavian Crime Fiction. A serial killer is at work in Sweden, scalping his victims. With his long-awaited vacation just weeks away, dogged Inspector Kurt Wallander tries to piece together what the killings of several men, including a former minister of justice, have in common -- and he's also haunted by the death of a teen girl, who set herself on fire in front of him. Sidetracked is the 5th in the character-driven Kurt Wallander mysteries, which provide a searing look at the dark side of Sweden and inspired Wallander, the BBC series starring Kenneth Branagh whose final episode aired this month. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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