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| Galway Girl: A Jack Taylor Novel by Ken BruenWhat it's about: Reeling from the death of a loved one, Irish PI Jack Taylor, an alcoholic ex-cop, tries to figure out who's killing Galway's police officers and discovers a personal connection to the killers.
Series alert: This is Jack's acclaimed 15th outing. Newcomers interested in following Jack's ups and (many) downs may want to start with the 1st book, The Guards.
For fans of: gritty Irish crime novels; tough, troubled detectives; dark humor; crisp writing. |
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| Lady Takes the Case by Eliza Casey1912 Yorkshire, England: Facing money woes and with their 19-year-old daughter, Lady Cecelia, having no prospects yet, Lord and Lady Avebury pin their hopes on a match between their studious son and an American heiress newly arrived in England.
What happens: After a dinner guest is poisoned and her kind brother becomes a suspect, Cecelia forms an unlikely team with the heiress's maid in order to find a killer in this well-plotted series debut.
For fans of: Downton Abbey; country house settings. |
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A Cast of Vultures
by Judith Flanders
Mystery. London book editor Sam Clair sets off to do her Saturday morning trip to the farmers' market and finds herself in the middle of a neighborhood mystery. Her elderly friend Viv's upstairs neighbor has disappeared, and feisty Viv wants help finding out what happened to him (a little breaking and entering might be involved). Then a series of arsons grows closer when a nearby house inhabited by squatters is torched and a body is found inside. With some help from her police detective boyfriend Jake, Sam tries to unravel what's going on. Third in a series, A Cast of Vultures features a sassy, relatable heroine, eccentric secondary characters, and a lively look at modern London and book publishing.
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| A Step So Grave by Catriona McPhersonWhat it's about: In 1935, Dandy Gilver travels with her family to the Scottish Highlands to meet her son Donald's fiancée at a remote estate. When Donald's future mother-in-law is murdered, Alec, Dandy's investigative partner, joins her to sort out who killed the woman, who seemingly had no enemies.
Series alert: Dandy's 13th outing has dry wit, eccentric characters, intricate plotting, and an evocative country house setting.
For fans of: P.G. Wodehouse, Dorothy L. Sayers, and Agatha Christie. |
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A Curious Beginning
by Deanna Raybourn
Introducing: Veronica Speedwell, a smart, unorthodox young woman who was orphaned as a child and raised by two spinster "aunts"; after almost being abducted, she partners with mysterious Revelstoke "Stoker" Templeton-Vane to sort out why.
Why you might like it: You enjoy witty prose, intricate plots, romantic elements, and lush depictions of Victorian England.
Series alert: This is the 1st of three books (so far) in the Veronica Speedwell series; Deanna Raybourn also writes the similarly pleasing Lady Julia Grey mysteries.
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Starring: Classic Authors
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| The Tale of Hill Top Farm: The Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter by Susan Wittig AlbertWhat happens: In 1905, following the death of her beloved fiancé, author and animal lover Beatrix Potter purchases a Lake District farm. Just after her arrival, an elderly neighbor suddenly dies and several items go missing from local buildings. Potter as well as various animals (who converse amongst themselves) look into the two mysteries.
Series alert: This is the charming 1st entry in a delightful cozy historical mystery series by veteran author Susan Wittig Albert. |
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A Different Kind of Evil
by Andrew Wilson
Starring: the "Queen of Crime" herself, Agatha Christie.
What it is: a sequel to A Talent for Murder and an homage to Golden Age mysteries that finds Christie traveling to the Canary Islands, where she investigates the suspicious death of a British agent on Tenerife.
Try this next: Nicola Upson's atmospheric Josephine Tey mysteries (the 1st is An Expert in Murder), which also feature a real mystery author turned fictional detective.
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| Murder as a Fine Art by David Morrell1854 London: Author and opium addict Thomas De Quincey is promoting his controversial satirical essay about 40-year-old killings when someone replicates the murders, making him Scotland Yard's top suspect. Luckily, his strong-willed daughter Emily helps him search for the real killer.
About the author: Well known for his adventure novel First Blood (the basis for the film Rambo), author David Morrell has written a variety of books, including the fast-paced, thoroughly researched Thomas De Quincey trilogy, of which this is the series opener.
Who it's for: Though this book is set across the pond and several decades earlier, fans of Caleb Carr's The Alienist should try it. |
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| The Dante Chamber by Matthew PearlStarring: Christina Rossetti, Alfred Tennyson, Robert Browning, and Oliver Wendell Holmes.
What happens: In 1870 London, grisly murders related to the work of Dante occur just as they did five years earlier in Boston (see The Dante Club). With her brother Dante Gabriel missing, Christina enlists the help of others to find him before he becomes a victim or is arrested for the crimes.
For fans of: compelling, suspenseful, and well-plotted literary mysteries. |
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| A Talent for Murder by Andrew WilsonStarring: "Queen of Crime" and young mother Agatha Christie, whose husband is having an illicit affair, causing her to be threatened by a blackmailer who wants Agatha to kill his wife.
Why you might like it: It offers an intriguing explanation of what Christie was doing when she disappeared for 11 days in December 1926.
Try this next: If you like this 1st in a series, pick up Nicola Upson's atmospheric Josephine Tey mysteries, which also feature a real mystery author turned fictional detective. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Lambton County Library 787 Broadway St. Wyoming, Ontario N0N1T0 519-845-3324www.lclibrary.ca |
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