| The Island by Ragnar Jónasson; translated by Victoria CribbWhat happens: Nearing 50, dedicated Reykjavík police Inspector Hulda Hermannsdóttir investigates when someone's murdered during a weekend trip for four at an isolated Westfjords island -- and the crime is linked to the decade-old murder of a teenage girl.
Did you know? The Hidden Iceland series occurs in reverse chronological order, so the 1st in the series, The Darkness, features Hulda facing retirement, and the forthcoming 3rd installment will have her younger than in this 2nd entry.
For fans of: Nordic noir, driven female detectives, and suspenseful mysteries with a small circle of suspects. |
|
|
The Van Apfel girls are gone
by Felicity McLean
What it's about: Eleven and one-sixth years old, Tikka is the precocious narrator of this fabulously endearing coming-of-age story, set in an eerie regional New South Wales town with an unexplained stench. The Van Apfel girls vanish from the valley during the school's 'Showstopper' concert, held at the outdoor amphitheatre by the river. While the search for the sisters unites the small community on Sydney's urban fringe, the mystery of their disappearance remains unsolved forever.
For fans of: The Virgin Suicides, Jasper Jones, and Picnic at Hanging Rock.
|
|
|
The Nancys
by R. W. R. McDonald
What it's about: Tippy Chan is eleven and lives in South Otago, New Zealand - the place her Uncle Pike escaped from the first chance he got as a teenager. Now Pike is back from Sydney with his new boyfriend Devon to look after Tippy while her mum's on a cruise. Tippy is in love with her uncle's old Nancy Drew books, especially the early ones where Nancy was sixteen and did whatever she wanted. She wants to be Nancy and is desperate to solve a real mystery. When her teacher's body is found beside Riverstone's only traffic light, Tippy's moment has arrived. She and her minders form The Nancys, a secret amateur detective club. But what starts as a bonding and sightseeing adventure quickly morphs into something far more dangerous. A wrongful arrest, a close call with the murderer, and an intervention from Tippy's mum all conspire against The Nancys. But regardless of their own safety, and despite the constant distraction of questionable fashion choices in the town that style forgot, The Nancys know only they can stop the killer from striking again.
|
|
| The Body in the Castle Well by Martin WalkerWhat it's about: An American graduate student with White House connections is found dead in a French castle's well. Is it murder or an accident? In his 12th novel, Bruno Courrèges, the police chief of the Dordogne village of St. Denis, investigates the case, which involves an art historian's false claims.
Read it for: the vividly described French village setting, the scrumptious food descriptions, the fascinating history (including details about Josephine Baker and the resistance during World War II), the friendly people, and all the charming animals. |
|
|
Whiskers in the dark
by Rita Mae a Brown
What it's about: The discovery of a body in the beautiful Blue Ridge mountains dredges up mysteries that have lingered from Revolutionary Virginia through the Civil War and beyond, in a supernaturally thrilling new tale from Rita Mae Brown and her feline co-author SneakyPie Brown. A trial is underway in Albemarle County, where Mary Minor "Harry" Harristeen and her trusty crew of two- and four-legged friends hope to catch a killer--who may not be the person accused of the crime. Since an old friend's body was discovered by the hunting club's faithful beagles, it has been up to Harry--with her crime-solving cats Mrs. Murphy and Pewter, and Tee Tucker the corgi--to sniff out a trail of clues. Meanwhile, bloodshed dating back generations continues to haunt the current grounds of the National Beagle Club of America. Are past claims of ghost sightings still to be ignored? And what do these paranormal apparitions have to do with the very modern drama unfolding in court and the all-too-real threats confronting Harry and her companions at every turn?
|
|
|
Aunt Dimity and the heart of gold
by Nancy Atherton
What it's about: Joining friends for an annual holiday bash at Emma Harris's manor that turns into an overnight stay because of stormy weather, Tilly tours her host's home and discovers a hidden compartment filled with a treasure in gold.
|
|
| Death on the Nile: A Hercule Poirot Mystery by Agatha ChristieWhat happens: Young, beautiful, and rich Linnet Doyle falls for her friend Jackie's fiancé, marries him, and honeymoons in Egypt.
And then? Unsettling the happy couple, Jackie appears, embarking on a cruise down the Nile along with them, Hercule Poirot, and other travelers, where danger, murder, and airtight alibis lie ahead.
Why you should read it: First published in 1937, it "deserves its reputation as one of Christie's best travel mysteries" (Library Journal). |
|
| Death by Water: A Phryne Fisher Mystery by Kerry GreenwoodWhat happens: In 1928, wealthy and delightfully unconventional Melbourne-based sleuth Phryne Fisher agrees to take a cruise to New Zealand in order to solve a string of jewelry thefts on the P&O ocean liners.
Movie buzz: Fans of the books (this is the 15th) and Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries, the glamourous TV series based on them, will be thrilled that a movie, Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears, should be released in the coming months.
TV Buzz: There's also a spin-off TV series, Ms. Fisher's Modern Murder Mysteries, which is set in the 1960s with the main character being a niece Phryne never knew, who inherits her money. |
|
| Every Body on Deck by G.A. McKevettFeaturing: Savannah Reid, a Georgia-born, California-based detective; Dirk Coulter, her cop husband; and Savannah's southern granny.
What happens: Savannah happily accepts a security detail job that requires her entire Magnolia Moonlight Detective Agency staff to go on a luxury Alaskan cruise to protect a famous mystery writer, who's received a threatening letter.
Series alert: This is the lighthearted 22nd Savannah Reid mystery; the 24th, Bitter Brew, came out in April. |
|
Contact your librarian for more great books!
|
|
|