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A justified murder
by Jude Deveraux
When a longtime resident is found murdered by three possible methods, unlikely friends Sara, Kate, and Jack assist the authorities, only to discover unexpected realities about the victim's true nature
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The A list
by Judith A Jance
Settling into a quieter life a decade after a career scandal, a once-high-profile newscaster is approached by someone from her past who compels her to make a difficult choice.
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The next to die
by Sophie Hannah
A stand-up comedian wonders who she can trust when she anonymously receives the same token clue, a small white book, that has been found at each scene of a serial murder case
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Unto us a son is given
by Donna Leon
"Count Falier was urging his Venetian son-in-law to investigate, and preferably intervene in, the seemingly innocent plan of the Count's best friend, the elderly Gonzalo RodrÃguez de Tejada, to adopt a much younger man as his son. Under Italian inheritance laws this man would then be heir to Gonzalo's entire fortune, a prospect Gonzalo's friends find appalling. For his part, Brunetti wonders why the old man, a close family friend, can't be allowed his pleasure in peace. And yet, what seems innocent on the Venetian surface can cause tsunamis beneath. Gonzalo unexpectedly, and literally, drops dead on the street, and one of his friends just arrived in Venice for the memorial service, is strangled in her hotel room--having earlier sent Gonzalo an email saying "We are the only ones who know you cannot do this," referring to the adoption. Now with an urgent case to solve, Brunetti reluctantly untangles the long-hidden mystery in Gonzalo's life that ultimately led to murder--a resolution that brings him way more pain than satisfaction"
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The Stone Circle
by Elly Griffiths
What happens: Forensic anthropologist Ruth Galloway and DCI Harry Nelson receive threatening letters and find the bones of a girl missing since 1981, while Harry's wife gives birth (but is it his child?).
Series alert: With the threats reminiscent of letters that first brought Harry and Ruth together, this compelling 11th Ruth Galloway mystery harkens back to the 1st in the series, The Crossing Places (which is where newcomers can start to see complex relationships develop).
Read this next: If you can't get enough of good detectives and their messy marital lives, try Julia Spencer-Fleming's Reverend Clare Fergusson mysteries, which are set in New York State.
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| The Darwin Affair by Tim MasonStarring: Chief Detective Inspector Charles Field, who was a real person and the inspiration for Charles Dickens' Bleak House's Inspector Bucket.
What happens: In 1860 London, the connection between an assassination attempt on Queen Victoria and the murder of a petty thief leads Field to body snatchers, a conspiracy related to Darwin's On the Origin of Species, and a diabolical criminal.
For fans of: Louis Bayard, Charles Finch, Heather Redmond's Dickens of a Crime series, and E.S. Thomson's Jem Flockhart novels. |
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If You Like: Donna Andrews' Meg Langslow novels
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Banana cream pie murder
by Joanne Fluke
Upon returning from her honeymoon, Hannah learns that her mother's neighbor has been murdered, but she rejects the police's finding that it was the work of a random intruder and sifts through a growing number of suspects in search of the truth
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The overnight kidnapper
by Andrea Camilleri
Inspector Montalbano investigates two puzzling cases: Within days of each other two women whose only link is being bank employees are kidnapped, drugged, and then released unharmed hours later. However a third wakes is found naked with thirty shallow knife wounds. In an arson case, a shop is burned down and its owner has vanished into thin air
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| Birthday Party Murder: A Lucy Stone Mystery by Leslie MeierWhat happens: Part-time reporter and mom of four Lucy Stone helps plan a party for Tinker's Cover, Maine's oldest resident, Miss Tilley. But when a local attorney suspiciously dies and Miss Tilley's long-lost niece unexpectedly appears and moves in, Lucy has more things to worry about than parties, gray hairs, and her teen's coed sleepover.
Series alert: This is the lighthearted 9th Lucy Stone book; the 26th, Invitation Only Murder, hits shelves in November.
Why Donna Andrews fans might like it: the details of family life, Lucy's civic engagement, and the entertaining townspeople. |
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| The Body in the Birches by Katherine Hall PageFeaturing: Caterer Faith Fairchild, her minister husband, and their kids, who live with a friend while renovating their Maine vacation cottage.
What happens: A murder occurs at the next-door neighbor's coastal estate, where relatives have gathered to hear the elderly owner's decision of who will inherit the coveted home.
Why Donna Andrews fans might like it: The pleasing mix of crime, beloved characters, and domestic life found in this 22nd Faith Fairchild mystery (which is fine for newcomers) and all the Faith books (the 25th and most recent novel is The Body in the Wake). |
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Contract your librarian for more great books!
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