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| Wild Fire by Ann CleevesWhat it's about: In Scotland's remote Shetland Islands, Detective Jimmy Perez investigates when an English fashion designer and her family find the body of a local nanny hanging in their barn -- and it doesn't look like suicide. On the personal front, Jimmy gets some life-changing news.
Series alert: This is the "splendid" (The Guardian) 8th and final entry in the compelling, atmospheric series that inspired the award-winning TV series Shetland. Newcomers to the series may want to start with the 1st book, Raven Black. |
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| Don't Eat Me: A Siri Paiboun Mystery by Colin CotterillStarring: Dr. Siri Paiboun, the wise, sarcastic, septuagenarian ex-national coroner of Laos who's haunted by a few ghosts.
What happens: Set in 1980, this 13th series entry finds Dr. Siri investigating a murder involving human remains, a possibly corrupt local judge, and wild animal trafficking; he also helps a friend smuggle a movie camera (that neither knows how to operate) into the country in order to film an adaptation of War and Peace.
Read it for: the eccentric cast of characters, the well-drawn setting, and the delightfully snarky humor mixed with thoughtful insights. |
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| Hitting the Books: A Library Lover's Mystery by Jenn McKinlayWhat it is: a cozy mystery set in a small town and peopled with characters readers will grow to know and love.
What happens: Assisting a police investigation after witnessing an intentional hit-and-run, Briar Creek, Connecticut, library director Lindsey Norris is further drawn into the case when a stack of library books is found in the trunk of the stolen car that was used in the crime.
Read this next: If you enjoy this 9th Library Lover's Mystery, check out Miranda James's Cat in the Stacks mysteries or Eva Gates' Lighthouse Library Mysteries. |
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| The Man Who Couldn't Miss: A Stewart Hoag Mystery by David HandlerStarring: sardonic Hollywood ghostwriter Stewart “Hoagy” Hoag, who's working on his latest book in Connecticut with his basset hound, Lulu.
What happens: Hoagy and Lulu try to help Hoagy's ex-wife with a blackmailer while she plans a benefit performance to save a fabled summer playhouse -- but they're all soon involved in a murder case.
Series alert: This is the 10th in a series that, until last year's The Girl with Kaleidoscope Eyes, was on hiatus for 20 years -- even though time has passed for us, Hoagy and Lulu are still living in the no-iPhone '90s. |
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| Miss Kopp just Won't Quit: A Kopp Sisters Novel by Amy StewartStarring: New Jersey’s indomitable first female deputy, Constance Kopp.
What it's about: In 1916, while trying to investigate two cases involving the same asylum, Constance finds her controversial career on the line -- it's an election year for her open-minded Sheriff, who might lose his job.
Did you know? Like other books in the Kopp Sisters series, this 4th one is deeply rooted in history and based on the fascinating real-life Kopps. |
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| An Act of Villainy: An Amory Ames Mystery by Ashley WeaverWhat happens: Clever Amory Ames and her flirty husband Milo work (mostly) nicely together to help a wealthy director friend, whose actress mistress receives anonymous threats.
Series alert: This 5th in a charming series set in the 1930s among the upperclasses is full of twists and turns that last until the book's end.
For fans of: mysteries with a theater setting, novels that explore romantic relationships, and modern takes on Golden Age mysteries. |
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| Lord of the Wings: A Meg Langslow Mystery by Donna AndrewsWhat it is: a humorous cozy set in the delightful (but deadly) small town of Caerphilly, Virginia, which becomes "Spooky City" for Halloween.
Starring: Meg Langslow, a busy mother and blacksmith, who lives in her hometown, volunteers for town events, deals with her eccentric extended family's shenanigans, and solves murders.
Series alert: This is the 19th outing for Meg, but fans can also check out her 24th, Lark! The Herald Angels Sing, which publishes this month. |
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| Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. JamesWhat it's about: It's Autumn, six years after the events of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, and Elizabeth and Darcy are happily married with two sons -- but their estate is thrown into chaos after Elizabeth's sister Lydia arrives, announcing that her husband has been murdered.
Read it for: crime fiction master P.D. James' inspired take on Austen's characters and language.
Want a taste? "It is doubtful whether Mrs. Bennet missed the company of her second daughter, but her husband certainly did. Elizabeth had always been his favourite child." |
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| Wicked Autumn: A Max Tudor Novel by G.M. MallietWhat happens: Rev. Max Tudor, the handsome, unmarried Anglican vicar in Nether Monkslip (who's also a former MI5 officer), investigates when overbearing Wanda Batton-Smythe is found dead at the Harvest Fayre.
For fans of: charming yet crime-ridden literary villages, such as Alan Bradley's Bishop's Lacey and Agatha Christie's St. Mary Mead.
Series alert: Wicked Autumn is the leisurely paced 1st in a fun cozy series that now numbers seven. |
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| Glass Houses by Louise PennyWhat happens: Near Halloween, a black-clad figure appears on Three Pine's village green...and a murder occurs. Sûreté du Québec's Armand Gamache investigates in this novel dealing with conscience and secrets.
Series alert: Glass Houses is the 13th in the introspective Three Pines mystery series. New readers should start with the 1st book, Still Life, as each book builds on the others. Current fans will be happy that the 14th entry, Kingdom of the Blind, comes out at the end of November.
Try these next: mysteries by P.D. James, Donna Leon, and Ann Cleeves. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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