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| A Scandal in Scarlet by Vicki DelanyWhat happens: Gemma, the perceptive manager of a Cape Cod bookstore selling all things Sherlock, and her friend Jayne, who runs Mrs. Hudson's Tea Shop, help with a charity auction -- and when a murder occurs before the first gavel strike, Gemma, Jayne, and Gemma's cop boyfriend all try to deduce the killer.
Series alert: This well-plotted 4th cozy Sherlock Holmes Bookshop mystery has Sherlockian book references that fans will relish.
Did you know? Prolific Canadian author Vicki Delany also writes the charming Lighthouse Library mysteries under the name Eva Gates. |
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The rule of law : a novel
by John T Lescroart
What happens: Attorney Dismas Hardy finds himself in the unlikely position of having to defend his faithful longtime assistant, Phyllis, from being charged as an accessory to murder at the same time her brother is released from prison.
Reviewers say: Lescroart deftly employs an ensemble cast to reflect a variety of viewpoints, including DREAMers, ICE agents, and current political trends. He skillfully ties it all together, but the ending feels a bit forced. Still, the series' legions of fans will enjoy Hardy's return from a brief retirement.
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| Hearts of the Missing by Carol PotenzaIntroducing: Sgt. Nicky Matthews of New Mexico's Tsiba’ashi D’yini Reservation police, who has supernatural visions but isn't Native.
What happens: Someone's killing locals and violating Native American spiritual laws in order to disturb the victims' eternal rest.
Awards buzz: This is a Tony Hillerman Prize-winning debut novel.
For fans of: Tony Hillerman, Anne Hillerman, Aimee and David Thurlo, and evocative mysteries that combine Native American traditions and modern science. |
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| A Shot in the Dark: A Constable Twitten Mystery by Lynne TrussWhat it's about: In 1957, a theater critic ready to reveal new details about a bank robbery he witnessed years ago is killed, causing eager rookie Constable Twitten to investigate in this witty caper.
About the author: Lynne Truss wrote the bestseller Eats, Shoots and Leaves; this is her 1st mystery featuring Constable Twitten though he's also appeared on BBC Radio in Truss's Inspector Steine series.
Read this next: For another look at crime 1950s Brighton, England, pick up Elly Griffiths' delightful Magic Men mysteries. |
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The Paragon Hotel
by Lyndsay Faye
What happens: Fleeing to 1921 Oregon, Alice takes refuge in the city's only black hotel and helps new friends search for a missing child, hide from KKK violence and navigate painful secrets.
Reviewers say: A treat for those who enjoyed Faye's other novels, as well as fans of historical crime/thrillers.
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| Broken Places by Tracy ClarkIntroducing: African American Chicago cop-turned-PI Cass Raines, who was raised by her grandparents and lives in Hyde Park.
What happens: After vandals hit a local church, the priest, who's like a father to Cass, asks for her help -- but it isn't long until his body is found next to a dead gang member, and the cops try to wrap things up as a murder-suicide. Cass isn't having it, and sets out to find the truth in this debut novel.
For fans of: Sara Paretsky, Trudy Nan Boyce, and Rachel Howzell Hall. |
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| Death by Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake by Sarah GravesWhat happens: Opening a chocolate-themed bakery in a coastal Maine village, Jacobia "Jake" Tiptree and her friend Ellie have their launch hindered by a hurricane and the murder of a health inspector.
Series alert: Jake also stars in Sarah Graves' Home Repair is Homicide series, but this is the 1st Death by Chocolate novel (recipes included). The follow-up, Death by Chocolate Malted Milkshake, arrives this month.
For fans of: Katherine Hall Page, Diane Mott Davidson, and Leslie Meier. |
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| Greeks Bearing Gifts: A Bernie Gunther Novel by Philip KerrWhat happens: In 1957 Munich, Bernie Gunther, a former hardboiled cop who unwillingly worked for the Third Reich, takes a job as an insurance adjuster, which has him in Athens checking out a claim and getting involved in a murder investigation that ties back to the war.
Sad news for fans: Philip Kerr died of cancer in March 2018 at age 62.
Series alert: Greeks Bearing Gifts is the intricately plotted 13th Bernie novel; the 14 (and final) book, Metropolis, is a prequel set in 1928 and publishes later this year. |
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| A Dangerous Crossing by Ausma Zehanat KhanHow it begins: Audrey Clare is a Canadian case worker in Greece helping Syrian refugees -- but a French Interpol agent and a Syrian boy are dead in her office tent and she's nowhere to be found.
What happens: Audrey's brother calls in favors to get his friends, police Insp. Esa Khattak and Sgt. Rachel Getty, assigned to the case, and the duo are soon darting around Europe looking for Audrey -- and the truth behind her disappearance.
Series alert: This is the vividly drawn, suspenseful 4th outing for Rachel and Esa, and like the others, it features a timely topic thoughtfully examined. |
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