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| The Glass Room: A Vera Stanhope Mystery by Ann CleevesWhat happens: When DI Vera Stanhope's neighbor Joanna goes missing, Vera finds her at a country house writers' retreat -- but a man's been murdered and Joanna's discovered standing over the body, holding a knife.
Is it for you? Yes, if you'd like a modern take on the traditional English mystery and appreciate fully realized (and realistically flawed) characters.
Media buzz: This is the 5th entry in the consistently satisfying, atmospheric series that's the basis for the popular British crime show Vera. |
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How It Happened
by Michael Koryta
What happens: Kimberly Crepeaux is no good--a notorious jailhouse snitch, teen mother, and heroin addict--so when she confesses to having a role in two murders, the locals don't believe her. But FBI investigator Rob Barrett thinks she's telling the truth. One question remains: Where are the bodies?
Why you might like it: Koryta, when he's at the top of his game, has few peers in combining murder mysteries with psychological puzzles.
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| Antique Blues: A Josie Prescott Antiques Mystery by Jane K. ClelandWhat it's about: Antiques expert and bride-to-be Josie Prescott agrees to appraise two pieces for her friend Mo: her dad's vintage guitar and a Japanese woodblock print Mo bought from her sister's unpleasant boyfriend. When it seems like at least one of these is a fake and a murderer strikes, amateur sleuth Josie investigates.
Series alert: This is the 12th in an engaging cozy series that features sympathetic characters, intriguing details about antiques, and a charming coastal New Hampshire setting. |
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Probable Claws
by Rita Mae Brown
What happens: Mary Minor "Harry" Haristeen and her opinionated animal friends are drawn into a murder investigation after she witnesses architect Gary Gardiner being shot to death by a black-clad figure on a speeding motorcycle.
Series Alert: Rita Mae Brown and her feline co-author Sneaky Pie Brown return to Albemarle County, Virgina, as tangled mysteries past and present converge in the bestselling Mrs. Murphy series.
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| Crimson Lake by Candice FoxFeaturing: former Sydney cop Ted Conkaffey, who's innocent but was charged with the brutal rape of a teen and freed due to lack of evidence.
What happens: Ted's notoriety, the threat of rearrest at any time, and continual harassment send him north, to the crocodile-infested wetlands of Crimson Lake. There, he rents a shack and helps convicted killer turned PI Amanda Pharrell (who may also be innocent) with a case.
Is it for you? Definitely, if you like Australian crime fiction or gritty, atmospheric mysteries peopled with intriguing characters. |
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The Dante Chamber
by Matthew Pearl
What happens: Five years after a series of Dante-inspired killings disrupted Boston, a man is found murdered in the public gardens of London with an enormous stone around his neck etched with a verse from the Divine Comedy. When more mysterious murders erupt across the city, all in the style of the punishments Dante memorialized in Purgatory, poet Christina Rossetti fears her brother, the Dante-obsessed artist and writer Gabriel Rossetti, will be the next victim.
About the author: Matthew Pearl received a degree in English and American Literature from Harvard University in 1997 and a law degree from Yale Law School in 2000. He writes novels including The Dante Club, The Poe Shadow, and The Last Dickens.
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| The Heavens May Fall by Allen EskensStarring: Minnesota private detective Max Rupert and attorney Boady Sanden, friends who find themselves on opposite sides of a case.
What happens: Max and Boady both confront personal demons and their own convictions about guilt and innocence during the trial of a man who has been charged with the murder of his wife.
Why you might like it: This 3rd book featuring Max has legal drama, compelling characters, and an ending you won't see coming. |
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| Bryant & May and the Bleeding Heart: A Peculiar Crimes Unit Mystery by Christopher FowlerWhat it's about: Something odd is going on in London...again. The Peculiar Crimes Unit's octogenarian police detectives Arthur Bryant and John May investigate the disappearance of seven Tower of London ravens and the death of a teen who'd claimed he'd seen a reanimated corpse. And then there are the budget cuts they have to deal with.
Series alert: This cleverly plotted, darkly humorous 11th in the Peculiar Crimes series will please fans and newcomers alike. |
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