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The Cipher by Isabella MaldonadoWhat happens: Escaping a still-at-large serial killer as a teen, Special Agent Nina Guerrera teams up with the Bureau’s preeminent criminal profiler, Dr. Jeffrey Wade, when the killer, a depraved social media superstar, begins taunting her with coded riddles. Critics say: Publishers Weekly calls it "riveting" and says "frequent plot twists will keep readers guessing to the end".
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| Germania: A Novel of Nazi Berlin by Harald GilbersWhat happens: In 1944 Berlin, Jewish former police detective Richard Oppenheimer, who's alive because his wife is Aryan, is forced to investigate a serial killer murdering women connected to powerful Nazis.
Series alert: This 1st Richard Oppenheimer novel is an international bestseller and the only entry so far to be translated into English.
Read it for: the well-researched historical details; the atmospheric portrayal of Berlin at the end of the war. |
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A Glimmer of Death by Valerie Wilson WesleyWhat happens: Odessa Jones, a woman with an extraordinary psychic gift, investigates the murder of a volatile man who had a lot of enemies in order to prove her co-worker’s innocence. Critics say: "The sheer goodness that Odessa displays in her dealings with others, including her witchy aunts, makes this cozy a standout." (Publishers Weekly)
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| Absence of Mercy by S.M. GoodwinWhat it is: a gritty historical mystery with an "ingeniously clued and perfectly executed plot" (Booklist) and the 1st in a new series.
Starring: Detective Inspector Lightner, who's an injured Crimean War veteran, a stutterer, and the second son of an English duke.
What happens: In 1857, Lightner leaves London's Met police in order to train New York City investigators. But things don't go as planned, and he ends up investigating three curious murders -- including that of the detective who hired him -- with disgraced cop Hieronymus Law. |
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| House of the Patriarch by Barbara HamblyStarring: Benjamin January, a free man of color in 1840 New Orleans, who was educated in France and now teaches piano and solves problems.
What happens: At the request of a close friend, January agrees to help a visiting English couple find their teenage daughter, who went missing from a crowded steamboat on New York's Long Island Sound. Posing as a slave, he deals with racism and encounters religious zealots (and P.T. Barnum) while looking for the lost girl.
Series alert: This is the riveting, vividly detailed 18th outing for the appealing January. The first is A Free Man of Color. |
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| Watch Her by Edwin HillWhat happens: Harvard research librarian Hester Thursby and her friend, Boston sergeant detective Angela White, attend a for-profit art school's open house and are soon investigating a suspicious burglary, financial transgressions, a decades-old tragedy, and murder.
Series alert: This is the 3rd outing for Hester; she made her 1st appearance in Little Comfort.
Reviewers say: "Complex characterization and a masterly mystery make this a superior read" (Kirkus Reviews). |
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If You Like: Deanna Raybourn
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| And Only to Deceive by Tasha AlexanderWhat it's about: Tired of her overbearing mother, Emily marries a viscount and is widowed before she even gets to know him. Meeting his associates, including his handsome best friend, she learns he may have been involved in illegal activities -- and could even still be alive.
Series alert: This lively book introduces Lady Emily Ashton, whose 15th outing, The Dark Heart of Florence, comes out in March.
Why Deanna Raybourn fans might like it: Both Lady Emily and Lady Julia Grey star in lighthearted romantic Victorian mysteries featuring widows who first investigate by delving into their husbands' deaths. |
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| The Woman in the Water by Charles FinchStarring: Charles Lenox, a 23-year-old aristocrat in 1850 London, who's beginning to formally pursue his interest in detection -- an interest that is considered unseemly for someone of his station -- with his loyal valet Graham always ready to assist.
Series alert: Since this is a prequel, new readers can easily start with this 11th Charles Lenox mystery. The latest Lenox book, An Extravagant Death, comes out this month.
Why Deanna Raybourn fans might like it: Though the main character is male, he's a witty, charming sleuth in an atmospheric Victorian London, and the books have character-driven plots and a bit of romance. |
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| The Deeds of the Disturber by Elizabeth PetersStarring: Amelia Peabody Emerson, a feminist archaeologist married to an eccentric Egyptologist and the mother of a precocious son.
What it's about: In 1896 England, Amelia takes care of her brother's two insufferable children for the summer and gets caught up in a mystery at the British Museum that involves a curse, a cure, and murder.
Why Deanna Raybourn fans might like it: First published in 1988, this fun 5th entry in a beloved series offers adventure-filled plots, fully realized characters, sparkling writing, and vivid settings. |
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| A Conspiracy in Belgravia by Sherry ThomasWhat it's about: After her social ruination, extraordinarily clever Charlotte Holmes created the alter ego male detective Sherlock. Now, amid other cases, she helps a woman find a missing former love...who turns out to be Charlotte's own illegitimate half-brother.
Series alert: Though this is the 2nd Lady Sherlock book, it's fine for newcomers. If you like first things first, pick up A Study in Scarlet Women. Want the latest? Murder on Cold Street came out in October.
Why Deanna Raybourn fans might like it: Charlotte is an intelligent and convention-defying character in a vividly depicted England. |
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For personalized reading recommendations from Durham County librarians, try My Next 5! Simply complete an online form to tell us a little about what genres, books, and authors you like (or dislike). A DCL librarian will review your submission and reply with a list of the next five books you should read -- all ages of readers welcome!
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Want to keep up-to-date on new books at the library? on everything from Horror to Home & Garden!
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NoveList Plus is a comprehensive database of fiction and nonfiction titles for all ages, including recommendations, articles, and lists for your fiction and nonfiction needs. DCL cardholders can access NoveList Plus from any computer.
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Check out the library's top ten checkouts! Lists include top tens for adult fiction and nonfiction, movies, young adults fiction, picture books and kids' fiction.
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