Great Reads From Your Library Staff
October 2023
Death and croissants : a novel
by Ian Moore

Richard is a middle-aged Englishman who runs a B&B in the Val de Follet in the Loire Valley. Nothing ever happens to Richard and that's the way he likes it. One day, however, one of his older guests disappears, leaving behind a bloody handprint on the wallpaper, much to the annoyance of his housekeeper. Another guest, the enigmatic Valerie, persuades a reluctant Richard to join her in investigating the disappearance. Richard remains a dazed passenger in the case until things become really serious and someone murders Ava Gardner, one of his beloved hens. The disappearance of a guest in highly suspicious circumstances is one thing, but you just don't mess with a fellow's hens!
 
 A funny book with quirky characters that takes place in a beautiful setting (the Loire Valley).
**Recommended by Emily H. in Jarrettsville**
 
Available in: Print/ eBook/ eAudio
Hallowe'en party : a Hercule Poirot mystery
by Agatha Christie

Hercule Poirot investigates the death of a girl who shortly before her death had claimed to have seen a murder being committed.
 
 The New Poirot Movie is based on this book. 
**Recommended by Amanda G. in Fallston**
 
Available in: Print
Mickey7
by Edward Ashton

A disposable employee on a human expedition sent to colonize the ice work Niflheim. Mickey7, who can regenerate after dying, must keep his newly arrived clone a secret from the rest of the colony as the survival of all lifeforms comes down to him. 
 
Edward Ashton weaves a large dash of humor into a story about dying... again and again. Mickey7 feels like a mixture between Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and The Martian with a great unique sci-fi premise and relatable characters. 
 **Recommended by Hannah O. in Havre de Grace**
 
Available in: Print/ eBook/ eAudio
A most agreeable murder : a novel
by Julia Seales

A young woman growing up in a well-to-do family in Regency England hides her obsession with true crime from her etiquette-obsessed social circle. She joins forces with a detective when a wealthy bachelor drops dead at a ball.
 
A charming and silly mix of a Jane Austen satire and a locked-door mystery. Super fun read!
**Recommended by Rachel L. in Joppa**
 
This Regency-era cozy mystery is like a blend of Pride and Prejudice and an Agatha Christie whodunnit, with a little bit of Bridgerton thrown in.
**Recommended by Laura T. in Fallston**
 
Available in: Print/ LP/ eBook/ eAudio
 
Mrs. Plansky's revenge
by Spencer Quinn

When she is scammed out of her life savings, Mrs. Loretta Plansky, a recent widow in her 70s, refuses to be just another victim, and following her only clue, embarks on a whirlwind adventure to a small village in Romania to get both her money and dignity back.
 
When Mrs. Plansky is tricked out of her life savings by a telephone scammer, she travels to Romania in an attempt to get her money back.  She has quite an adventure!
**Recommended by Deborah R. in Bel Air**
 
Available in: Print/ LP/ eBook/ eAudio
She started it : a novel
by Sian Gilbert

When Poppy, an old childhood friend, invites them to her extravagant bachelorette party on a luxe private island in the Bahamas, Annabel, Esther, Tanya and Chloe quickly discover they've underestimated Poppy and each other. As their darkest secrets are revealed, they are all plunged into a terrifying tropical nightmare.
 
Bullied revenge 10 years after.
**Recommended by Suzy V. in Whiteford**
 
Available in: Print/ CD/ eBook/ eAudio
Swipe up for more! : inside the unfiltered lives of influencers
by Stephanie McNeal

Given unprecedented access to three major influencers—Calvin Covington of Southern Curls and Pearls, runner Mima Valerio and OG “mommy blogger” Shannon Bird—a millennial journalist shows how they build their empires, struggle with the haters, fight for creative control, parent in public and try to look good while doing it.
 
I found this book fascinating living in the world we do currently with influencers showing up left and right on our social feeds.
**Recommended by Kate W. in Aberdeen**
 
Available in: Print
The wife app
by Carolyn Mackler

Railing against everything wives do for free, three best friends build an app that monetizes the mental load, and before long, it's the fastest growing start-up in NYC, but the consequences are bigger than they could have expected as life, love and ex-husbands intervene.
 
Ever felt like your job as a mom and wife are under appreciated? What if you could put a monetary value on every task you are responsible for...dentist appointments, planning vacations, etc. A humorous and modern tale of finding happiness by finding yourself. 
**Recommended by Jennifer P. in Riverside**
 
Available in: Print/ CD/ eBook/ eAudio
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