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| A Bitter Wind by James R. BennA Boston cop prior to World War II, United States Army Captain Billy Boyle is on leave just before Christmas 1944. Walking with his English girlfriend along the White Cliffs of Dover, he discovers a murdered U.S. Air Force major in a case that leads him to Axis-controlled Yugoslavia. Though this is the 20th outing for Billy, readers can start here. For fans of: well-researched war mysteries with memorable characters, especially ones based on historical figures. |
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| Death at the Door by Olivia BlackeRuby, a young woman new to Boston, and Cordelia, a ghost who haunts Ruby's apartment, narrate this fun supernatural cozy. The unusual duo's friendship grows as they investigate after a deli delivery guy is found dead at Ruby's new job in this charming sequel to A New Lease on Death. Try this next: Dead and Breakfast by Kat Hillis and Rosiee Thor. |
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| Two Truths and a Murder by Colleen CambridgeAgatha Christie's housekeeper, Phyllida Bright, has developed a reputation as an amateur detective, so much so that Agatha's neighbor invites Phyllida to dinner. When a fellow guest claims she once witnessed a murder, this leads to another killing and a new case for Phyllida in her 5th outing. For other mysteries where Agatha Christie plays a role, try Amanda Chapman's Mrs. Christie at the Mystery Guild Library or Rosanne Limoncelli's The Four Queens of Crime. |
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| The Hidden City by Charles FinchIn 1879 London, aristocratic sleuth Charles Lenox aids his former housekeeper, who's unsettled by a stranger hanging about her new home where a murder once occurred. Also, Lenox's wife's suffrage work draws threats, and he helps a cousin and her Indian friend settle in England. Though this is the 15th book starring Lenox (and the first since 2021), newcomers will enjoy this smart, atmospheric tale. For fans of: Louise Penny; historical mysteries with clever plotting and erudite sleuths. |
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| Death and Dinuguan by Mia P. ManansalaAs Valentine’s Day approaches, thieves are targeting women-owned businesses in Shady Pines, Illinois, leaving café owner Lila Macapagal worried for friends and family. Then things get worse when a friend is attacked and a murder occurs. This is the charming 6th and final entry in the award-winning Tita Rosie’s Kitchen series (recipes included). Read-alikes: Jennifer J. Chow’s cozy mysteries; Abby Collette’s Ice Cream Parlor Mysteries. |
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| A Killer Wedding by Joan O'LearyGloria Beaufort, the billionaire matriarch of American beauty company Glo, handpicks magazine journalist Christine to cover the wedding of her beloved grandson at an Irish castle. When Gloria is murdered and the Beauforts refuse to call the police until after the wedding, Christine digs into the toxic family's secrets in this slow-burn, funny first novel. Read-alike: The Plus One by S.C. Lalli; The Author's Guide to Murder by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig, and Karen White. |
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| We Had a Hunch by Tom RyanTwenty-five years ago, twin sisters Sam and Alice teamed up with their techy friend Joey to catch a Massachusetts serial killer, which resulted in the murder of the twins' father and the arrest of their high school janitor. But now someone is using the same modus operandi, leading the three now-middle-aged sleuths to put aside their earlier trauma and investigate in a novel that's "criminally good fun" (Publishers Weekly). |
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| A Case of Life and Limb by Sally SmithThe 1901 Christmas peace of the Inner Temple, the picture-postcard home of London’s elite lawyers, is disturbed when Sir William Waring receives a beautifully wrapped package containing a severed human hand. Brilliant Gabriel Ward, a fellow Temple resident, investigates while also working on a sensationalistic defamation case in this entertaining follow-up to A Case of Mice and Murder. Try this next: Claudia Gray’s The Murder of Mr. Wickham. |
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| The Dentist by Tim SullivanDS George Cross, who’s autistic and detail-oriented, investigates an unhoused man’s murder in South West England. Noticing clues that others miss and with help from his partner DS Josie Ottey, George unearths links to an old killing in this acclaimed series starter and bestselling police procedural from the United Kingdom. For other books with neurodivergent detectives, try Brandy Schillace’s Netherleigh mysteries or Daniel Aubrey’s Orkney mysteries. |
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How the Finch Stole Christmas!
by Donna Andrews
Where's that partridge in its pear tree? It's Christmas time in Caerphilly, VA, and nothing is going by the book. Meg Langslow is trying to be supportive of her husband, who's escalated his one-man show of Dickens' A Christmas Carol into a full-scale production that includes their sons as Tiny Tim and the young Scrooge. But when the real Scrooge comes to town--a famous actor who is known for his personal dramas off-stage--Meg finds that her role as stage manager is a lot more than she bargained for. When Scrooge's inner demons and actual enemies catch up with him, it's up to Meg to solve a holiday murder mystery before the curtain comes down. . .and the killer takes flight. Andrews manages her large cast with dexterity and drops clues to the culprits' identity, but the ending will catch most readers by surprise. --Publishers Weekly
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An Eggnog to Die for
by Amy Pershing
Christmas is coming to Cape Cod, but when Sam Barnes finds a very dead Santa in a very hip restaurant, it's up to her to sift out suspects who have been naughty vs. nice.... Professional foodie Samantha Barnes has a simple Christmas list-a quiet holiday at home with her dog and a certain handsome harbor master; no embarrassing viral videos; and no finding dead bodies. Unfortunately she's got family visiting, she's spending a lot of time in front of the camera,and she's just stumbled over the lifeless body of the town's Santa Claus. Plus, Sam's plans for Christmas Eve are getting complicated.There's the great eggnog debate among her very opinionated guests.There's the all edible Christmas tree to decorate. And there's her Feast of the Five Fishes prepare. Nonetheless, Sam finds herself once again in the role of sleuth. She needs to find out who slayed this Santa-but can she pull off a perfect feast and nab a killer?
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The Christmas Appeal
by Janice Hallett
This immersive holiday caper from the modern Agatha Christie (The Sunday Times, London) follows the hilarious Fairway Players theater group as they put on a Christmas play--and solve a murder that threatens their production. The Christmas season has arrived in Lower Lockwood, and the Fairway Players are busy rehearsing their festive holiday production of Jack and the Beanstalk to raise money for a new church roof. But despite the season, goodwill is distinctly lacking among the amateur theater enthusiasts with petty rivalries, a possibly asbestos-filled beanstalk, and some perennially absent players behind the scenes. Of course, there's also the matter of the dead body onstage. Who could possibly have had the victim on their naughty list? Join lawyers Femi and Charlotte as they investigate Christmas letters, examine emails, and pore over police transcripts to identify both the victim and killer before the curtain closes on their holiday production--for good.
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Mistletoe Murder
by Karen Macinerney
It's beginning to look a lot like... Murder. It's Christmastime, and farmer Lucy Resnick is living the life she's always dreamed of. When she's not selling her jams, soaps, and mistletoe bundles at the Buttercup Christmas Market, she's enjoying cozy evenings by the fire with her knitting group--or her handsome veterinarian boyfriend Tobias Brandt. But less than a week before Christmas, a pall falls over the festive atmosphere when local man Randy Stone turns up with a knife in his back... and a sprig of mistletoe in his hair. Local sheriff Rooster Kocurek, never the brightest bulb on the string, is convinced it's an open-and-shut case--murder by jealous wife--but Lucy suspects otherwise. She soon discovers that Randy's life was more tangled than last year's Christmas lights... and that unless she wraps up the case fast, there might be more than one funeral this holiday season.
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Contact your librarian for more great books! |
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Avon Lake Public Library
32649 Electric Blvd.
Avon Lake, Ohio 44012
440-933-8128alpl.org |
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