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| A Very Vexing Murder by Lucy AndrewHarriet Smith isn't the gullible girl she appears to be in Jane Austen's Emma, but a clever young con woman. Known in the village of Highbury as someone who can help with delicate matters, she's hired by Mrs. Churchill to break up her nephew's engagement and get back the jewelry she thinks his betrothed stole. But there's also a killer about, and Harriet is afraid it's someone from her past. Try these next: Vanessa Kelly's Emma Knightley mysteries; Kelly Gardiner and Sharmini Kumar's Miss Caroline Bingley, Private Investigator. |
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A Murder in Hollywood by Michael CrichtonIn the glitz and decadence of 1970s Hollywood, the writer of the next Western blockbuster, Bloodrock, has just been found dead in his motel bathtub. Now publicist Harvey Jason is desperately trying to keep the project on track while the famed Harlow Perkins, a brilliant and ruthless investigator, begins to unravel the mystery and hunt the killer down. From scorching-hot desert locations to sleazy motel bars, the members of the cast and crew--each one with a very dark secret of their own--will send this case deeper and deeper into a maze of confusion and shadows until the shocking truth is revealed. This posthumous Michael Crichton novel, which he originally wrote in 1973 but never published, will keep you guessing until the very end.
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| The Tuxedo Society by Paul RudnickStruggling New York City actor Andrew Birnbaum goes with his best friend to an exclusive Tuxedo Society dinner, where Andrew learns that due to his improv and acting skills, he's being recruited to join an espionage group made up of LGBTQIA+ people. Jetting around the world, Andrew and the group look for missing jewels and protect the United States' popular first lady in this fun, action-packed 1st adventure. For fans of: lighthearted spy stories; Steven Rowley's The Guncle. |
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| The Lost Book of Elizabeth Barton by Jennifer N. BrownHistory professor Alison Sage finds a manuscript containing the lost prophecies of Elizabeth Barton, a 16th-century nun who went against Henry VIII and was killed. Invited to a conference in Canterbury where Barton lived, Alison hears rumors of treasure, and then a shocking murder occurs. Covering both Alison's and Elizabeth's times, this is a well-researched, suspenseful debut. Try this next: A.D. Bell's The Bookbinder's Secret. |
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Murder at the Midsummer Feastby J. P. WhiteWhen Cressida Vale returns to the small town of Blackvale, she's hoping for quiet--a few months helping at her great-aunt Sylvia's inn. Instead, she gets a dead celebrity chef and her beloved aunt accused of murder. With all evidence pointing to Sylvia and the sheriff closing in, Cressida knows she has to act fast. Enter Miles Stone, her childhood friend and fellow reluctant hometown returnee. Together, they navigate rival bakers, town gossip, blackmail, and decades-old grudges to uncover the truth. But in Blackvale, the sunny façade hides shadows deeper than either of them imagined. And the real killer is closer than they think. Perfect for fans of amateur sleuths, culinary mysteries, and small-town intrigue.
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| Deadly Force by Cynthia Harrod-EaglesWhen a Notting Hill police constable is brutally murdered, every London cop wants to find the killer. The body was found in Shepherd's Bush, so DCI Bill Slider is in charge, leading him and his unconventional team to dig into the dead man's life and failed marriage. Then another murder occurs and pressure mounts on all sides. This is Slider's 26th outing, but new readers can start here. For fans of: witty, banter-filled British police procedurals; acclaimed, long-running series with appealing characters. |
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| It Happened One Murder by Liz LawsonHaving lost her New York City reporting job, Harriet Baker is living at her mom's New Jersey beachfront estate, where the over-the-top 26th birthday party her eccentric mom throws her ends in murder. Wanting her old job back, Harriet teams up to investigate the case with Nic, a fling from high school whose sister has been arrested for the crime. For fans of: fun romantic mysteries; Sarah Fox's Definitely Maybe Not a Detective. |
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| How to Cheat Your Own Death by Kristen PerrinAfter her artist mother finds a new apprentice dead on her doorstep with her heart removed, amateur sleuth Annie Adams heads to London to help. She learns the case has ties to her village of Castle Knoll and also connects to a prediction by a fortune teller. Switching to 1968, Annie's great aunt Frances enjoys life in swinging Soho until a friend is killed and her heart removed. This dual-timeline mystery is the 3rd Castle Knoll novel but can work for newcomers. Try this next: Jess Armstrong's The Curse of Penryth Hall. |
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A Zoom with a View: A Mystery by Jess CannonLeo can't believe she's back in Blue Oak. When someone she loves is accused of murder, Leo finds herself flung headfirst into a dangerous investigation, teaming up with a local detective who is a lot more attractive than she remembered when they were both teenagers. Meanwhile, her mother Karina has been acting stranger and stranger, as if all her hair hides a big secret. A bold and hilarious introduction to a new sleuth who is looking to get her life back on track, but finds a man with his skull bashed in instead. For another cozy mystery set in Texas try: The Best little Motel in Texas Lyla Lane.
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Forsyth County Public Library
660 W. Fifth St., Winston-Salem, NC 27101
336-703-2665forsythlibrary.org |
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