| Murder by Cheesecake by Rachel Ekstrom-CourageIn this fun series starter, TV's Golden Girls are back, and this time, they're solving crimes! After Rose's niece decides to have her wedding in Miami instead of St. Olaf, Dorothy's date ends up dead at the bridal shower. With Dorothy the prime suspect, the senior sleuths set out to solve the case in this "nostalgic delight" ('Publishers Weekly'). Read-alikes: the Glory Broussard mysteries by Danielle Arceneaux; C.J. Wray's "The Excitements". |
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| The Ladies Road Guide to Utter Ruin by Alison GoodmanIn Regency England, 42-year-old twin sisters and amateur sleuths Augusta and Julia Colebrook have never married, each for her own reasons. Their compelling 2nd adventure combines mystery and romantic elements as the two try to clear an innocent man's name, hide a woman from her controlling brother, and push against the restrictions society places on women. Try this next: Katharine Schellman's Lily Adler mysteries; Vanessa Riley's Lady Worthing mysteries. |
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| Marble Hall Murders by Anthony HorowitzAfter breaking up with her Greek boyfriend, Susan Ryeland is back in London, editing a novel by the late Alan Conway that's been completed by Eliot Crace. But troubled Crace has laced the plot with references to his well-known grandmother's suspicious death, and this leads to murder. Fine for newcomers and featuring a book-within-a-book, this 3rd Magpie Murders novel "dazzles" ('Publishers Weekly'). Read-alikes: Sulari Gentill's "The Woman in the Library"; Janice Hallett's "The Twyford Code". |
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| Murder at Gulls Nest by Jess KiddIn 1954, after letters from former novice Frieda abruptly stop, Sister Agnes leaves the order she's been a part of for decades. Now known as Nora Breen, she goes to Frieda's last address, the Gulls Nest boarding house in Kent, and finds an eccentric group. When murder occurs, Nora works with an intriguing police inspector to solve the cases. Read-alike: Lev AC Rosen's "Lavender House". |
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| This Is Not a Game by Kelly MullenOn Michigan's Mackinac Island, septuagenarian Mimi invites her granddaughter Addie to a socialite's charity auction with an ulterior motive. Mimi is being blackmailed by the host and wants Addie, cocreator of a murder mystery video game, to help find a solution. But then the guests are snowed in and the host is murdered in this atmospheric, well-plotted debut. Read-alikes: Ally Condie's "The Unwedding"; Louise Hegarty's "Fair Play". |
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| Esperance by Adam OyebanjiDetective Ethan Krol needs to figure out how a man and his young son drowned in sea water in a Chicago high rise. Things get trickier when he learns of similar deaths in Nigeria and Rhode Island. Meanwhile, a woman with strange powers appears in Bristol, England, asking about a slave ship from 1791. This "excellent" ('Booklist') novel will please fans of intricately plotted science fiction mysteries, such as Silvia Park's "Luminous". |
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| One Death at a Time by Abbi WaxmanAward-winning actress Julia Mann is drunk when she finds a body in her Los Angeles pool. She did time for her ex's death, so the cops want to pin this on her, too. But her young, bubbly-with-an-edge sobriety sponsor Natasha is determined to clear Julia's name in both cases. This entertaining novel introduces a fun duo who are witty, sarcastic, and full of heart. Try this next: Kemper Donovan's Ghostwriter mysteries. |
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A Murder for Miss Hortense
by Mel Pennant
Retired nurse, avid gardener, and renowned cake maker Miss Hortense has lived in Bigglesweigh, a quiet suburb of Birmingham, England, since she emigrated from Jamaica in 1960. Suddenly, Miss Hortense finds her long-buried past rushing back, bringing memories of the worst moment of her life--and secrets behind an unsolved crime that has haunted her for decades. It is finally time for Miss Hortense to solve a mystery that will see her and the community she loves pushed to their limits. The first novel from a bold, brilliant new voice, A Murder for Miss Hortense introduces a fear-less sleuth whom readers will never forget.
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Death at the White Hart
by Chris Chibnall
When a pub owner is found gruesomely murdered, Detective Nicola Bridge returns to her quaint coastal hometown to uncover dark secrets hidden beneath its picturesque façade, risking the destruction of everything she thought she knew.
For fans of murder mysteries, detectives, and coastal English village settings.
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Murder Takes a Vacation
by Laura Lippman
Former private investigator and middle-aged widow Muriel Blossom's vacation on a Parisian river cruise turns into a deadly international mystery… that only she can solve.
For fans of murder mysteries, middle-aged sleuths, PI assistants, and cruise ship settings!
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