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| A Trade of Blood by Robert Jackson BennettIn an agricultural part of the Empire, a young woman is murdered and her secret boyfriend is found covered in blood. It looks like star-crossed love turned murderous, but brilliant, eccentric detective Ana Dolabra and her assistant Dinios "Din" Kol discover things aren't so clear-cut. Meanwhile, the couple's families, powerful rivals who control this part of the Empire, want answers. Like earlier entries, this 3rd Ana and Din mystery mixes fantasy and a dash of Sherlockian homage to create a compelling, evocative tale. Try this next: P. Djèlí Clark's A Master of Djinn. |
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| The Woman Who Wouldn't Die Quietly by Katarina BivaldNovelist Berit Gardner visits her home country of Sweden with her friend DCI Ian Ahmed, who's recovering from an injury. Invited by wealthy Margrethe Cullenberg-Franzén to her 80th birthday dinner on her nearby island, they meet her unhappy family members. When Margrethe dies from a fall, it’s ruled an accident, but it looks like murder to Ian and Berit. This 3rd outing for Berit includes a twisty plot, complex characters, and a well-drawn wintery setting. For fans of: Richard Osman's We Solve Murders. |
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| The Ghost and the Dead Librarian by Cleo CoyleOwner of a small-town Rhode Island bookstore, Penelope Thornton-McClure hosts a historian who's promoting her new book that includes local secrets. When the author is murdered, Penelope teams up with the ghost of 1940s PI Jack Shepard, who was killed in the shop, to solve the case. This spin-off of the author's Haunted Bookshop series marks the 1st book in the Haunted Bookshop Detective series. For fans of: Amanda Chapman's Mrs. Christie mystery series, which also has supernatural elements. |
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| Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel by Lucy Foley and Agatha ChristieAgatha Christie’s Miss Marple returns in this latest from bestselling author Lucy Foley. In 1950, Miss Marple travels to a luxury Swiss Alps resort with her friend Dolly Bantry, finding an interesting assortment of guests. But it isn’t long before a murderer strikes and a blizzard snows them all in. For fans of: twisty Golden Age mysteries; Sophie Hannah’s Hercule Poirot mysteries. |
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| All We Hide by Robyn GiglLauren Kelly, a trans police detective and mom to a teenage daughter, is the only person in the District Attorney's cold case unit. While dealing with prejudice from colleagues she was once close with, she re-investigates the murder of a trans sex worker after the person who was convicted was freed due to police misconduct. Lauren, who knew the victim in high school, finds links to powerful people and to her own father, now a retired cop with dementia. Try this next: Vanessa Lillie's Syd Walker novels. |
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| Don't Cross Mo Ellery by Birdie HorneAfter losing both her marketing job and her live-in boyfriend on her 29th birthday, desperate Mo Ellery takes a job as a crossing guard at a Chicago city school. When an obnoxious driver dies in a sinkhole, Moe takes in the man's three standard poodles and ends up investigating his murder with help from one of her 12-year-old charges and an elderly neighbor in this fun, fast-paced debut. For fans of: Katie Siegel's Not a Detective series; Elle Cosimano's Finlay Donovan novels; Gloria Chao's Hu Done It mysteries. |
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| Murder on Charity Lane by Jo NicholsIn coastal California, elderly eccentric Mrs. B rents out several cottages circling a small green space. When one becomes vacant, she invites murder suspect CJ Moore to move in. Mrs. B is sure that CJ didn't kill her employer, a wealthy philanthropist, but the dead man's much-younger widow claims she saw CJ push him down the stairs. Gathering the Marigold Cottages Murder Collective for their 2nd case, Mrs. B aims to prove CJ's innocence, but another murder raises questions. Try this next: Marnie Riches' The Gardeners' Club. |
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| The Blue Flame by George PelecanosThough he’s in his 70s, Derek Strange still goes to his Strange Investigations office. One day, a defense attorney shows up and hires him to verify the alibi of a client charged with murder. Derek digs in, and the case leads to another killing. Set in an authentically depicted Washington, D.C., this thoughtful, gritty novel is the 6th outing for Strange. For fans of: Walter Mosley; David Swinson; TV’s The Wire, for which George Pelecanos wrote. |
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| Murder in St. James's Park by Vanessa RileyIn 1807 London, Lady Abigail Worthing isn't pleased that her husband from a marriage-of-convenience has returned after months away. So after she finds him dead in the park, everyone thinks she did it. Teaming up with her handsome neighbor to investigate, she uncovers stunning revelations that leave her questioning everything. Newcomers can start with this 4th book, but those who want all the backstory should pick up the 1st entry, Murder in Westminster. |
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| My Sister Is Going to Kill Me by Nina SimonThough life is busy, strait-laced Liv and free-spirited Mandy always take a sister trip. This year, Mandy handled the planning and signed them up to go rafting through the Grand Canyon with a beauty company group she's connected to. When threats and murder interrupt the women’s sojourn, the sisters try to uncover the killer in their midst. For fans of: the author’s Mother-Daughter Murder Night; funny, fast-paced mysteries. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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| Huntington Beach Public Library
Central Library
7111 Talbert Avenue
Huntington Beach, California 92648
714.842.4481
www.hbpl.org |
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