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| From the Shadows by James R. BennOctober 1944: Billy Boyle, a former Boston cop turned U.S. Army captain, embarks on a secret mission in Crete before heading to the south of France, amid tensions between Resistance fighters and members of the British Special Operations Executive.
Series alert: Like other entries, this 17th Billy Boyle novel incorporates lesser known aspects of World War II; here, that includes details about the 442nd Regiment, made up of Japanese American soldiers.
Read this next: For more WWII action, try James Kestrel's Five Decembers. For a look at U.S. military police in 1970s South Korea, read Martin Limon's George Sueno and Ernie Bascom mysteries. |
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| Two Parts Sugar, One Part Murder by Valerie BurnsIntroducing: fashionable Navy brat, Stanford grad, and newly jilted bride Maddy Montgomery, who learns she's inherited her great-aunt Octavia's house, bakery, and Baby (a 250-pound English mastiff).
Strings attached: But in order to keep them, she must move from Los Angeles to a small town on the shores of Lake Michigan for one year and take care of them all. Even though she can't bake, she agrees, and with her employees' help, it all goes pretty well...until a murder occurs.
For fans of: culinary mysteries featuring clever young women, such as Mia P. Manansala's Tita Rosie's Kitchen cozies or Abby Collette's Ice Cream Parlor mysteries. |
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| The Rising Tide by Ann CleevesReunited: As part of a 50-year tradition, old friends gather for their twice-a-decade meetup on a holy island off the northern coast of England.
What happens: When one of them is found hanged, prickly Northumberland police detective Vera Stanhope and her team investigate, and wonder what the friends are hiding and whether the drowning of one of their group years ago is linked to the current murder.
Read this next: For other intricately plotted mysteries starring complex female detectives, try Anne Holt's Hanne Wilhelmsen's novels or Elly Griffiths Ruth Galloway mysteries. |
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| Death Doesn't Forget by Ed LinWhat happens: Jing-nan, who runs a popular Taipei night market food stand, has become famous for helping people, so he agrees to recover stolen lottery winnings for his girlfriend's mom. But when the thief is murdered, Jing-nan is blamed, and there's a surprising second murder.
Series alert: This entertaining 4th outing for Jing-nan vividly depicts modern-day Taiwan and thoughtfully addresses issues facing Indigenous people.
For fans of: Asia-set mysteries with strong senses of place, like Colin Cotterill's quirky, darkly funny novels or Qiu Xiaolong's more serious Inspector Chen Cao books. |
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| Murder in Westminster by Vanessa RileyIntroducing: Lady Abigail Worthing, a multiracial 22-year-old in 1806 London whose older husband is always away exploring; and her fastidious Naval hero neighbor, Stapleton Henderson, whose wife has many lovers.
Alibis for all: One evening, while Abbie and Stapleton are arguing in her garden, they find the body of Stapleton's wife. Since each has concerns about the police blaming them, they cover for each other and team up to find the truth...but Abbie's not so sure she can trust Stapleton.
For fans of: Netflix's Bridgerton; Regency-era mysteries such as Katharine Schellman's Lily Adler mysteries. |
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| To Kill a Troubadour by Martin WalkerAn international incident: In the southwest of France, a local band that Police Chief Bruno knows well has a hit song -- but because it supports Catalonia's independence, the Spanish government bans it.
Cover (the) band: Social media roils with hate and fake news, and when it seems like extremist assassins have arrived in St. Denis to kill the lead singer at a live performance, Bruno must keep everyone safe.
Who it's for: Fans and newcomers alike will appreciate this 15th in the Bruno, Chief of Police series with its well-executed plot, appealing characters, and culinary tidbits (some recipes are included). |
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| Murder in Old Bombay by Nev MarchIntroducing: Jim Agnihotri, an Anglo Indian man raised in a Poona orphanage who joined the British Indian army, was injured in a terrible battle, and spent his recovery reading newspapers and Sherlock Holmes.
What happens: In 1892, fresh out of both the hospital and the military, Jim is so intrigued by news reports of two murdered women that he visits the victims' well-to-do Parsee family in Bombay. Hired to investigate, he uses observations and disguises, and seeks out information on a college campus, in a princely state, and in a war zone.
For fans of: award-winning debuts; atmospheric mixes of adventure, mystery, and romance; Abir Mukherjee's Wyndham and Banerjee books. |
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| Blood Grove by Walter MosleyWhat happens: In the summer of 1969, Black Los Angeles PI Easy Rawlins, a WWII veteran, agrees to help a traumatized white Vietnam vet who says that while trying to save a white woman, he thinks he killed a Black man. But the scene of the supposed crime is clean.
Why you might like it: Featuring unforgettable characters, this atmospheric 15th (and most recent) Easy Rawlins mystery takes place against the backdrop of the social and political changes of the 1960s.
Awards buzz: The National Book Foundation presented Walter Mosley with the 2020 Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. |
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| The Right Side by Spencer QuinnStarring: Sgt. LeAnne Hogan, who has one eye, a scarred face, PTSD, and short- and long-term memory issues (no matter how hard she tries, she simply cannot remember what happened in Afghanistan).
On the road: When Marci, her roommate at Walter Reed Hospital, suddenly dies, LeAnne heads for Marci's Washington state hometown. There, LeAnne bonds with a stray dog and, upon learning that Marci's eight-year-old daughter is missing, sets out to find the girl.
Is it for you? Readers who adore Spencer Quinn's humorous Chet and Bernie novels will find this nuanced mystery grittier and more serious but just as well-plotted. |
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| A Game of Fear by Charles ToddA murder but no body: In 1921, Scotland Yard Inspector and WWI vet Ian Rutledge is sent to Essex after Lady Benton claims she saw a violent murder and recognized the killer...but there's no evidence and the supposed culprit died in the war.
Want a taste? "He had fought on, haunted by the memory of what he'd been forced to do, haunted too by the voice in his head that had become his only way of denying that Hamish was dead."
Series alert: Following A Fatal Lie, A Game of Fear is the 24th and most recent installment in the acclaimed, atmospheric Ian Rutledge novels. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Atlantic County Library System | 40 Farragut Avenue, Mays Landing, NJ 08330
Phone: (609) 625-2776 | www.atlanticlibrary.org
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|  | Atlantic County Executive Dennis Levinson
Atlantic County Board of Commissioners, Maureen Kern, Chairwoman |
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