Wilton Library: Mystery: January 2026

Recent Releases

The Queen Who Came in from the Cold
by S.J. Bennett

In 1961 England, Queen Elizabeth II and her private secretary Joan discreetly investigate after a lady-in-waiting claims she saw men disposing of a body on the royal train. Before it's all sorted, the queen travels on the royal yacht around the Mediterranean and helps a Soviet defector. This fun 5th outing for the queen and Joan works for newcomers.

Try this next: Nita Prose's The Maid.

Everyone in the Group Chat Dies
by L.M. Chilton

A year after the death of Esme, a true-crime influencer obsessed with a 1990s serial killer, a text arrives from her: "Everyone in the group chat dies." The group, made up of former 20-something roommates in small-town England, including aspiring journalist Kirby Cornell, and when members start dying, she tries to figure out what's going on.

Try this next: Kristen Perrin's How to Solve Your Own Murder.

The List of Suspicious Things
by Jennie Godfrey

In 1979, 12-year-old Miv lives with her lonely father, her opinionated Aunty Jean, and her mother, who had a breakdown and no longer speaks. With the (real-life) Yorkshire Ripper terrorizing the area, curious Miv investigates with her loyal best friend. Though steeped in crime, this isn't as much a traditional mystery as an atmospheric coming-of-age tale. Great for book clubs, it explores friendship, community, prejudice, and loss.

Try this next: The Trouble with Goats and Sheep by Joanna Cannon.

Silent Bones
by Val McDermid

In 2025 Scotland, a motorway landslide unearths the body of investigative journalist Sam Nimmo, who'd gone missing 11 years ago after his girlfriend was murdered. In her compelling 8th outing, DCI Karen Pirie of Police Scotland's Historic Cases Unit digs into the case that has ties to Scottish independence, gambling, and Edinburgh's the Scotsman Steps.

Try these next: Stuart MacBride's mysteries; Jane Casey's novels.

The Botanist's Assistant
by Peggy Townsend

Routine-loving 50-something Margaret Finch is dedicated to her job helping a talented botanist at a small university. But when he dies and it's said to be natural causes, Margaret disagrees, noticing small things that make her sure it was murder. With the help of a former journalist turned custodian, Margaret investigates, turning her precise world upside down.

Try these next: Zoe B. Wallbrook's History Lessons; Jesse Q. Sutanto's Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers.

Books You May Have Missed

Fever Beach
by Carl Hiaasen

Dale Figgo has been kicked out of the Proud Boys for stupidity (he mistakenly vandalized a Confederate statue), but propped up by a congressman and a couple of billionaires, he aims to make the new far-right Strokers for Liberty a success. Mix in money laundering, child labor, a disgruntled wealth director, a rich social justice warrior, fake dating, and more, and you've got "Hiaasen at his finest" (Publishers Weekly).

How to Seal Your Own Fate
by Kristen Perrin

Annie Adams moves into the English country house she inherited from her great aunt Frances, which also contains Frances' diaries notating village secrets. Fortune teller Peony Lane mysteriously visits Annie, then is found murdered inside the locked home, leading Annie to investigate. This sequel to How to Solve Your Own Murder once again uses dual timelines with parts set in the 1960s.

Ask a librarian for more suggestions!