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| One Extra Corpse by Barbara HamblyHollywood, 1924: Young British widow Emma Blackstone assists her American film star sister-in-law Kitty Flint while also writing screenplays for Foremost Productions and playing amateur sleuth.
What happens: A movie director who's one of Kitty's many exes calls about a matter of life and death. But before he can tell her what the trouble is, he's fatally shot in a case that involves communists, federal agents, and Hollywood's ugly side.
Series alert: Following Scandal in Babylon, this is the fun 2nd Silver Screen historical mystery and it "more than delivers on the promise of its predecessor" (Publishers Weekly). |
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| Who Cries for the Lost by C.S. HarrisLondon, England, 1815: When his dear friend, Irish forensic surgeon Paul Gibson, needs help clearing his name, Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin investigates the mutilation and murder of an aristocrat with a surprising connection to the woman Gibson loves.
Why you might like it: Set in June 1815 in the days around Waterloo, this well-researched novel offers fascinating history, well-wrought characters, and a deft whodunit plot.
Series alert: While this "highly engaging" (Kirkus Reviews) novel is the 18th in a popular series, newcomers can still start here. |
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| Time's Undoing by Cheryl A. HeadWhat happens: Against the backdrop of the Black Lives Matter movement, Meghan McKenzie, a young Black journalist with the Detroit Free Press, digs into the unsolved murder of her great-grandfather in 1929 Birmingham, Alabama.
Read it for: the moving dual timeline narratives; the richly detailed combination of mystery, family history, and timely social justice issues.
Try this next: Wanda M. Morris' Anywhere You Run, Tracy Clark's Chicago mysteries, or Tamron Hall's As the Wicked Watch. |
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| Murder Your Employer by Rupert HolmesWelcome to... The McMasters Conservatory, dedicated to educating desperate people planning to kill those who richly deserve it.
Why you might like it: Set in the 1950s, the novel is written in the form of a guide by the dean of the school and includes journal entries from three students wanting to murder their evil bosses and get away with it.
Read this next: For other quirky, darkly humorous crime books, try Elle Cosimano's Finlay Donovan novels, William Boyle's A Friend Is a Gift You Give Yourself, or Tim Dorsey's Serge Storms series. |
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| Murder Under a Red Moon by Harini NagendraWhat it's about: After her new mother-in-law asks for help, 19-year-old Kaveri Murthy, who has a talent for mathematics, examines a company's accounts...and upsets a killer in 1921 Bangalore.
Why you might like it: This fast-paced follow-up to The Bangalore Detectives Club has recipes and charming secondary characters who assist with Kaveri's investigations.
For fans of: Sujata Massey's Perveen Mistry mysteries, which also feature a determined woman sleuth in 1920s India. |
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| Murder at an Irish Bakery by Carlene O'ConnorReality bites: Murder comes to Kilbane, Ireland, when a reality baking show mixes up a complex confection of rivalries, secret weapons, poisoning, and murder.
What happens: Garda Siobhan O'Sullivan sifts through the facts to solve the case with help from her new husband, DS Macdara Flannery.
Series alert: This tasty 9th Irish Village mystery serves up "distinctive, captivating characters [and] a gripping plot full of surprises" (Publishers Weekly). |
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| A Sinister Revenge by Deanna RaybournStarring: Veronica Speedwell, a lepidopterist and independent-minded Victorian lady, and natural historian Revelstoke "Stoker" Templeton-Vane, who are linked both professionally and romantically.
What happens: Though Veronica and Stoker are presently on less than cordial terms, they reunite to help Stoker's brother, Lord Templeton-Vane, who's receiving threatening letters.
Series alert: This 8th Veronica Speedwell mystery has witty prose, intricate plotting, romantic elements, and lush descriptions. |
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| Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. SutantoWhat happens: Vera Wong lives alone above her San Francisco tea shop, which has seen better days. But after Vera finds a dead body one morning, the victim's friends and family visit the scene, and Vera not only enjoys the company, she decides to solve the murder!
Media buzz: Oprah Winfrey's Harpo Films and Mindy Kaling's production company are teaming up to bring this charming cozy to the small screen.
Read this next: Mia P. Manansala's Tita Rosie's Kitchen mysteries, Laurien Berenson's Peg and Rose Solve a Murder, or Jennifer J. Chow's Death by Bubble Tea, the 1st in her new L.A. Night Market mysteries. |
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| A Tempest at Sea by Sherry ThomasThe premise: Sherlock Holmes doesn't exist; he's an alter ego made up by socially ruined Charlotte Holmes, who uses her extraordinary powers of deduction to succeed as an inquiry agent in Victorian London.
What happens: In disguise after faking her death to escape Moriarty, Charlotte takes a risky job that might give her her old life back -- but first she must complete an assignment for the crown, solve a murder, and survive time onboard a ship with loved ones, including her mother.
Series alert: This is the 7th in the atmospheric Lady Sherlock historical mystery series; newcomers who want to best appreciate the books should begin with A Study in Scarlet Women. |
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| The White Lady by Jacqueline WinspearWhat it's about: Reclusive Elinor White lives in 1947 Kent, England, but she was once a spy, including as a child in World War I-era Belgium. After she makes friends with a neighbor girl, Elinor takes on a powerful crime family and reaches into her past for help, but surprises await.
Why you might like it: This "smart, nuanced" (Publishers Weekly) standalone by the author of the Maisie Dobbs mysteries covers a trio of time periods and has a compelling heroine and intricate plotting.
Read this next: Cara Black's Night Flight to Paris, Susan Elia MacNeal's Maggie Hope mysteries, Ashley Weaver's Electra McDonnell novels, or Allison Montclair's Sparks & Bainbridge mysteries. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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