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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: Allison Montclair's A Royal Affair.
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| What Happened That Night by Nicci FrenchTyler Green spent 27 years in an English prison for the 1993 murder of his best mate, but he's always denied the charge. Freed, he reunites with the eight university friends present the night of the killing, which leads to another death. DI Maud O'Connor works the case, and despite what others think, she doubts Tyler's guilt. This slow-burn, locked-room mystery is the suspenseful 3rd in the Maud O'Connor series. Try this next: Jane Casey's Maeve Kerrigan novels. |
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| The Midnight Taxi by Yosha GunasekeraNew York taxi driver Siri Perera loves true crime podcasts, so when she picks up public defender Amaya Fernando, they bond over this and their shared Sri Lankan heritage. This connection comes in handy when Siri's next customer is somehow murdered during the ride. Arrested, Siri has five days to clear her name with help from Amaya and the childhood best friend who pays her bail. Witty and clever, this debut will please fans of Mia P. Manansala and Gigi Pandian. |
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| A Gift Before Dying by Malcolm KemptThis atmospheric debut follows divorced cop Elderick Cole, who's been exiled to a troubled small town in the Canadian Arctic after mishandling a missing child case. When a young Inuit woman is found dead by hanging, Cole realizes she didn't get there on her own in this haunting, immersive story. Booklist raves, "If you only read one mystery this year, this should be it." For fans of: Peter Høeg's Smilla's Sense of Snow. |
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| The Murder at World's End by Ross MontgomeryOn a Cornish tidal island in 1910, 19-year-old Stephen Pike is the new footman at Tithe Hall, where Viscount Stockingham-Welt believes Halley's Comet will destroy the earth. That doesn't happen, but someone does kill the viscount in his locked study. When ex-con Stephen is suspected, the viscount's elderly, scientific-minded aunt teams up with him to prove his innocence in this delightful series starter. For fans of: atmospheric Edwardian mysteries; witty, unlikely detective duos. |
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| Wolf Hour by Jo NesbøIn 2022, a Norwegian true crime writer visits Minneapolis, Minnesota, to research a set of 2016 serial killings. Back in 2016, everything starts with the sniper shooting of a gun dealer known for not asking questions. Divorced cop Bob Oz becomes obsessed with the case, working it even after he's suspended from the force, believing a taxidermist may hold the key to it all in this twisty dual-timeline standalone. Try this next: Stephen Mack Jones' August Snow series; Christoffer Carlsson's Blaze Me a Sun. |
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A Killer Wedding
by Joan O'Leary
Gloria Beaufort, the billionaire matriarch of American beauty company Glo, handpicks magazine journalist Christine to cover the wedding of her beloved grandson at an Irish castle. When Gloria is murdered and the Beauforts refuse to call the police until after the wedding, Christine digs into the toxic family's secrets in this slow-burn, funny first novel. Read-alike: The Plus One by S.C. Lalli; The Author's Guide to Murder by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig, and Karen White.
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| Ruby Falls by Gin PhillipsTo drum up publicity and attract tourists during the Great Depression, the proprietors of Ruby Falls, a massive waterfall inside a Tennessee cave, have a psychic attempt to find a hatpin hidden inside. In case of emergency, the psychic and his group of five are secretly shadowed by Ada, a friend of the owners who knows the caves well, and Quinton, a cavern guide. Then a shocking murder occurs deep underground. For fans of: suspenseful impossible crime stories; well-researched historical novels. |
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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. For fans of: Zoe B. Wallbrook's History Lessons; Jesse Q. Sutanto's Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers.
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Mystery Book Discussion Group!
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The It Girl
by Ruth Ware
Will be discussed at PPL on Tuesday, April 7, 2026.
April Clarke-Cliveden was the first person Hannah Jones met at Oxford. Vivacious, bright, occasionally vicious, and the ultimate It girl, she quickly pulled Hannah into her dazzling orbit. Together, they developed a group of devoted and inseparable friends--Will, Hugh, Ryan, and Emily--during their first term. By the end of the year, April was dead. Now, a decade later, Hannah and Will are expecting their first child, and the man convicted of killing April, former Oxford porter John Neville, has died in prison. Relieved to have finally put the past behind her, Hannah's world is rocked when a young journalist comes knocking and presents new evidence that Neville may have been innocent. As Hannah reconnects with old friends and delves deeper into the mystery of April's death, she realizes that the friends she thought she knew all have something to hide...including a murder.
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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