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| The Woman in the Library by Sulari GentillThe letters: Hannah, a published author, provides chapters from her work-in-progress to Leo, a longtime fan, who chattily emails his feedback...but his correspondence grows disturbing.
The book: In Hannah's novel, after a disturbing incident at the Boston Public Library, four visitors strike up a friendship, but one of them may be a killer.
For fans of: twisty novel-within-a-novel mysteries, Anthony Horowitz's books, Eva Jurczyk's The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections, and Jane Pek's The Verifiers. |
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| The Lady with the Gun Asks the Questions: The Ultimate Miss Phryne Fisher Story Collection by Kerry GreenwoodWhat it is: a witty, entertaining collection of 15 stories (including four new ones), all starring the elegant, irrepressible Phryne Fisher, who amuses herself solving crimes in 1920s Australia.
Stories include: "Puttin' on the Ritz," "Overheard on a Balcony," "The Bells of St. Paul's," "Carnival," "Marrying the Bookie's Daughter."
Reviewers say: "delightful" (Kirkus Reviews); "a favorite sleuth who dispenses justice in her own inimitable way" (Publishers Weekly). |
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Diablo Mesa by Douglas J. PrestonResponding to the promise of a hefty donation from a wealthy, eccentric billionaire with space travel ambitions, the Santa Fe Archaeological Institute excavates the site of the 1947 Roswell incident and immediately uncovers two unknown murder victims.
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| The Bangalore Detectives Club by Harini NagendraStarring: Kaveri Murthy, a 19-year-old Sherlock Holmes and mathematics fan who's moved to Bangalore in 1921 after her arranged marriage to handsome young doctor Ramu.
What happens: When a party at the Century Club ends with a murder and a vulnerable woman is connected to the crime, Kaveri investigates, going everywhere from shacks and brothels to an Englishman's mansion.
For fans of: Alexander McCall Smith, Sujata Massey, Vaseem Khan, and lighthearted mysteries with charming characters. |
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| Last Call at the Nightingale by Katharine Schellman1924 Manhattan: After sewing in a factory all day, Vivian escapes to the Nightingale, a speakeasy run by Honor "Hux" Huxley where people dance and drink together, no matter their class, race, or sexual orientation.
What happens: Vivian finds a murdered man outside the club, and then gets caught in a police raid. When Hux bails her out of jail, she asks Vivian to help find out who the dead man was and who wanted him dead.
For fans of: evocative New York City-set historical mysteries with entertaining characters, such as Stephen Spotswood's Pentecost and Parker mysteries. |
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| The Key to Deceit by Ashley WeaverStarring: Electra McDonnell, who's part of a family of locksmiths and safecrackers and occasionally helps out British intelligence.
What happens: In 1940 London, Electra's given a new job from handsome Major Ramsey: she's to unlock a strange bracelet found on the body of a drowned woman. Electra makes quick work of the lock, then she and the major try to find out if the victim was a spy, and if so, who she was working for.
Series alert: Following A Peculiar Combination, The Key to Deceit is the 2nd in a fun series and a "thoroughly ingenious blend of rom-com and spy cozy" (Booklist). |
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Murder on Madison Square
by Victoria Thompson
When Alfred Bing, whose wife wanted Frank to manufacture evidence so she could end their marriage, winds up dead, pinned beneath one the wheels of his very own motorcar, the former policeman and his wife find nothing is what it seems as they search for the truth.
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| Star Island by Carl HiaasenMissing: Ann DeLusia, the secret body double of pop star Cherry Pye, who struggles with addictions and doesn't always make it to events.
What happens: Cherry's entourage (a mixed bag, to be sure) has to rescue Ann from an obsessed paparazzo who thinks she's Cherry, while also keeping Ann's existence a secret not only from Cherry's adoring public, but also from Cherry herself.
Why you might like it: Star Island is "classic Carl Hiaasen -- demented, hilarious, and utterly over the top" (Booklist) and features a creatively wacky plot that pokes fun at the world of celebrity.
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| Trouble Is What I Do by Walter MosleyWhat happens: A 92-year-old Black Mississippi bluesman, Catfish Worry, is targeted by an infamous assassin. New York detective Leonid McGill takes the case to keep Catfish safe and to get a message to Catfish's wealthy white granddaughter, to let her know of her heritage.
Want a taste? "They both wore new blue jeans, checkered blue work shirts, and hard leather shoes that had counted more miles than a Fitbit could imagine."
Series alert: This is the 6th and most recent Leonid McGill mystery and it offers compelling dialogue, fascinating characters, and a gritty look at contemporary New York City. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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L.E. Smoot Memorial Library
9533 Kings Hwy
King George, Virginia 22485
(540) 775-2147www.smoot.org |
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