Mystery, Adventure & Thriller
November 2025

Check These Out at the Library!
59 Minutes by Holly Seddon
59 Minutes
by Holly Seddon

Internationally bestselling author Holly Seddon debuts in the US for the first time with this unmissable, riveting, and heart-wrenching 'what would you do' thriller- perfect for fans of Mary Kubica and Gillian McAllister.
The Burning Library by Gilly MacMillan
The Burning Library
by Gilly MacMillan

To her family Eleanor was an ordinary middle-aged woman. She did flower arrangements and plumped kneeler cushions at church. Little did they know she was harboring a dark and all-consuming secret. A scrap of fraying embroidery that seems worthless at first glance. For over a century, two rival organizations of women have gone to deadly lengths to secure the valuable artifact in the hopes of finding the original medieval manuscript from which it was torn. The Order of St. Katherine: devoted to the belief that women must pull strings in the shadows to exercise control. And the Fellowship of the Larks, determined to amass as many overt positions of power for women as possible...so long as their methods of doing so never come to light. When Dr. Anya Brown garners international attention for her translation of the cryptic Folio 9, she is handpicked by Diana Cornish, a professor and high-ranking member of the Fellowship, to join the exclusive Institute of Manuscript Studies in St. Andrews. Unbeknownst to Anya she's been recruited at great personal danger to translate ancient texts that the Fellowship believes critical to their mission. 
Come Through Your Door by Carlene O'Connor
Come Through Your Door
by Carlene O'Connor

Against the stark beauty of southwest Ireland, veterinarian Dimpna Wilde must reckon with a stalker whose obsession has turned deadly.
Crimson Thaw by Bruce Robert Coffin
Crimson Thaw
by Bruce Robert Coffin

In the unforgiving wilderness of Maine, a disgraced detective must confront his past to solve a chilling murder. Detective Brock Justice's career is on thin ice. Once the golden boy of Maine State Police, Brock now finds himself exiled to the remote northeastern wilderness, punishment for crossing the thin blue line. Assigned to the Major Crimes Unit--North, he suffers the added indignity of partnering with newly-minted Detective Chloe Wright, a rookie with her own hidden struggles. The pair's uneasy alliance is put to the test almost immediately when a routine snowmobile retrieval in the coastal town of Blue Hill unexpectedly escalates into a full-blown murder investigation. 
Death and Dinuguan by Mia P. Manansala
Death and Dinuguan
by Mia P. Manansala

Love is in the air for the citizens of Shady Palms, but Cupid's arrow isn't the only thing striking the town--not with another killer on the loose. Things are looking up for the Brew-ha Cafe, and Lila Macapagal can't think of anything that could break the spell, especially with Valentine's Day coming up--she can't wait to celebrate with her boyfriend, Jae Park. Adding to the lovey-dovey atmosphere is Hana Lee, Shady Palms's newest resident. She's also Jae's beloved cousin and chocolatier at Choco Noir, the latest addition to the town's culinary offerings. Everything is coming into place for Hana, who left her old life in Minnesota behind to work at Choco Noir, owned by her best friend. Unfortunately, beneath the sweet surface of Shady Palms runs a bitter undercurrent, as a series of attacks against women-owned businesses in the area escalates from petty theft to assault and murder.
The Devil in Oxford: A Ruby Vaughn Mystery by Jess Armstrong
The Devil in Oxford: A Ruby Vaughn Mystery
by Jess Armstrong

 If someone were to ask American heiress Ruby Vaughn how exactly the occult came to play such a large role in her life, she would immediately point to her octogenarian housemate and employer, Mr. Owen. Together, the pair run a rare book shop in Exeter. Mr. Owen's penchant for arcane, unusual--and occasionally illegal--books has been known to get Ruby into her fair share of trouble. And after the last year, she is looking forward to spending a quiet holiday in picturesque Oxford while Mr. Owen attends the annual meeting of his antiquarian society. Secretly, Ruby is also looking for a holiday from her confounding feelings for Ruan Kivell, the intriguing folk healer Pellar that she met in Cornwall. When Mr. Owen secures two tickets to an upcoming exhibition of artifacts amassed by disgraced scholar Julius Harker, Ruby reluctantly agrees to attend. The evening turns out to be more eventful than either of them bargained for. 
Haven't Killed in Years by Amy K. Green
Haven't Killed in Years
by Amy K. Green

Marin Haggerty, daughter of a world-renowned serial killer, spent her early childhood training to follow in her father's bloody footsteps, before she developed her own sense of right and wrong. After his arrest, she's put in witness protection and happy to take on a new identity, that of harmless office worker Gwen Tanner. Even if keeping everyone at a distance is a little boring, at least she-and society-is safe. But when someone starts sending body parts to her house, the message is clear: I know who you are. To keep her identity secret, Gwen has to take on the highly inconvenient (but kind of exhilarating?) role of hunting down the killer herself.
Her One Regret by Donna Freitas
Her One Regret
by Donna Freitas

 When successful Rhode Island real estate agent Lucy Mendoza vanishes, leaving her baby behind in a grocery store parking lot, the news quickly makes national headlines. Lucy's best friend, Michelle, is devastated, and terrified that Lucy's life is at stake. But she knows something that could complicate the police investigation. Lucy had confessed something unspeakable: She regretted becoming a mother, so much that she'd fantasized about faking her own kidnapping.
The Hidden City: A Charles Lenox Mystery by Charles Finch
The Hidden City: A Charles Lenox Mystery
by Charles Finch

Against the vividly drawn backdrop of Victorian London, amateur sleuth Charles Lenox must unlock a mystery concealed in the architecture of the city itself. It's 1879, and Lenox is convalescing from the violent events of his last investigation. But a desperate letter from an old servant forces him to pick up the trail of a cold case: the murder of an apothecary seven years before, whose only clue is an odd emblem carved into the doorway of the building where the man was killed. 
Innocence Road by Laura Griffin
Innocence Road
by Laura Griffin

Detective Leanne Everhart swore she'd never go back to her hometown near Marfa, Texas--but she returns when her brother needs her, only to find a town in need too, still torn apart by a decades-old crime. Leanne Everhart knows women have something to fear in her artsy hometown, especially so if they're not rich, white locals. Returning to town after her father's death, she sees the ugliest sides of an area that draws people for its severe, untamed natural landscape. 
The Lady on Esplanade by Karen White
The Lady on Esplanade
by Karen White

People and secrets from the past threaten to disrupt Nola Trenholm's new life in New Orleans. Nola is ready to focus on starting over in the Big Easy. She wants to get back to work on the renovations of her Creole cottage, and she is eager to launch a new murder-house-flipping business with contractor, closet psychic, and part-time nemesis Beau Ryan. After a near-death ghostly encounter and the return of Beau's missing sister, they are confident that the ghost of his mother can finally rest. Nola believes the shotgun house on famed Esplanade Avenue is a prime fixer-upper for her first project. 
Murder at Holly House by Denzil Meyrick
Murder at Holly House
by Denzil Meyrick

A village of secrets. Yorkshire, 1952. Christmas is fast approaching when a dead stranger is found lodged up the chimney of Holly House in the snow-covered village of Elderby. Is he a simple thief, or a would-be killer? 
Murder at the Christmas Emporium by Andreina Cordani
Murder at the Christmas Emporium
by Andreina Cordani

A group of Christmas shoppers discover the doors have been locked and that they've been trapped by someone who knows their darkest secrets. 
Newlyweds Can Be Knocked Off by Amanda Flower
Newlyweds Can Be Knocked Off
by Amanda Flower

After two decades as a widow, Millie Fisher, Amish matchmaker, quilter, goat tender, and sleuth is now a 60-something newlywed! But when she adds snowbird to her list amid the chill of an Ohio winter, murder finds a way to follow . . . 
The Queen Who Came in from the Cold: Her Majesty the Queen Investigates by S. J. Bennett
The Queen Who Came in from the Cold: Her Majesty the Queen Investigates
by S. J. Bennett

The Queen is spending a night on board the royal train with her entourage and her sister, Princess Margaret. But before they reach their destination, an unreliable witness claims to have seen a brutal murder from one of the carriages. The Queen and her assistant private secretary, Joan McGraw, get to work on their second joint investigation. 
Revenge of Odessa by Frederick Forsyth
Revenge of Odessa
by Frederick Forsyth

Fifty years after revealing the secrets of Odessa, an underground organization of former Nazis angling to regain power, Peter Miller is a retired legend in the journalism community. He's spent the last decade caring for his grandson Georg, after the death of his son and daughter in law in a tragic car accident. Always suspecting that his own long list of enemies might have been behind his son's death, Peter pulled back from his career to keep Georg safe. But he could do nothing to stop the young man from following in his footsteps...
Robert B. Parker's Showdown by Mike Lupica
Robert B. Parker's Showdown
by Mike Lupica

Spenser may have uncovered an explosive secret that threatens the career of a controversial figure.
Wild Instinct by T. Jefferson Parker
Wild Instinct
by T. Jefferson Parker

The hunt for the truth is the deadliest game. Lew Gale, a former Marine sniper, now an Orange County California Sheriff's detective, is assigned to track and shoot a mountain lion that has killed a man in Caspers Park, located in the rugged country east of Laguna Beach, California. The victim is Bennet Tarlow, a rich developer and man-about-town in upscale coastal Orange County. The investigation takes a chilling turn when Lew and his new partner, Daniela Mendez, discover that Bennet was dead long before the lion got to him. And while Bennet might have been the first to die, he certainly will not be the last-- Provided by publisher.
Contact your librarian for more great books!
Scott County Library System
200 N 6th Ave., Eldridge, Iowa 52748
563-285-4794

https://www.scottcountyiowa.gov/library