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| A Tourist's Guide to Murder by V.M. BurnsWhat it's about: Mystery writer and bookstore owner Samantha "Sam" Washington heads to London, England on a week-long mystery-lovers trip with her Nana and her Nana's friends from the Shady Acres Retirement Village. When the tour operator is killed, Sam turns sleuth.
What sets it apart: Excerpts from the cozy historical novel that Sam's researching and writing give readers a second mystery to solve.
Series alert: This is the charming 6th entry in the Mystery Bookshop series, but newcomers can start here. |
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| The Diabolical Bones by Bella EllisStarring: Anne, Emily, and Charlotte Brontë, pen-wielding sisters who live in a Yorkshire parsonage with their father and brother...and solve crimes.
What it's about: In December 1845, the skeletal remains of a child are found in a nearby home's chimney. The sisters set out to find who the child was, which has them checking out local rumors, monster stories, and abusive child labor practices.
Series alert: Full of Gothic atmosphere, this is the compelling sequel to The Vanished Bride; the author is currently working on the 3rd Brontë Sisters mystery. |
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| Cruel as the Grave by Cynthia Harrod-EaglesStarring: likeable DCI Bill Slider, whose wife is expecting their second child any day.
What happens: In London's Shepherd's Bush area, Slider and his dedicated team investigate the murder of a handsome fitness trainer who had multiple romantic partners. Despite the dead man's girlfriend being covered in blood, Slider thinks she may be innocent.
Series alert: This is the witty, well-plotted 22nd Bill Slider mystery; readers can start here, but those who want to see characters develop should start earlier in this popular series. |
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| Blood Grove by Walter MosleyWhat happens: In the summer of 1969, Black Los Angeles PI Easy Rawlins, a World War II vet, agrees to help a traumatized white Vietnam vet, who says that while trying to save a woman, he thinks he killed a Black man -- but the scene of the supposed crime is completely clean.
Why you might like it: Featuring unforgettable characters, this atmospheric 15th Easy Rawlins mystery takes place against the backdrop of the social and political changes of the 1960s.
Award buzz: The National Book Foundation recently presented Walter Mosley with the 2020 Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. |
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The Good, the Bad, and the Emus
by Donna Andrews
Starring: Blacksmith Meg and her eccentric, animal-loving friends and families.
What happens: Investigating her long-lost grandmother's alleged killer, Meg teams up with investigator Stanley Denton and her grandfather to stage a feral emu and ostrich rescue only to find the rescue team accused of the suspect's murder.
Why you might like it: These cozy mysteries feature laugh-out-loud moments and well-developed characters, and can be read in any order.
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The Good Husband of Zebra Drive
by Alexander McCall Smith
What happens: Things go badly awry for Mr. J. L. B. Matekoni when he sets out to do something special for their adopted daughter, Motholeli, and it is up to his wife, Mma Precious Ramotswe, proprietor of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, to extricate him from his problems.
Why you might like it: Alexander McCall Smith's The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency, starring Botswana's inimitable Precious Ramotswe, features richly drawn characters, engaging prose, and vivid settings. Characters' thoughts and perspectives are central to the novels, and a gentle, often warm tone typifies the books (though troubling topics do arise).
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| The Good Detective by John McMahonStarring: rural Georgia detective P.T. Marsh, who's drinking too much after the accidental deaths of his wife and son.
What happens: His troubles culminate the morning after he beats up the abusive boyfriend of a stripper and awakens with little memory of the previous evening -- and learns the man is dead. Did P.T. kill him? Adding to the questions, the boyfriend seems to have taken part in a hate killing hours before his own death.
Why you might like it: This 1st in the P.T. Marsh series is a debut that was named a 2019 New York Times Top 10 Crime Novel, and it offers a complex mystery that examines grief, race issues, and what it means to be good. The 3rd entry, A Good Kill, comes out in June. |
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The Good Byline: A Riley Ellison Mystery
by Jill Orr
Starring: Riley Ellison, a smart, quirky young heroine with Southern charm to boot. Riley feels adrift in her small hometown of Tuttle Corner, VA, newly single and bemoaning the decline of print journalism, which has dashed her long-held dream of succeeding her grandfather as an obituary writer at the local newspaper.
What happens: When Riley's childhood best friend completes suicide with no warning, her friend's grieving family asks Riley to write her obituary. As she investigates why such an ambitious young woman might want to end her life, Riley begins to consider that Julie may have actually been murdered. In the meantime, her love life becomes complicated when her ex -- Ryan -- returns to town just as things are heating up with a hot newcomer--who may have had something to do with Julie's death.
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Michigan City Public Library 100 E. 4th Street Michigan City, Indiana 46360 219-873-3044mclib.org/ |
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