| The Kindness of Strangers by Emma GarmanIn a shabby genteel Victorian house in 1953 London, literary free spirit Honor Wilson takes in lodgers, including a writer, a teen girl sleuth, a model/debutante, and an elderly refugee who barely survived the war. Each has secrets, and when Jimmy Sullivan shows up, he seems to threaten them all. Then he's murdered. This "beautifully written" debut ('Library Journal') will please fans of thought-provoking, slow-burn novels. |
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| The Fatal Unpleasantness at Netherfield by Claudia GrayDespite Jonathan Darcy and Juliet Tilney's success solving murders together, his parents believe it's too dangerous and want him to stop. Furthermore, Juliet is now a young lady of ruined reputation. But when there's a death at Netherfield Park, Jonathan and Juliet are called upon to find the culprit. While newcomers can start with their 5th outing, those who want to see relationships develop should pick up the 1st book, "The Murder of Mr. Wickham." For fans of: Jane Austen-inspired mysteries, like those by Carrie Bebris, Stephanie Barron, and Vanessa Kelly. |
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| The Butler by Clare MackintoshHired to work at a French villa rented by Alec Prescott for a week, skilled professional butler Baxter ends up investigating a murder. The guests are: Alec's only child, Carter, who's celebrating his 21st birthday; Carter's girlfriend; Alec's girlfriend; Alec's ex-wife; and a Hollywood couple in town for the Cannes Film Festival. Things heat up, ending with a body in the pool, but with help from a young pickpocket and others, indomitable Baxter sets things to rights in this fun, fast-paced read. For fans of: Sian Gilbert's "I Did Warn Her." |
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| Heather by Caitlin MullenCallie Hauser moves back to her New Jersey Pine Barrens hometown to be the police chief and to help her best friend, who's recovering from a hit-and-run. She's quickly pulled into a 30-year-old cold case connected to her estranged mother that also involves the death of an infant and long-missing 16-year-old twin sisters. For fans of: twisty mysteries with multiple narrators; Liz Moore’s "Long Bright River;" HBO's "Mare of Easttown." |
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| Murder Most Delicious by Danielle Postel-VinayAfter COVID stole her sense of taste, American sommelier Olivia Beech lost her job. Doing better, she's hoping to work in Paris, but the beloved chef she's interviewing with dies in front of her after drinking poisoned wine. Teaming up with an eccentric group of locals led by agoraphobic detective Augusta Dupin, Olivia makes new friends and helps find the killer in this witty tale. For fans of: mysteries combining France and food, such as Colleen Cambridge's American in Paris Mysteries. |
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| Broken Truths by Alessandro Robecchi; translated by Gregory ContiAfter becoming disillusioned, acclaimed Italian director Manlio Parrini left the film industry decades ago. Now in his 70s, he's back and determined to make a film about Augusto De Angelis, a (real) pioneer of Italian crime fiction who was targeted by fascists and murdered in 1944. While writing and working to get his film financed, Manlio also investigates the killing of the elderly widow next door. Translated from Italian, this thoughtful mystery ponders artistry, censorship, freedom, and more. |
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| Missing in Soho by Holly StarsDrag queen Misty Divine loves being the glamorous hostess of Lady's Bar in London, but she also likes a good mystery. So after a private detective gasps out a warning and dies, Misty investigates her 2nd case, which involves a televangelist, big business, and the future of Lady's Bar. For fans of: timely, campy, and moving cozies; "The Disaster Gay Detective Agency" by Lev AC Rosen. |
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| The Body in the Kitchen Garden by Paula SuttonEx-Londoners Daphne Brewster and her family have settled into the charming Norfolk village of Pudding Corner, even after dealing with a killing in "The Potting Shed Murder". Now in her 2nd outing, vintage furnishings expert Daphne is asked to help when Lord Darlington returns to his abandoned ancestral home after years away. But amidst the overgrown greenery, Daphne finds a dead body. For fans of: Richard Osman; Robert Thorogood. |
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The Talking Bone
by Rene Denfeld
Ruby Spencer is known as “the exonerator.” Her job as an investigator is to free innocent men from death row, and she’s good at what she does. What many people don’t know is that she spends her time finding missing women, too. The orphaned daughter of an orphaned mother, Ruby feels a natural affinity for those who have been mistreated by the world at large. Her newest case takes her to Georgia, and involves a man set to be executed in two weeks. What begins as a routine exoneration unexpectedly sends Ruby down a winding path. Pursuing the truth, she begins to uncover crimes that lead to startling revelations about her own life.
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The One Day You Were My Husband
by Rosie Walsh
Then: 2010. Carrie and Johan, madly in love, marry on the beach in Thailand, five months into their whirlwind romance. But as the wedding festivities stretch into the night, armed men swarm the beach and arrest Johan for crimes unknown. She never sees him again. Now: 2022. Carrie is settled in the English countryside with her husband and their 6-year-old twins. Carrie has given up her career as a physician and has convinced herself that life as a mother and wife is enough. Until she stumbles across an online post that makes her realize Johan is out of prison - has been out for years.
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