| A Death in Diamonds by S.J. BennettIn 1957, small oddities lead Queen Elizabeth II to suspect someone in her inner circle can't be trusted. Meanwhile, Prince Philip has a connection to a double murder in Chelsea. With help from clever private secretary Joan McGraw, Elizabeth is able to set things to rights in this charming 4th in a series. Try these next: Rhys Bowen's Royal Spyness mysteries; Allison Montclair's "A Royal Affair". |
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| A Trinket for the Taking by Victoria LaurieIn the Washington, D.C. area, beautiful 200-year-old Dovey Van Dalen is forced to look for a dangerous artifact by mystic Elric Ostergaard, whom she's been bound to since she was 18 and must obey. But a handsome F.B.I. agent makes the search more pleasant in this supernatural mystery and series starter. Try this next: C.M. Waggoner's "The Village Library Demon-Hunting Society". |
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| Been Wrong So Long It Feels Like Right by Walter MosleyIn his 3rd outing, New York PI Joe King Oliver juggles complex family cases. First, a billionaire hires him to locate his young daughter, whom his 2nd wife has disappeared with. Then, Joe's 94-year-old grandmother wants him to find her ex-con son, who's the father Joe hasn't seen in years. "A gritty crime novel with a pace that never lets up," raves 'Library Journal'. Read-alikes: the August Snow mysteries by Stephen Mack Jones; the Emma Djan novels by Kwei Quartey. |
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| The Case of the Missing Maid by Rob OslerIn 1898 Chicago, bicycle-riding 21-year-old Harriet Morrow wants different opportunities than women traditionally have and is determined to make it as the prestigious Prescott Agency's first woman detective. But to do so, she must find a missing a maid within a week. Fans of Stephen Spotswood's Pentecost and Parker novels or Nekesa Afia's Harlem Renaissance mysteries will like this fun, atmospheric series starter. |
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| Trouble Island by Sharon ShortAfter a bit of trouble in the late 1920s, Aurelia Escalante got help from a friend and her gangster husband. By 1931, Aurelia is tired of being treated as a maid at their mansion on an isolated Lake Erie island and plans to leave -- but a dead body, unexpected arrivals, and a winter storm interfere. This atmospheric, suspenseful novel has a complex plot and was inspired by the author's family. Read-alikes: Colleen Cambridge's "A Trace of Poison"; Emily Bain Murphy's "Enchanted Hill". |
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| Johnny Careless by Kevin WadeThis debut by "Blue Bloods" showrunner Kevin Wade introduces former NYPD detective Jeep Mullane, the new police chief in his small Long Island hometown. Things start off rocky when Jeep's high school best friend Johnny Chambliss is found drowned. Convinced it's murder, Jeep looks to the past and to Johnny's wealthy family. Fans of fast-paced police procedurals like those by John Sandford will want to give this a try. |
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Death at the Playhouses: Lowe and Le Breton Mysteries
by Stuart Douglas
Following "Death at the Dress Rehearsal" ageing actors Edward Lowe and John Le Breton sign up for short run at the Leeds Playhouse, lured by the promise that the play will transfer to the Stadsschouwburg - the Amsterdam Playhouse. Once in Leeds, they discover they have been invited to join for two reasons - because the company manager is keen to take advantage of the publicity surrounding Floggit and Leggit! and because Sir Nathaniel Thompson, the much-lauded star of the show and knight of the realm, has been sacked for drunkenness and failing to turn up for work. John fears an awkward scene, should Thompson return to reclaim his job, but when Thompson’s body is found, bludgeoned to death in a nearby alleyway, this ceases to be an issue.
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The Four Queens of Crime
by Rosanne Limoncelli
In this debut mystery, DCI Lilian Wyles, the first woman detective chief inspector in the CID, is determined to find a killer with the help of the four queens of crime. 1938, London. The four queens of British crime fiction, Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Ngaio Marsh, and Margery Allingham, are hosting a gala to raise money for the Women’s Voluntary Service to help Britain prepare for war. Baronet Sir Henry Heathcote has loaned Hursley House for the event, and all the elites of London society are attending. The gala is a brilliant success, despite a few hiccups, but the next morning, Sir Henry is found dead in the library.
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The Oligarch's Daughter: A Novel
by Joseph Finder
Paul Brightman, a former Wall Street star hiding in a New England town with a bounty on his head, is forced to flee into the New Hampshire wilderness as he unravels a conspiracy involving Russian operatives and government agencies after falling in love with Tatyana, the daughter of a powerful oligarch.
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Galway's Edge
by Ken Bruen
When a priest linked to Galway's secretive vigilante group is found dead, ex-cop Jack Taylor must unravel a web of murder, power and Vatican intrigue, in the latest addition to the long running series following "Galway Confidential".
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