| What Time the Sexton's Spade Doth Rust by Alan BradleyPrecocious 12-year-old chemist and amateur sleuth Flavia de Luce returns in her 11th outing, her first since 2019. Teaming up with her younger cousin, she works to clear the name of the family cook and learn who really killed a former public hangman, all while uncovering other secrets in her 1950s English village. Read-alikes: Robert Thorogood's Marlow Murder Club books; Louise Penny's Armand Gamache novels. |
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| A Cup of Flour, A Pinch of Death by V.M. BurnsIn her engaging 3rd outing, former influencer turned baker Maddy Montgomery becomes a murder suspect after her high school bully is found dead inside her shop. This culinary mystery serves up a relatable heroine, a sweet dog, a charming small town, and, of course, recipes. Read-alikes: Abby Collette's Ice Cream Parlour Mysteries; Vicki Delany's Tea by the Sea Mysteries. |
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| Guide Me Home by Attica LockeFacing a possible indictment, Black Texas Ranger Darren Mathews quits his job. Then his estranged mom tells him the only Black member of the sorority she cleans for has disappeared, leading Darren to investigate in this atmospheric finale to the Highway 59 trilogy (newcomers may want to pick up the 1st book, Bluebird, Bluebird). Read-alikes: James Lee Burke's Holland family novels; S.A. Cosby's All the Sinners Bleed. |
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| Murder at the White Palace by Allison MontclairIn 1946 London, free-spirited former spy Iris Sparks and widowed single mom Gwendolyn Bainbridge run the Right Sort Marriage Bureau. They plan a New Year's party for their clients, but a corpse at the event space leads to world of trouble for the matchmakers and others in their lives. This well-plotted, banter-filled 6th Sparks and Bainbridge book will please fans. Read-alikes: Jessica Ellicott's Beryl and Edwina mysteries; Ashley Weaver's Electra McDonnell novels. |
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| The Divide by Morgan RichterActress Jenny St. John moved to Los Angeles at 18 to chase her dreams. Now she's a middle-aged "intuitive counselor" who uses fake psychic powers and keen observational skills to get by. When the LAPD show up asking about the murder of a film director she once worked with, she's stunned that his missing wife looks just like her and investigates in this quirky, well-plotted tale. Read-alike: Loren D. Estleman's Valentino mysteries.
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| City of Secrets by P.J. TracyLAPD Detective Margaret Nolan investigates when a businessman whose company was being sold for millions is found dead in a sketchy area. When his partner's wife is kidnapped days later, Nolan searches for a link between the two cases in this suspenseful 4th in a series that starts with Deep into the Dark. Read-alikes: Joanna Schaffhausen's Detective Annalisa Vega series; Michael Connelly's Renee Ballard novels. |
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| The Village Library Demon-Hunting Society by C.M. WaggonerThough she's only lived in small Winesap, New York, for a bit, 60-something librarian Sherry Pinkwhistle has solved several killings. After yet another murder, she suspects supernatural goings-on and with help from friends (and a priest), she investigates. This series launch "melds lush imagery, humor, and a surprise twist" (Booklist). For fans of: the Josie Way novels by Angela M. Sanders; the Haunted Library Mysteries by Allison Brook. |
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| The Queen City Detective Agency by Snowden WrightIn 1980s Meridian, Mississippi, jaded biracial PI Clementine Baldwin works with white Vietnam veteran Dixon Hicks to investigate the death of a young white man, who supposedly jumped off the jail's roof while he was in custody. But they find themselves up against the secretive Dixie Mafia and a hired killer in this twisty, slow-burn crime novel. Read-alikes: the Hap and Leonard novels by Joe R. Lansdale; Trouble in Queenstown by Delia Pitts. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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