| The Phantom Patrol by James R. BennIn December 1944, U.S Army investigator Billy Boyle looks into art thefts by a Nazi-affiliated group, runs into actor David Niven (who's part of a secretive British military unit), and eventually ends up at the Battle of the Bulge. Fans and newcomers alike will enjoy Billy's action-packed 19th book. Read-alikes: Charles Todd's historical mysteries; Martin Limon's George Sueno and Ernie Bascom mysteries. |
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| The Waiting by Michael ConnellyWhile LAPD detective Renée Ballard surfs, someone steals her gun, badge, phone, and wallet. Later, she gets help with two cold cases from her mentor Harry Bosch and his patrol officer daughter, Maddie, in this well-plotted 6th outing. If you enjoy TV adaptions, look for the new series Ballard in late 2025. Read-alikes: Rachel Howzell Hall's Detective Elouise Norton novels; Val McDermid's Karen Pirie novels. |
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| The Whitewashed Tombs by Kwei QuarteyIn Accra, Ghana, PI Emma Djan is hired to find the killer of a gay activist since the victim's dad doesn't think the police care. More murders occur, so Emma goes undercover to find who's responsible for the hate crimes. Gritty and with a strong sense of place, this 4th Emma Djan novel thoughtfully addresses a timely topic. Read-alikes: the Philip Taiwo mysteries by Femi Kayode; Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby. |
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| Murder in Berkeley Square by Vanessa RileyOn Christmas Eve 1806, biracial Lady Abigail Worthing is given a carriage ride across snowy London by her handsome neighbor. But a supposedly quick stop finds them snowed in at the home of Lord Charles Duncan, a powerful magistrate, and then they find a body in this 3rd Lady Worthing novel. Read-alikes: the Lily Adler mysteries by Katharine Schellman; Celeste Connally's Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord. |
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| Agnes Sharp and the Trip of a Lifetime by Leonie SwannThis amusing follow-up to The Sunset Years of Agnes Sharp has the elderly residents of Sunset Hall mixed up with murder again. This time, they're vacationing in Cornwall when multiple people are killed and a storm cuts off their resort. Lead by retired policewoman Agnes, the group tries to set things right. Read-alikes: Richard Osman's The Thursday Murder Club books; Robert Thorogood's Marlow Murder Club novels. |
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| The Author's Guide to Murder by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig, and Karen WhiteOn a remote island in the Scottish Highlands, superstar novelist Brett Saffron Presley is murdered at Castle Kinloch, where he hosts writing retreats. The cops focus on three Americans -- a cozy mystery author, an erotica writer, and a historical fiction novelist -- who decide to solve the mystery themselves. This locked-room tale will please fans of witty mysteries like Benjamin Stevenson's Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone. |
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| The Twelve Books of Christmas by Kate CarlisleCalifornia bookbinder Brooklyn Wainwright and her ex-spy husband arrive in Scotland for the New Year's Day wedding of close friend Claire (introduced in Little Black Book). She's marrying the Laird of Castle McKinnon, but all is not well: 12 rare books are missing, the castle seems haunted, and some locals aren't happy about the wedding. Then a murder occurs. Though this is the 17th in a series, newcomers will still enjoy it. Read-alike: Jenn McKinlay's Library Lover's mysteries. |
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| The Family Chao by Lan Samantha ChangIn small-town Wisconsin, overbearing restaurant owner Leo Chao's wife has left him. It's Christmas, so his three grown sons gather at the restaurant for a party, but then Leo is murdered, one of his sons is arrested, and a trial takes place. A modern take on Fyodor Dostoevsky's classic The Brothers Karamazov, The Family Chao is a "timely, trenchant, and thoroughly entertaining book" (Publishers Weekly). |
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| A Christmas Vanishing by Anne PerryMariah Ellison, Charlotte Pitt's octogenarian grandmother, travels to Dorset to spend Christmas with her old friend Sadie, but when she arrives, Sadie's husband behaves suspiciously and says she isn't home. Fearing Sadie is in danger, Mariah teams up with two locals to sort out what's going on while pondering her own life. Read-alikes: the author's many other Christmas mysteries; Tasha Alexander's Lady Emily Ashton mysteries; Laura Joh Rowland's Victorian mysteries. |
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| Up On the Woof Top by Spencer QuinnPI Bernie Little and his charming dog Chet (who narrates) head to small-town Colorado to help Dame Ariadne Carlisle, known for her bestselling holiday novels, after one of her ranch's reindeer goes missing just before Christmas. While searching, Chet and Bernie find a corpse in this witty 14th series entry. The 15th book, A Farewell to Arfs, published in August. For more dog-centric tales, try Paula Munier's Mercy and Elvis mysteries or David Rosenfelt's novels. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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