The Stranger Diaries by Elly Griffiths and more mysteries

THE STRANGER DIARIES by Elly Griffiths is a “modern gothic mystery” which I picked up because it was recommended for fans of Magpie Murders and The Lake House. Good suggestion!  In this suspenseful standalone work, multiple narrators describe the happenings at Talgarth High in West Sussex, near Chichester, where a young teacher, Ella Elphick, has been murdered.  Clare Cassidy also teaches English there – in fact, one of her favorite short stories is called “The Stranger” and she is trying to write a book about the author who had lived at the school. Clare is an avid writer, keeping a diary and recording thoughts (which provide some flashback details) about her co-workers, her teenage daughter, Georgie, and ex-husband, Simon. Soon, there is more than one death and Clare, other teachers, and even students are falling under suspicion of the local police, especially Harbinder Kaur (another narrator and well-developed character). THE STRANGER DIARIES is a melodramatic, almost creepy story with some surprising twists and several literary allusions. Tempting to read and enjoy in one sitting! There is plenty of agreement: Booklist (which recommended it for teens, too) and Library Journal gave THE STRANGER DIARIES starred reviews, plus it was chosen as a LibraryReads selection for March 2019 and named Best Crime Book of the Year by the London Times.

 

If you are looking instead for a mystery that’s “cute and cozy,” try SOMETHING READ, SOMETHING DEAD by Eva Gates. It takes place on North Carolina’s Outer Banks and local librarian, Lucy Richardson, and friends are helping plan the wedding of Josie O'Malley to restauranteur Jake Greenblatt. All is going fairly well until Josie’s grandmother arrives to take charge and create a more elaborate wedding feast. Soon, one of her wedding consultants is dead, the bride-to-be is a chief suspect, and Lucy has a mystery to solve in this fifth Lighthouse Library mystery. Eva Gates is a national bestselling author who has also been published under the name Vicki Delany. 

Newcomer by Higashino and some debut mysteries

What could be better than to enjoy the holiday break by reading several new mystery stories? 

My favorite so far is NEWCOMER by Keigo Higashino, a new author to me, but a best-selling novelist in Japan and Asia. His earlier work, The Devotion of Suspect X was an Edgar Award finalist.  This more recent title, translated by Giles Murray, was a LibraryReads selection for November and can be read as a stand alone.  The main character in NEWCOMER is Detective Kyochiro Kaga, recently transferred to a new precinct in the Tokyo Police Department. In order to solve the murder of a recently divorced woman, Kaga interviews the victim’s family and their associates. But the story begins with inquiries at a rice cracker shop in Tokyo’s traditional shopping district of Nihonbashi, where the victim, another newcomer, had recently moved. Kaga, a Columbo-like figure, later also visits a traditional restaurant, plus stores selling china, clocks, pastries, and handicrafts. What makes this mystery especially memorable are the small mysteries within the larger one since Higashino cleverly develops the characters and their own secrets at each locale. In fact, over two dozen characters are included in a helpful cast list.  Although I initially picked-up this book and found the translation to be a bit jarring, particularly when Murray chooses phrases for dialogue like “got you” and “my old man,” I kept reading – the story was compelling and allowed for ignoring those discordant notes. NEWCOMER received a starred review from Kirkus. 

 
I also felt transported by the setting, a fictional Indian reservation in New Mexico, for HEARTS OF THE MISSING by Carol Potenza. Sergeant Nicky Matthews of the Tsiba’ashi D’yini (Fire-Sky Pueblo) reservation police deals with a misogynistic boss and undercover FBI activity while trying to solve the murder of Sandra Deering, an undergraduate who was investigating “lost” members of the tribe. Nicky obviously cares about the people she has sworn to protect and has gradually overcome biases on the reservation against outsiders while also trying to understand more about her own disconcerting visions of the Wind Mother. There is quite a bit for readers to process in this fast moving story, including a potential serial killer, tribal customs and ritual sacrifice, but it is an engrossing read worth the effort.  

This debut mystery won the Tony Hillerman Prize for Potenza, an assistant professor in chemistry and biochemistry at New Mexico State University. I am looking forward to more in this series; HEARTS OF THE MISSING received starred reviews from both Library Journal and Publishers Weekly. 

MURDER AT THE MILL by M.B. Shaw is more of a traditional cozy mystery, set in a small English village where portrait artist Iris Grey is coming to terms with the end of her marriage. There, she finds purpose in agreeing to create a birthday portrait of The Mill’s owner, Dominic Wetherby. Soon, the holidays arrive and Iris is drawn into some local celebrations. Of course, it is not long until Wetherby’s body is found and Iris sets out with his suspicious daughter-in-law to disprove the ruling of suicide and find a culprit.   

Overall, I thought the solution (in terms of perpetrator if not motive) was fairly obvious, but this is still a diverting read with plenty of family members as possible suspects and even a bit of romance. MURDER AT THE MILL received a starred review from Kirkus and is a mystery debut under a pseudonym used by established author Tilly Bagshawe.

Mysteries!!!

It is holiday time and what could be more fun than sitting down by the roaring fireplace with a good mystery? First, you may want to “investigate” THE BIG BOOK OF FEMALE DETECTIVES edited by Otto Penzler.  This weighty tome (yes, it is 1136 pages!) provides a selection of over seventy short stories from Victorian times to today. More recent authors (like Marcia Muller, Sue Grafton, Faye Kellerman, Carolyn G. Hart, Sara Paretsky, Nevada Barr, Lawrence Block, S.J. Rozan, Laura Lippman, Jeffery Deaver and more) and their characters will likely be familiar to mystery fans and, if not, this collection will provide a worthy introduction. If anything, this collection could be even longer. Like any “list,” Penzler’s selections are notable for what’s missing: Nancy Drew and Miss Marple. A fun gift for mystery readers!

Speaking of guilty holiday pleasures, here’s a sampling of some “cozier” mysteries:

  

The first two titles pictured above were released in October by Crooked Lane Books, a relatively new group specializing in publishing a variety of crime fiction.  DEATH OF A RUSSIAN DOLL by Barbara Early has a very appealing cover and setting: vintage toy shop in upstate New York.  Proprietor Liz McCall is surprised to learn of her boyfriend’s Russian wife and even more shocked when Marya turns up dead (strangled with a hair dryer cord). Liz and her Dad, a former police chief, set out once again to solve a small town mystery in this humorous and fast-paced offering that will keep readers guessing.

THE HOUR OF DEATH by Jane Willan is the second in a series featuring Sister Agatha and Father Selwyn and is set in rural Wales at Gwenafwy Abbey.  This charming village mystery revolves around the suspicious death of unpopular resident Tiffany Reese, her missing painting, and a new visitor to the abbey, Lucy Penoyer who is an artist from America. The many characters, potential motives and possible alibis provide an easy-to-read escape for amateur sleuths.  

WREATH BETWEEN THE LINES (November, Beyond the Page) by Daryl Wood Gerber is a cute, holiday-themed mystery which takes place in Crystal Cove, California. Jenna Hart is busy getting the Cookbook Nook ready for the festivities when her older sister and niece arrive. There’s all kinds of family tension (sibling, parent-child, and marriage) in the background as Jenna seeks to investigate a bizarre death.  Her friend, multi-millionaire Jake, finds his guest impaled on a star and wrapped in Christmas lights. Gerber is a prolific author and Agatha award winner; here, suspects in addition to Jake (or is he perhaps the intended victim?) include Jenna’s brother-in law, a grumpy neighbor and an envious stamp collector. Light and diverting for the holidays.

THE WHISPERED WORD (late November, Kensington) by Ellery Adams is my favorite of the mystery options listed here. I have written about this series, the Secret, Book, and Scone Society, previously and continue to enjoy Adams’ numerous references to other books and authors, plus the strong bond and support which is developing between its four female protagonists, all of whom have experienced serious setbacks in their lives. In this offering, a young girl, Abilene Tyler, appears and needs help, too.  Shy and secretive, she is soon decorating, baking, and even evaluating jewelry at a new business in town. Should they trust her? What was her connection to Amanda Frye, a recently deceased customer? And was that death a suicide or homicide? At Miracle Books, Nora dabbles in bibliotherapy, saying “the unique and magical nature of books is their ability to grant us temporary escape from our reality while also providing ways to cope with that reality when we’re forced to return to it.”

Each chapter of THE WHISPERED WORD begins with a relevant quote, like these: “Great books help you understand and they help you feel understood” (from John Green) or “Always read something that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it” (from P.J. O’Rourke). For more ideas, check out the many other mystery reviews on this blog and the various mystery awards, such as the Edgar or Agatha. Enjoy these who-dun-its and be sure to let us know if you have one to recommend!!