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!! 

LibraryReads Selection Ideas

It is almost Thanksgiving and that long break from school and work may provide a nice window to sit down and relax with a longer read.  There is certainly plenty of choice – with recent National Book Awards announcement, The New York Times’ list of Notable Books being released this week, and voting ongoing for Goodreads Choice Awards.  Here, I am going to note several LibraryReads selections – some of the 10 books chosen each month by librarians to recommend to their patrons:

I look forward to and definitely recommend titles by Kate Morton, international bestselling author of The House at Riverton, since she offers a kind of Gothic mystery that both challenges and entertains. There’s suspense and a bit of romantic tension in each, including her latest, THE CLOCKMAKER'S DAUGHTER which was a LibraryReads selection in October. In this novel, which bridges 150 years, Morton introduces Edward Radcliffe and his artistic associates who are spending the summer of 1862 at Birchwood Manor on the upper Thames. Intending to escape and focus on creative endeavors, they instead experience a murder, a disappearance, and a jewelry theft. Once again, Morton features a house that bears witness through generations as a modern day archivist, Elodie Winslow, discovers a photo and drawing which prompts her hunt for family connections. Pick up this novel if you are looking for historical fiction dealing with art and secrets; THE CLOCKMAKER'S DAUGHTER received a starred review from Publishers Weekly.  

 

A LibraryReads selection in September, TRANSCRIPTION by Kate Atkinson is another suspenseful work of historical fiction set during the Second World War and 1950s London. The main character is Juliet who at 18 is first employed to rather naively transcribe wartime conversations for the British intelligence service, MI5, and who increasingly becomes involved in espionage activities, and later works as a BBC producer on children’s programming.  Once again, Atkinson describes how events and choices reverberate across time, causing the reader to reflect on the meaning of patriotism, on guilt, and on fate’s tragic repercussions.  TRANSCRIPTION received starred reviews from Booklist, Kirkus, and Library Journal.

VIRGIL WANDER by Leif Enger (Peace Like a River) was an October LibraryReads selection and could easily work as a Junior Theme choice given the publisher’s description as a “timeless all-American story that follows the inhabitants of a small Midwestern town in their quest to revive its flagging heart.” Virgil’s car runs off the road into Lake Superior near Greenstone, Minnesota and he suffers memory loss as a result.  Virgil’s subsequent and sometimes humorous interactions with residents (including a romantic interest, a best friend and newspaper editor, and a pet raccoon called Genghis) and also visitors (like Rune, a fan of kite flying who is looking for his long lost son) charmingly chronicles attempts at recovery for both Virgil and the town. VIRGIL WANDER received starred reviews from Library Journal (“surprises and delights throughout”) and Booklist (“Virgil's narration is a joy: he lost his adjectives in the crash, making for their gleeful insertion each time he remembers one.”).

 

THE LIBRARY BOOK by Susan Orlean is actually a narrative non-fiction work that tells the story of the Los Angeles Public Library fire which occurred in 1986. This text, too, includes a bit of a mystery given that the cause of the fire was suspicious and Orlean deftly explores the story of suspect Harry Peak.  She also comments on her own relationship with books and reading, especially reflecting on childhood visits to the library with her mother. Overall, this is a fascinating look at library operations. Please see the video below for more visual detail from a PBS NewsHour interview with author Susan Orlean:

A LibraryReads selection in October and recipient of starred reviews from Booklist and Library Journal, THE LIBRARY BOOK will be appreciated by bibliophiles and fans of libraries everywhere.

The Hotel Between and People Kill People

Here are some quick thoughts on two young adult novels which were published in early September.  

THE HOTEL BETWEEN by Sean Easley is an exciting fantasy centered on twins Cameron and Cassia who want to find their missing Dad. The chance comes when Cam discovers The Hotel Between, a mystical place with “four main rings that make up the trunk – Lobby Level, Elevator Bank, Mezzanine, Courtyard. Everything else branches off those by way of turners, which is just what we call doors binding one part of the Hotel to another.”  And it is through those doors that Cam and various guides like Nico and Rahki magically explore other countries, face danger and confront secrets. School Library Journal recommends this novel for middle school students and it is certainly complicated (and sometimes confusing!) enough to appeal to readers who enjoy fantasy and adventure, as Cam seeks to find both his father and a cure for Cassia’s spina bifida.

PEOPLE KILL PEOPLE by Ellen Hopkins is written in verse and focuses on six Arizona teenagers who deal with gun violence and white supremacy. School Library Journal suggests this novel for those in grades 10 and up.  In fact, Violence narrates this text, leaving the reader to guess which of the intertwined teens will kill and who will die. Hopkins explores several timely topics (brain injury, attitudes towards undocumented immigrants, depression, drug dealing, and more) which will resonate with teen and new adult readers while showing how "each [character] possesses an incentive/ to pick up a gun, pull the trigger." A powerful and thought-provoking text from an award-winning and popular novelist.