Mystery and more ...

THE 7½ DEATHS OF EVELYN HARDCASTLE by debut author Stuart Turton is fabulous and slightly crazy – a truly unique, adventuresome and challenging mystery which fans will definitely enjoy.  Seriously, I started the ebook version and thought maybe the pages were somehow out of order. This is most certainly a twisty tale – think Gosford Park’s house party mystery filled with time travel on steroids. Don’t believe me? Consider the review from best-selling author Sarah Pinborough: "If Agatha Christie and Terry Pratchett had ever had LSD-fuelled sex, then THE 7½ DEATHS OF EVELYN HARDCASTLE would be their acid trip book baby....this is a locked room mystery like no other."

I will not inadvertently give away any surprises because I am only about a third of the way through this intriguing debut mystery. I simply could not wait to alert readers to this mystery title, especially since Turton's work received starred reviews from Booklist and Library Journal, is a LibraryReads selection for September and is also highly anticipated by publications like Harper's Bazaar and Marie Claire – Enjoy! 

A favorite quote:  “Do you know how you can tell if a monster's fit to walk the world again, Mr. Bishop? If they're truly redeemed and not just telling you what you want to hear? You give them a day without​ consequences, and you watch to see what they do with it.”  ― Stuart Turton

I also really enjoy the Sam Blackman myatery series (beginning with Blackman’s Coffin) and its emphasis on literature and historical locales or events. Until recently, I did not realize that author Mark de Castrique had another series (Buryin’ Barry) which includes the newly released title SECRET UNDERTAKING.  Here, the main character is Barry Clayton, undertaker and part-time deputy near Gainesboro, North Carolina.  In this new mystery, Barry and Sheriff Tommy Lee Wadkins set out to solve two – then three – violent murders in the county which appear to be related to convenience stores and an organized food stamp scam, perhaps somehow involving witnesses under federal protection. If it sounds complex, it is; fans of police procedurals will especially like this story.  Multiple levels of law enforcement (local, state and federal) are involved, often with overlapping jurisdictions and investigations. This makes it difficult for Barry to know whom to trust and for the reader to follow at times. The Sheriff and Barry cleverly hypothesized several connections, although not offering conjecture on some that I thought were fairly obvious. In any case, we were all fooled with an exciting, surprise ending! Overall, I enjoyed SECRET UNDERTAKING and despite slow development in some spots, I would recommend it, particularly for its likeable characters and folksy, small town charm.  

Hidden Scars by de Castrique and Pulse by Francis - Mysteries

HIDDEN SCARS by Mark de Castrique is another mystery in the Sam Blackman series. Set in or near Asheville, North Carolina, these contemporary puzzling stories involve Blackman, an amputee and former soldier, and his detective agency (and personal life) partner, Nakayla Robertson. Generally, the author chooses to focus on some aspect of local lore or history and HIDDEN SCARS is no exception as Sam and Nakayla try to solve a potential murder from roughly 70 years ago involving students at the now defunct Black Mountain College. I was enthralled to learn about this real school and the many famous people (e.g., Buckminster Fuller, Josef and Anni Albers, Willem de Kooning, Merce Cunningham) who studied and worked there. As always, de Castrique makes his readers think about ethics and morals, including some unexpected twists. I definitely recommend this series and am already looking forward to Sam and Nakayla's next adventure! 

PULSE by Felix Francis continues Dick Francis’ tradition of writing mysteries set primarily in the British racing world. They are always fun escapism, full of surprises. My favorites are the stories around Kit Fielding and Sid Halley, both of whom struggled with personal issues as well as trying to solve murders.  Here, the younger Francis introduces a female protagonist, Chris Rankin. As senior physician in the A & E Department at Cheltenham General Hospital, she begins investigating a death related to the famous race course while also coping with her own panic attacks and anxiety.  She keeps asking questions and that leads to some dangerous threats.  Booklist gives PULSE and its cliff-hanger chapters a starred review.