The Mitford Scandal – Jessica Fellowes (Also available in Large Print) “In the third book in the Mitford Murders series, lady’s maid Louisa Cannon accompanies Diana Mitford into a turbulent late 1920s Europe. The year is 1928, and after the death of a maid at a glamorous society party, fortune heir Bryan Guinness seizes life…
Three of our more popular mystery authors are Louise Penny, Donna Leon, and Ann Cleeves, whose books are set in Quebec, Venice, and England respectively. Always on the lookout for new (to me) mystery series with international settings, here’s one I’m enjoying now, and a few I’ll be trying soon. And if you’re looking…
It’s October and it’s time to settle in for some spooky reads as the Halloween season kicks off and there’s no better way to start your season than with Stillhouse Lake by Rachel Caine. The first of a four-novel series, Stillhouse Lake follows Gina Royal, a woman forced to run from her past and reinvent…
This is the first entry in a new series by Vermont author Sarah Stewart Taylor, author of the Sweeney St. George mysteries, which include the Agatha Award finalist O’ Artful Death (2003). The Mountains Wild follows homicide detective Maggie D’Arcy from her home on Long Island to Ireland, the home of her ancestors and a…
I have Harper Perennial’s Olive Editions to thank for the prompting nudge to finally start this series. That shorter than the typical mass market paperback, nicely typeset, drenched-in-red edition of Death at La Fenice caught my eye, but after finishing the series opener, it was Brunetti who drew me back to Donna Leon’s Venice. Guido…
Get in the spirit with a cozy mystery! Print the list below or keep reading for summaries of each title.
Louise Penny’s latest book, Glass Houses, debuted at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. If you’re a fan of Inspector Gamache, but are still waiting for your copy, here are some series to try in the meantime. Guido Brunetti mysteries by Donna Leon Donna Leon writes the Guido Brunetti mysteries, whose protagonist is…
“On a foggy summer night, eleven people–ten privileged, one down-on-his-luck painter–depart Martha’s Vineyard on a private jet headed for New York. Sixteen minutes later, the unthinkable happens: the plane plunges into the ocean. The only survivors are Scott Burroughs–the painter–and a four-year-old boy, who is now the last remaining member of an immensely wealthy and…
I can’t recall how I first heard about this book, but I will admit that one of my favorite authors, Jodi Picoult’s quoted recommendation on the front cover, calling the book, “Provocative, evocative, fresh, Guskin’s book is an explosive debut,” may have played a part in my decision to check it out. The beginning chapters…
Sadly, I have to wait however long — and however long will be too long, I assure you — for series three of Grantchester, starring James Norton and Robson Green. (Withdrawal pangs struck not even a minute after the last scene of series two was consumed by credits. So, absolutely: another second without new views of Sidney &…
Quieter Than Sleep by Joanne Dobson “Karen Pelletier abandoned her life in New York for a professorship at Massachusetts’s elite Enfield College. But she quickly learns that New England is not the peaceful enclave she had imagined–and that not even the privileged world of academia is immune to murder….Professor Karen Pelletier’s prime literary passion is…
“At the high-end designer consignment shop Snapdragon, Helen Hawthorne must cater to the whims of snobby-yet-frugal customers like Chrissy, who comes in to sell a purse and ends up causing a scene. But when Chrissy is found dead in a dressing room with a hand-painted scarf around her neck, Helen goes from being low on…
Reviewed by Kim I thoroughly enjoyed this second book in the adventures of private investigator Cormoran and his assistant Robin. This time they are investigating the murder of an unlikable author Owen Quine, who has penned a bizarre and horrible book which is nothing but a thinly veiled attack on the people in his life…
Reviewed by Kim Although he was one of my favorite authors, I didn’t realize that Michael Palmer had died last Fall. He will be truly missed. As far as Resistant is concerned, it’s classic Palmer: He takes something that’s been in the news, in this case flesh eating bacteria, and gives it a unique twist…
“Set in Toronto at the dawn of the 20th century, Murdoch Mysteries is a one-hour drama series that explores the intriguing world of William Murdoch (Yannick Bisson), a methodical and dashing detective who pioneers innovative forensic techniques to solve some of the city’s most gruesome murders.” [Image & Text: Murdoch Mysteries Official Website] You may…
Reviewed by Kim As many readers know by now, this novel is actually written by J.K. Rowling. It features a very unique private investigator named Cormoran Strike. He lost his leg in Afghanastan and is barely scraping by. He’s down to one client, just broke up with his longtime girlfriend, and is living out of…
About the book: “To the public, he’s a hero: a brutal killer who targets sex offenders. To most of London’s police force, he’s the suspect in a gruesome, time-consuming case to be avoided. But to Detective Constable Maeve Kerrigan, he’s a murderer—no matter the sins of his victims—and catching him is her job. Assigned to…
The Crossing Places is the first in a series featuring forensic archaeologist Ruth Galloway. Ruth lives on a desolated saltmarsh on the Norfolk Coast in England. Most people wonder why she lives there, but Ruth worked on a dig in the saltmarsh where they found a henge (like Stonehenge but made of wood) and she…
Film enthusiast, Ludovic, purchases a number of films at an estate sale. One of the films is unmarked and Ludovic hopes that it will be a rare find. After watching the film in his home theater, Ludovic finds that he has gone blind. He grabs his phone and calls the first person he can and…
Reviewed by Kim Celebrity in Death picks up right where the previous book New York to Dallas left off. Eve, with the help of Rourke is still recovering from those events, and she is now the subject of a “vid”, (movie) based on the Icove case written by her friend Nadine. They along with the…
Reviewed by Kim Abby Radwell has an unusual psychic talent. She’s able to find, unlock and channel psychic energy from so called “hot books” and use it to disable people. After a near deadly incident in a client’s library, Abby receives a blackmail threat, and decides to hire an investigator and bodyguard named Sam Coppersmith…
Reviewed by Kim In P. D. James’ latest novel it’s 1803, six years after where Jane Austen ended Pride and Prejudice. Elizabeth and Darcy are blissfully ensconced in Pemberley with their two young sons. As they prepare for the annual Autumn Ball, what could possibly happen to shatter their happiness? Of course, more drama from…
It’s no secret ’round these parts that I love the show Justified, which is based on a character, namely one US Marshall Raylan Givens, who appears in several of Elmore Leonard’s short stories/novels. Apparently, Lenoard became re-enamoured with his creation after seeing what Timothy Olyphant did with him, and decided to resuscitate the the shoot-first-ask-later…
Teeny Templeton is having a pretty bad week. 1) She’s cancelled her wedding – having just discovered the skanky pastimes of her philandering fiance. 2) She’s just been bailed out of the slammer – having been arrested for assaulting said fiance and his naked paramourS with unripe peaches. And… 3) She’s now a prime murder…
Publisher’s Summary: “An international publishing sensation, Stieg Larsson’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo combines murder mystery, family saga, love story, and financial intrigue into one satisfyingly complex and entertainingly atmospheric novel. Harriet Vanger, a scion of one of Sweden’s wealthiest families disappeared over forty years ago. All these years later, her aged uncle continues…
Publisher’s summary: “Having narrowly averted an (under)world war, Cat Crawfield wants nothing more than a little downtime with her vampire husband, Bones. Unfortunately, her gift from New Orleans’ voodoo queen just keeps on giving-leading to a personal favor that sends them into battle once again, this time against a villainous spirit.” Jeaniene Frost has posted…
Reviewed by Kim Brisbane to Julia: “We simply must do something about your penchant for blowing things up, my Lady.” Yes, The Dark Enquiry starts off with a bang. Literally as well as figuratively. Having been married now for fifteen months, Lady Julia and her fascinating husband Nicholas Brisbane continue to clash even though their…
Widely regarded as the Queen of Mystery, Agatha Christie, according to publishing house HarperCollins, is the “most widely published author of all time, outsold only by the Bible and Shakespeare”. That may account for several things: the perennial adaptations of her work for the small and big screen (Jennifer Garner will be playing a young…
The next film in Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes franchise, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, won’t be released in theaters until this December. Who wants to wait that long to engage in some Sherlock and Watson good times? To tide you over, why not try one of these recent releases or old-favorites featuring (or alluding…
Publisher’s Summary: “After local firefighters pull Clare out of a blazing café, she happily comes to their rescue by teaching them the finer points of operating their newly donated espresso machine. But matters really heat up when somebody is torching cafes around the city and firefighters begin to die in suspicious ways… Believing the two…
After Lieutenant Eve Dallas suggests that her partner Detective Delia Peabody could use some practice on her footwork, Peabody decides to work out out in the NYPD’s old, rarely used gym as opposed to the new state of the art one which many of her well- toned colleagues avail themselves of. She has the place…
Publisher’s summary: “During the local college’s annual Honor’s Day festivities, a graduate student is killed. When the English professor suspected of his murder also meets an untimely end, Tallulah Jones steps out from behind the counter of Remember the a-la-Mode to clear the professor’s name-before anyone else gets put on ice…” Scoop to Kill is…
This review contains minor spoilers for previous books in the series. Dark Road To Darjeeling is Deanna Raybourn’s fourth book in her Lady Julia Grey series after Silent On the Moor. Set in 1989 the novel begins with Lady Julia and her husband Inquiry Agent Nicholas Brisbane on their honeymoon in the Himalayas, attempting to…
In the 19th book in this series, Roman detective Marcus Didius Falco travels to Alexandria with his family so that his pregnant wife can see the pyramids. This menagerie which includes, Falco and his wife, two young daughters, an adopted teenage daughter and Falco’s brother-in-law stays with Falco’s outcast uncle and his partner. As one…
Life in Three Pines, a small, tight-knit town on the outskirts of Montréal, is quiet. Residents pass time in the company of friends, art, and various other clubs. Until the morning that Jane Neal, a beloved member of the community, is found dead in the woods. Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sûreté du Québec…
It’s been a cliffhanger, but now the final page can be turned. The NPR audience nominated some 600 novels to our “Killer Thrillers” poll and cast more than 17,000 ballots. The final roster of winners is a diverse one to say the least…” To view the complete list, click on the link in the passage…
Martha Grimes’ mystery series has one thing I can’t resist: A charming, fallible detective. There are many other words that describe Chief Inspector Detective Richard Jury – personable, smart, unassuming – but those terms barely does him justice. Grimes excels at characterization; the inhabitants of the little villages Jury visits are fully realized, quirky, and…
Fans of Alt’s Bewitching Mystery series will no doubt tell you that, despite the transparent mystery, this sixth installment is well worth reading for its relationship-centric plot. What that means? More Marcus! And that’s always a good thing. So, this time around, Maggie gets an urgent call from her composed but worried mother; Maggie’s sister…
If you like books that take place close to home, we’ll give you a heads-up on titles you may want to check out with Read This’ new Local Connection feature. This time we’ve found one for all of you horror/police procedural fans: Alexandra Sokoloff’s June release, Book of Shadows, features two Boston homicide detectives and…
In the summer of 1921, English society is fascinated by the spiritual world – perhaps no one more than the great mystery writer Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, one of thirteen eager guests at a weekend party and seance in a stately Devon manor house steeped in history and tradition. But, as Sir Arthur puts it,…
The staff here at the Peabody Institute Library had the pleasure of hearing author and Boston Globe mystery reviewer, Hallie Ephron, hold forth on the mystery genre last week. She talked about the origin of mysteries and major authors in some of the many subgenres. She was a terrific speaker and many of us were…
In the eighth installment of the Coffeehouse Mystery series, Clare Cosi, manager of the Village Blend in Greenwich, NY, has her hands full trying to get her team of baristas to join in on the holiday spirit. When Clare finds Alfred Glockner, a traveling Santa and frequent customer at the blend, shot dead in an…
Originally from Palestine, Nayir is something of an outsider in Saudi Arabia. As a desert guide, he has become familiar with the bedouin customs, but the bedouins do not welcome him into their social circles and the Saudi’s think he is too much like a bedouin to be a Saudi. Yet he is highly regarded…
I have to confess I put off reading this last (sob) book in the Percy Jackson series for about a week and a half because I just couldn’t stand to see it end. When I picked it up, I tried to read it as slowly as possible in order to savor each scene, but that…
In this latest entry of the Dresden series, Harry winds up helping Morgan of all people, prove his innocence of murdering a White Council member. I’ve been looking forward to reading this as soon as I heard that Morgan would be coming to Harry for assistance. In my opinion, this is one of the best books…
Inkonvellum got me hooked on the Mary Russell series. If you aren’t familiar with these and you are a fan of historical mysteries, you are in for a real treat. This series follows the exploits of Mary Russell a young ex-patriot living on the Sussex Downs with her aunt. Russell literally stumbles on a semi-retired…
It’s the last gasp of summer for Kim Larsen and her friends before they head off to college. They go for one last swim before heading home. Kim never arrives.Reminiscent of the Molly Bish and Natalee Holloway cases, the Larsens, their family and friends organize search parties, fundraisers, and online websites to help find their…
When Evie’s father returned home from World War II, the family fell back into its normal life pretty quickly. But Joe Spooner brought more back with him than just good war stories. When movie-star handsome Peter Coleridge, a young ex-GI who served in Joe’s company in postwar Austria, shows up, Evie is suddenly caught in…
I’ve put off this post for weeks upon weeks now for two reasons: I love Maria V. Snyder’s Study series; we’re talking serious love here. I can never write about books/series I love because I can never adequately express just why it is that I do love them. (Who am I kidding? Sometimes I can’t…
I’ve never tried to review two books at the same time so please bear with me. “And Only To Deceive” is the first book in a historical/romance/mystery series featuring Emily Bromley. In this first entry, Emily is left a young widow albeit rich and titled widow when her husband dies while on Safari. Emily it…
This is a mission unlike anything my vampire boss, Vayl, and I have ever been on. It’s not our usual take them out and run; it’s an undercover mission that needs the whole gang: a psychic, an interpreter, and a weapons specialist. We’re joining a Special Ops team to nail the Wizard, a major terrorist…
Technically, Patricia Brigg’s Mercy Thompson series has been on my radar for some time; those who know me kept insisting I read them. And, wouldn’t you know, when I finally got around to it I ended up devouring the first two (with the third in progress) in a matter of days. Moon Called 1st in…
The “Master” is back!!!! A terrible construction accident takes Edgar Freemantle’s arm and scrambles his memory and mind, leaving him with little but rage as he begins the ordeal of rehabilitation. His marriage that produced two lovely daughters suddenly ends, and Edgar begins to wish that he hadn’t survived. His psychologist suggest a “geographic cure”,…
Fresh from a six-month sojourn in Italy, Lady Julia returns home to Sussex to find her father’s estate crowded with family and friends— but dark deeds are afoot at the deconsecrated abbey, and a murderer roams the ancient cloisters. Much to her surprise, the one man she had hoped to forget—the enigmatic and compelling Nicholas…
“Let the wicked be ashamed, and let them be silent in the grave.” These ominous words, slashed from the pages of a book of Psalms, are the last threat that the darling of London society, Sir Edward Grey, receives from his killer. Before he can show them to Nicholas Brisbane, the private inquiry agent he…
While her boss becomes entranced with a beautiful armoire at the countywide craft bazaar, Maggie can’t help noticing the Amish craftsman who made it. Though his clothes may be plain, he himself is more handsome than a man sporting a jawline-only beard has any right to be. And he seems pretty aware that the ladies…
The Painter of Battles Andrés Faulques, a world-renowned war photographer, has retired to a life of solitude on the Spanish coast. On the walls of a tower overlooking the sea, he spends his days painting a huge mural that pays homage to history’s classic works of war art and that incorporates a lifetime of disturbing…
Holly Winter and Kinsey Millhone are back again in their latest. Both deal with the issue of identity theft. ALL SHOTS by Susan Conant finds dog owner/trainer Holly Winter in search of the murderer of the “other” Holly Winter in town. While investigating, she learns of the existence of a third Holly Winter. Her advice…
Dean Koontz has expanded in recent years from his straight horror. Some of his fans like this and some don’t. I happen to belong to the former group and his newest offering is along the same vein. Amy Redwing heads a rescue group for Golden Retrievers. Dogs are literally her life. Brian McCarthy while not…
Here’s a review from Julie: I really liked this book. It’s wonderfully quirky; a mystery, but not so much about the mystery as about the detectives — a flock of sheep. Have you ever wondered how sheep think? Well, I can’t say as I really have, but I enjoyed finding out. Here’s the description from…
In 1811, murder has jarred London’s elite. The sons of prominent families have been found at dawn in public places, their bodies mutilated and strange objects stuffed into their mouths. Although Sebastian St. Cyr is distracted by his seemingly doomed relationship with actress Kat Boleyn, the oddness of these murders nags at him-and he becomes…
NYPSD Lieutenant Eve Dallas keeps the streets of a near-future New York City safe in this extraordinary series. But even she makes mistakes, and is haunted by those she couldn’t save-and the killers she couldn’t capture. When the body of a young brunette is found in East River Park, artfully positioned and marked by signs…
Silver Master tell the story of matchmaker Celinda Ingram and security specialist Davis Oakes. They’re both psychics (as is just about everyone on the planet Harmony), and they are trying to figure out the mystery behind what looks like a red plastic knob which Celinda’s dust bunny Ariminta pestered her into buying but is in…
This series just gets better and better! “The Wheel of Darkness” opens with both Pendergast and Constance recovering from their final battle with Pendergast’s evil brother Diogenes. They travel to Tibet, where after staying at a monastary and learning new meditation techniques from the mystical monks there, they are asked to retrieve a sinister artifact…
” Laura Lippman writes mostly about private investigator Tess Monaghan. Monaghan is a made-up name and what she does is a matter of fiction. But when Lippman puts Baltimore on the page, she’s got to get it right.” Fans of Lippman’s novels will want to read or listen to this piece on the setting for…
In Sansom’s second Mobile Library Mystery, we find our hero, Israel Armstrong, BA (Hons), in another ridiculous predicament. Our beloved underachiever has just finished his mobile-library-sponsored five-panel display on the history of the Dixon and Pickering’s department store, when he is apprehended for the robbery and kidnapping of Mr. Dixon. Sansom’s characters are wonderful and…
I don’t normally read mysteries, but how could I pass up a book about a Jewish, vegetarian, bookmobile librarian in Northern Ireland? Israel Armstrong spends countless hours travelling to Tumdrum and District, Co. Antrim, to start his new position as librarian only to find that the library has been “shut.” He later learns that his…
“The death of history teacher Craig Foster devastated his young wife, who’d sent him off to work that morning with a lovingly packed lunch. It shocked his colleagues at the Upper West Side private school. And as for the ten-year-old girls who found him in his classroom in a pool of bodily fluids, they may…
If you’re looking for a pleasant distraction, try Krentz’s White Lies. The publisher has apparently decided to name the books that involve parasensitives as Arcane Society Novels, so while the series name may be newish, the themes are not. White Lies was a very enjoyable romantic suspense novel with paranormal tendencies. Here’s a synopsis from…
The Mystery Writers of America have announced the 2007 nominees for the Edgar award. (See them all here!) Aren’t familiar with the Edgar’s? The MWA has a whole page dedicated to explaining the award and the judging process (and here it is.) They also have a list of past winners on the site. How about…
Jim Butcher’s highly entertaining wizard P.I. series was optioned by the SciFi channel to become a t.v. series. In fact, it premiered last night, and as an avid reader/fan of the books, I have to say, they did an excellent job. (Even though it didn’t stay true to Butcher’s story.) However, the books are…
A patron recommends Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child’s The Cabinet of Curiosities. She got so wrapped up in it, she finished it in two days! “In an ancient tunnel underneath New York City a charnel house is discovered. Inside are thirty-six bodies — all murdered and mutilated more than a century ago. While FBI agent…