Mystery
A bad day for Sunshine
Darynda Jones
MYSTERY Jones Darynda
Mystery, Romance
"Sheriff Sunshine Vicram finds her cup o' joe more than half full when the small village of Del Sol, New Mexico, becomes the center of national attention for a kidnapper on the loose. Del Sol, New Mexico is known for three things: its fry-an-egg-on-the-cement summers, its strong cups of coffee--and a nationwide manhunt? Del Sol native Sunshine Vicram has returned to town as the elected sheriff--an election her adorably meddlesome parents entered her in--and she expects her biggest crime wave to involve an elderly flasher named Doug. But a teenage girl is missing, a kidnapper is on the loose, and all of it's reminding Sunny why she left Del Sol in the first place. Add to that trouble at her daughter's new school and a kidnapped prized rooster named Puff Daddy, and Sunshine has her hands full. Enter sexy almost-old-flame Levi Ravinder and a hunky US Marshall, both elevens on a scale of one to blazing inferno, and the normally savvy sheriff is quickly in over her head. Now it's up to Sunshine to juggle a few good hunky men, a not-so-nice kidnapping miscreant, and Doug the ever-pesky flasher. And they said coming home would be drama-free."--
A line to kill : a novel
Anthony Horowitz
MYSTERY Horowitz Anthony
Fiction, Mystery
"When Ex-Detective Inspector Daniel Hawthorne and his sidekick, author Anthony Horowitz, are invited to an exclusive literary festival on Alderney, an idyllic island off the south coast of England, they don't expect to find themselves in the middle of murder investigation--or to be trapped with a cold-blooded killer in a remote place with a murky, haunted past. Arriving on Alderney, Hawthorne and Horowitz soon meet the festival's other guests--an eccentric gathering that includes a bestselling children's author, a French poet, a TV chef turned cookbook author, a blind psychic, and a war historian--along with a group of ornery locals embroiled in an escalating feud over a disruptive power line. When a local grandee is found dead under mysterious circumstances, Hawthorne and Horowitz become embroiled in the case. The island is locked down, no one is allowed on or off, and it soon becomes horribly clear that a murderer lurks in their midst. But who?"--
I love this series, and this might be my favorite one so far. The basic premise is ongoing, ie, Anthony Horowitz is an author who follows and documents a private detective, Daniel Hawthorne, in order to give his books a insight and some pizazz. The setting is great in this book--a small island off the coast of England, where they are there for a book festival. This series isn't exactly a cozy by any means--the violence can be graphic, the characters can be pretty awful--but there is a humor and hard-won camaraderie between author and investigator that is kind of heartwarming, in a murder-y sort of way. -Candice
The Maid: A Novel
Nita Prose
OverDrive Audiobook
Mystery
Molly Dunn is not like everyone else. She struggles with social skills and interprets people literally. Her gran used to interpret the world for her, codifying it into simple rules that Molly could live by. Since Gran died a few months ago, twenty-five-year-old Molly has had to navigate life's complexities all by herself. No matter--she throws herself with gusto into her work as a hotel maid. Her unique character, along with her obsessive love of cleaning and proper etiquette, make her an ideal fit for the job. She delights in donning her crisp uniform each morning, stocking her cart with miniature soaps and bottles, and returning guest rooms at the Regency Grand Hotel to a state of perfection. But Molly's orderly life is turned on its head the day she enters the suite of the infamous and wealthy Charles Black, only to find it in a state of disarray and Mr. Black himself very dead in his bed. Before she knows what's happening, Molly's odd demeanor has the police targeting her as their lead suspect and she finds herself in a web of subtext and nuance she has no idea how to untangle. Fortunately for Molly, a medley of friends she didn't realize she had refuses to let her be charged with murder--but will they be able to discover the real killer before it's too late?
Boy, this was a fun listen! If you love locked-room mysteries, but like your mysteries to be humorous, this one is for you. -Anne M
Jailbreak at Alcatraz : Frank Morris & the Anglin Brothers' great escape
Tom (Writer of children's books) Sullivan
jGRAPHIC NOVEL Sullivan
Mystery, Graphic Novels, Kids, True Crime
CASE NO. 002: THE ROCK. June 12, 1962. SAN FRANCISCO BAY, CALIFORNIA. 7:18 A.M. A corrections officer at Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary tries to awaken inmate AZ-1441, Frank Morris. But when he shakes the unresponsive man, his head rolls off the pillow and crashes to the floor! Soon the guards realize that Morris and two other inmates, brothers John and Clarence Anglin, had done the seemingly impossible: escaped from the notorious island prison. This is the incredible true story of the daring and inventive escape and a decades-long manhunt in a case that remains unsolved to this day. Comics panels, reproductions of documents from real FBI files, and photos from the investigation combine for a thrilling read for sleuths of all ages.
I loved Tom Sullivan's first graphic novel, Escape at 10,000 feet: D.B. Cooper and the missing money, so much that I knew I was going to enjoy his latest historical graphic retelling of a true event! These books are a great read for those reluctant readers in your life or for anyone looking for a good unsolved mystery. -Angie
The Postcard Killers
Patterson, James, 1947-
MYSTERY Patterson, James
Mystery
NYPD detective Jack Kanon and Swedish reporter Dessie Larsson traverse Europe in hot pursuit of a serial killer, one who sends a postcard before each murder and was responsible for the slayings of Jack's daughter and her boyfriend.
Added by Beth
Kingdom of the blind
Louise Penny
MYSTERY Penny Louise
Mystery
When a peculiar letter arrives inviting Armand Gamache to an abandoned farmhouse, the former head of the Sûreté du Québec discovers that a complete stranger has named him one of the executors of her will. Still on suspension, and frankly curious, Gamache accepts and soon learns that the other two executors are Myrna Landers, the bookseller from Three Pines, and a young builder. None of them had ever met the elderly woman. The will is so odd and includes bequests that are so wildly unlikely that Gamache and the others suspect the woman must have been delusional. But what if, Gamache begins to ask himself, she was perfectly sane? When a body is found, the terms of the bizarre will suddenly seem less peculiar and far more menacing. But it isn't the only menace Gamache is facing. The investigation into what happened six months ago--the events that led to his suspension--has dragged on, into the dead of winter. And while most of the opioids he allowed to slip through his hands, in order to bring down the cartels, have been retrieved, there is one devastating exception. Enough narcotic to kill thousands has disappeared into inner city Montreal. With the deadly drug about to hit the streets, Gamache races for answers. As he uses increasingly audacious, even desperate, measures to retrieve the drug, Armand Gamache begins to see his own blind spots. And the terrible things hiding there.
First in the Chief Inspector Gamache series by Louise Penny. Currently there are 17 books in the series. -Beth
Chocolate chip cookie murder
Joanne Fluke
MYSTERY Fluke, Joanne
Mystery
Hannah Swenson already has her hands full trying to dodge her mother's attempts to marry her off while running The Cookie Jar, Lake Eden, Minnesota's most popular bakery. But once Ron LaSalle, the beloved delivery man from the Cozy Cow Dairy, is found murdered behind her bakery with Hannah's famous Chocolate Chip Crunchies scattered around him, her life just can't get any worse....
The first book in Joanne Fluke's Hannah Swensen mystery series, which in up to 29 books. -Beth
Catering to nobody
Diane Mott Davidson
MYSTERY Davidson, Diane Mott
Fiction, Mystery
Even though working a wake isn’t Goldy Bear’s idea of fun, the Colorado caterer throws herself into preparing a savory feast featuring Poached Salmon and Strawberry Shortcake Buffet designed to soothe forty mourners. Her culinary efforts seem to be exactly what the doctor ordered . . . until her former father-in-law, gynecologist Fritz Korman, is struck down—and Goldy is accused of adding poison to the menu. Now, with the Department of Health impounding her leftovers, her ex-husband trashing her name, and her business close to being shut down, Goldy knows she can’t wait for the police to serve up answers. She soon uncovers more than one skeleton in the closet, along with a veritable slew of unpalatable secrets—the kind that could make Goldy the main course in an unsavory killer’s next murder
The first book in the Goldy Bear Culinary Mystery series. -Beth
The chef
James Patterson
MYSTERY Patterson, James
Mystery, Fiction
In the Carnival days leading up Mardi Gras, Detective Caleb Rooney comes under investigation for a murder he is accused of committing in the line of duty -- as a Major Crimes detective for the New Orleans Police Department. Has his sideline at the Killer Chef food truck given him a taste for murder? While fighting the charges against him, Rooney makes a pair of unthinkable discoveries: His beloved city is under threat of attack . . . and these would-be terrorists may be local. As crowds of revelers gather, Rooney follows a fearsome trail of clues, racing from outlying districts into city center. He has no idea what -- or whom -- he'll face in defense of his beloved hometown, only that innocent lives are at stake.
Added by Beth
Four to score
Janet Evanovich
MYSTERY Evanovich, Janet
Mystery, Humor
Stephanie Plum, Trenton, New Jersey's favorite pistol-packing, condom-carrying bounty hunter, is back---and on the trail of a revenge-seeking waitress who's skipped bail. With the help of seventy-three-year-old Grandma Mazur, ex-hooker Lula, a transvestite musician named Sally Sweet, and the all-too-sexy Joe Morelli, Stephanie might just catch her woman. Then again, with more mishaps than there are exits on the Jersey Turnpike---including murders, firebombs, and Stephanie's arch-rival bounty hunter chasing after the same fugitive---Stephanie better watch her back big-time if she wants to live to crack this case.
Added by Beth
I was kinda hoodwinked into reading this book. I read about it thinking it fit the new and trendy "Sunshine Noir" genre. Think: Nordic Noir but in the sunshine, where the tension rises as the temp does. Turns out, there're snow storms all over this book! Nonetheless, I did find it to be a zippy read that pulled me into the characters and the storyline. I loved the budding love between the new girl and a broody teen poet. Nose-deep into the pages, I followed along eagerly as the detectives followed the tracks of a missing person. I don't read a lot of mysteries, but I'm glad I picked this one up because I couldn't put it down! -Melody