Mystery
The Sun Down Motel
Simone St. James
FICTION St. James, Simone
Mystery, Thriller, Suspense
"The secrets lurking in a rundown roadside motel ensnare a young woman, just as they did her aunt thirty-five years before, in this new atmospheric suspense novel from the national bestselling and award-winning author of The Broken Girls. Upstate NY, 1982. Every small town like Fell, New York, has a place like the Sun Down Motel. Some customers are from out of town, passing through on their way to someplace better. Some are locals, trying to hide their secrets. Viv Delaney works as the night clerk to pay for her move to New York City. But something isn't right at the Sun Down, and before long she's determined to uncover all of the secrets hidden there. Upstate NY, 2017. Carly Kirk has always been fascinated by her aunt Viv who disappeared from the Sun Down before Carly was born. Using a small inheritance from when her mom dies, Carly leaves college to go to Fell to figure out what happened to her aunt thirty-five years ago. Soon, Carly is mirroring her aunt's life, working as the night clerk at the motel, which hasn't changed since 1982. The guest book is still handwritten, the rooms still have actual keys, and a haunting presence still lingers. Carly discovers that Viv had been trying to unravel mysteries of her own--including a possible serial killer working in Fell. If Carly can find the answers Viv was searching for, she might be able to solve the mystery that has haunted her family for years"--
Long bright river
Liz Moore
FICTION Moore Liz
Suspense, Mystery
"A suspense novel that also looks at the anatomy of a Philadelphia family rocked by the opioid crisis and the relationship between two sisters--one, suffering from addiction, who has suddenly gone missing amid a series of mysterious murders; the other a police officer who patrols the neighborhood from which she disappeared: a story about the formidable ties between place, family, and fate" --
A sad, but compelling read that highlights the intricacies of addiction, family and abuse of power within the criminal justice system. -Mari
The truants
Kate Weinberg
FICTION Weinberg Kate
Suspense, Mystery
People disappear when they most want to be seen. Jess Walker has come to a concrete campus under the flat grey skies of East Anglia for one reason: To be taught by the mesmerizing and rebellious Dr Lorna Clay, whose seminars soon transform Jess's thinking on life, love, and Agatha Christie. Swept up in Lorna's thrall, Jess falls in with a tightly-knit group of rule-breakers--Alec, a courageous South African journalist with a nihilistic streak; Georgie, a seductive, pill-popping aristocrat; and Nick, a handsome geologist with layers of his own. But when tragedy strikes the group, Jess turns to Lorna. Together, the two seek refuge on a remote Italian island, where Jess tastes the life she's long dreamed of--and uncovers a shocking secret that will challenge everything she's learned.
Looking for a back to school college mystery? How about a modern mystery inspired by Agatha Christie? "The Truants" would fit the bill! Jess chose her college to study under Dr. Lorna Clay and is amazed and honored that the professor takes a shine to her. She also feels like she has found a place at school with a new group of friends. But of course, there are secrets. And things get complicated. And then someone goes missing...Great read for a fall night. -Anne M
The sound of danger
Mac Barnett
jFICTION/Barnett Mac
Mystery
"This is a story of stolen violins. It's got mummies, museums, sandwiches, hostages, and a dangerous showdown with the Russian Red Army Choir. Open this book to find out more about my adventures. But beware--this mission is top secret and very dangerous!" -- cover.
new book in the Mac B, Kid Spy series! -Anne W
Before the ever after
Jacqueline Woodson
jFICTION/Woodson, Jacqueline
Mystery
ZJ's friends Ollie, Darry and Daniel help him cope when his father, a beloved professional football player, suffers severe headaches and memory loss that spell the end of his career.--
new book in the Mac B, Kid Spy series! -Anne W
The case of Windy Lake
Michael Hutchinson
jFICTION/Hutchins Michael
Mystery
"Sam, Otter, Atim, and Chickadee are four inseparable cousins growing up on the Windy Lake First Nation. Nicknamed the Mighty Muskrats for their habit of laughing, fighting, and exploring together, the cousins find that each new adventure adds to their reputation. When a visiting archaeologist goes missing, the cousins decide to solve the mystery of his disappearance. In the midst of community conflict, family concerns, and environmental protests, the four get busy following every lead. From their base of operations in a fort made out of an old school bus, the Mighty Muskrats won't let anything stop them from solving their case!" P. [4] of cover.
New to our library really good mystery with Indigenous characters! -Anne W
Spy school revolution
Stuart Gibbs
jFICTION/Gibbs, Stuart
Mystery
With SPYDER apparently defeated, thirteen-year-old Benjamin Ripley is hoping for some peace at spy school, but when the CIA conference room next to where Ben and Alexander are trying to explain everything to Ben's parents (no easy task) is blown up, suspicion falls on fellow trainee (and secret crush) Erica.
newest in the hugely popular, funny mystery Spy School series! -Anne W
The Parker inheritance
Varian Johnson
eBOOK
Black Lives Matter, Read Woke, Mystery, Adventure
Twelve-year-old Candice Miller is spending the summer in Lambert, South Carolina, in the old house that belonged to her grandmother, who died after being dismissed as city manager for having the city tennis courts dug up looking for buried treasure--but when she finds the letter that sent her grandmother on the treasure hunt, she finds herself caught up in the mystery and, with the help of her new friend and fellow book-worm, Brandon, she sets out to find the inheritance, exonerate her grandmother, and expose an injustice once committed against an African American family in Lambert.
Varian Johnson tells a touching story featuring multiple difficult conversations about systemic racism and oppression, with grace and humor. Dedicate yourself to unlocking the mystery here and you won't be disappointed. -Casey
Devil in a blue dress
Walter Mosley
MYSTERY Mosley, Walter
Mystery, Black Lives Matter
Set in the late 1940s, in the African-American community of Watts, Los Angeles, Devil in a Blue Dress follows Easy Rawlins, a black war veteran just fired from his job at a defense plant. Easy is drinking in a friend's bar, wondering how he'll meet his mortgage, when a white man in a linen suit walks in, offering good money if Easy will simply locate Miss Daphne Monet, a blonde beauty known to frequent black jazz clubs.
Added by Brian
I'll admit I placed this book on hold without reading the description solely because I was intrigued by the cover. It ended up being a little different than what I expected, which I think was probably a little like the movie Bad Times at the El Royale, but while it did leave some to be desired in the category of character development, it was an intriguing story with ghosts, detective work, and female empowerment. -Mari