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Clementine “Clemmie” Lakefield leads a simple life in her retirement community in Sun City, South Carolina. She plays cards, substitute teaches, and has learned to text with her niece and nephew; but Clemmie is not who she says she is. Behind her carefree facade, she is hiding a lifetime of secrets. When Clemmie’s curmudgeonly neighbor goes missing, Clemmie suddenly finds herself thrust into the spotlight at the center of a dangerous conspiracy. From international bestselling author Caroline B. Cooney comes Before She Was Helen, an absorbing mystery that explores the danger of confronting your own past life.
Hi mystery fans! First, if you’re looking for a social thriller/suspense/psychological thriller, Alyssa Cole’s When No One Is Watching is finally here and it’s one of my favorite reads of the year (Review). Now for what I’m chatting about today: an impactful crime novel and an Italian procedural with a lead unlike all other procedural leads.
Three-Fifths by John Vercher: Holy crime novel, Batman! This is a quick crime novel that packs a hell of a punch and leaves you thinking about it long after the last page.
Bobby Saraceno is in his early twenties, having been raised by a single white mother, doing his best to get by and excited to reunite with the only person he’d considered a friend, Aaron. Aaron had been in prison for the last three years and Bobby thought they’d pick back up, uniting over their love of comic books. But things quickly get out of hand when Aaron violently attacks a young Black man and Bobby flees the scene with him. The violent attack doesn’t just test their friendship but, rather, it unravels Bobby’s entire life, starting with the fact that he’s always passed as white and never told anyone, including Aaron, that his father is Black. After the crime we follow the fallout as we get to know Bobby, his mother who is trying to quit drinking, and the doctor struggling with a separation who sees the victim come into the hospital. And let me tell you how hard I was rooting for these three characters.
The entire novel is set in the mid-90s in Pittsburgh showing how little has changed as it illustrates the layers and depth of identity while tackling classism, racism, colorism, homophobia, loyalty, family, and the way society’s ills can break a person. (TW homophobia, racism/ slurs/ prison rape/ miscarriage, infertility recounted/ alcoholism/ suicide on page)
The Sleeping Nymph (Teresa Battaglia #2) by Ilaria Tuti, Ekin Oklap (Translator): A great sequel in this Italian procedural trilogy! First, a note on it being a sequel: the first book in the series, Flowers Over the Inferno, is where you should start because the trilogy is an evolution of the main character. However, if you’re not a reader of serial killer fiction and you want to start with this one because the mystery sounds more your speed, you won’t be lost.
Now on to The Sleeping Nymph, which had a super interesting mystery case: An art restorer realizes that a 70-year-old painting is covered in blood and calls police with the concern that maybe the woman in the painting was murdered–especially since the painter has been in a self-imposed catatonic state for almost 70 years. I know! Tasked with the case is Superintendent Teresa Battaglia who is 60 years old, has diabetes, and now uses a notebook to keep track of everything because she’s hiding the beginning stages of dementia from everyone. Yup! If a crime was committed, it took place 70 years ago, during WWII, making it highly unlikely that a missing woman would have been recorded by police. So where does the team start?
Battaglia is tough and prickly, but always looking out for those she cares for in her own way. Her partner, half her age, is struggling with a secret that is unraveling his relationship with his girlfriend and has Battaglia after the secret. And Battaglia has to deal with a contentious boss from her past, while trying to convince the team that a young dog trainer who is blind is perfect for their team.
Not only was the mystery a hook for me but this goes into an interesting place, the Resia Valley, and its people, which will probably be a first *learn for most readers. If you want a mystery to sink into, enjoy procedurals and historical mysteries, and like watching your characters evolve over a series, don’t miss this one. I know I’m going to greatly miss Battaglia at the end of this trilogy. (*Keep in mind this is fiction, and not own voices, but it certainly led me down a rabbit hole.) (TW ableism/ past memory of dead baby, not graphic or detailed/ memory of past child abuse/ past domestic abuse briefly recounted, loss of pregnancy/ past war torture mentions, details/ anti-Semitism)
Browse all the books recommended in Unusual Suspects previous newsletters on this shelf. See 2020 upcoming releases and 2021. An Unusual Suspects Pinterest board. Get Tailored Book Recommendations!
Until next time, keep investigating! In the meantime, come talk books with me on Twitter, Instagram, and Litsy–you can find me under Jamie Canavés.
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