Author: Jamie Canaves

Hello mystery fans! It has been a week overfloweth with NEWS so buckle up!

On Book Riot and Around the Internet

Alice and Kim talked about a bunch of interesting true crime novels on the For Real podcast which has quickly become one of my favorite podcasts.

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Sponsored by Poisoned Pen Press

The twenty brand new crime stories in this book have been specially commissioned to celebrate the tenth anniversary of CrimeFest, described by The Guardian as “one of the 50 best festivals in the world.” The editors are Martin Edwards and Adrian Muller. Contributors include Lee Child, Ann Cleeves, Jeffery Deaver, and Ian Rankin

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Delicious Deaths: 6 Culinary Murder Mysteries

Upcoming Mystery Releases Worthy of Confetti Cannon

50 Must-Read True Crime Books

5 True Crime TV Shows Based On Books That You Probably Didn’t Realize Were Adaptations

If you haven’t entered to win 15 (FIFTEEN!) of this year’s awesome mystery/thriller releases that Book Riot is giving away you really should!

Adaptations and News

The teaser trailer for Gillian Flynn’s Sharp Objects limited series adaptation is HERE! This was Flynn’s first novel about a journalist who returns to her hometown after a girl is murdered. Like her other novels, expect dark twists, family drama, and a whole lot of bite! The limited series will air on HBO in July and stars Amy Adams, Patricia Clarkson, and is directed by Jean-Marc Vallée (also directed the adaptations of Big Little Lies and Wild.)

Amy Adams will be starring in The Woman in the Window adaptation. So basically Amy Adams is starring in all the thriller adaptations now and I am totally fine with this. If you haven’t picked up the book yet, it’s about an agoraphobic psychologist who thinks she sees a crime committed, but isn’t sure what to do, or if she’ll be believed…

 

Submissions for the 2018 Eleanor Taylor Crime Fiction writers of color award are now OPEN! The award is a $1,500 grant to an emerging writer of color. Writers have until June 15th to submit applications ,so chop-chop. For all the information you need, check out the Sisters in Crime site here.

First James Patterson teamed up with former President Bill Clinton to write a thriller—I know!–and now they’ve announced they’ve selected their narrator for The President is Missing (Hachette, June 4) and it is Dennis Quaid. And even though Quaid has played Clinton in an HBO/BBC film, I am an old and I will be imagining InnerSpace Quaid narrating this thriller, thank you very much.

Amy Stewart’s Girl Waits with Gun will be an hour long series on Amazon! The novels are based on the real life Constance Kopp, who in 1914 was the first female sheriff in the U.S.

Agatha Christie’s The Murder of Roger Ackroyd and The Murder on the Links will be in the public domain on January 1, 2019. You can check out the list of films, music, art, and literature that also joins Christie’s work here.

The upcoming film Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase has cast Sophia Lillis (Beverly Marsh in the IT remake) as Nancy Drew.

True Crime

(TW: rape) The suspect believed to be the East Area Rapist/Golden State Killer has been arrested after 40 years of open cases. I hope this brings some peace to the many victims and their families. If you want to read more about the case I’ll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman’s Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer by Michelle McNamara is fantastic. (Review) (The audiobook is narrated by Gabra Zackman with a calm, smooth voice and Patton Oswalt and Gillian Flynn narrate their own parts.) And if you’d like to help the rape kit backlog problem RAINN has a helpful page for contacting Congress and there’s the program End the Backlog.

Interview

How Ausma Zehanat Khan crafted a mystery based on Canadian and international real-world events: Khan tells CBC Books how she wrote A Dangerous Crossing

Watch Now

Backstabbing for Beginners: Based on Michael Soussan’s memoir, the film is a political thriller about a UN worker who uncovers a massive corruption in the Oil-for-Food Programme. The film stars Ben Kingsley, Theo James, and Jacqueline Bisset. Now in theaters, watch trailer.

And now available to buy digital, rent, and DVD: My Friend Dahmer. Adapted from Derf’s graphic novel about Jeffrey Dahmer when he was in high school, right before he became a serial kiler. (Review for graphic novel) (Trailer for film)

 

 

 Kindle Deals

A Spy in the House (The Agency #1) by Y.S. Lee is $1.99 (Review)

In a Cottage in a Wood by Cass Green is $1.99 (Review)

A Curious Beginning (Veronica Speedwell Mystery #1) by Deanna Raybourn is $2.99 (Series review)

The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes is $2.99 (LOVE her work. Dark, time traveling serial killer.)

A Bit of My Week In Reading

I have never downloaded a book faster than I did when I heard about Lilly Anderson’s Undead Girl Gang. A smart-mouthed Wicca teen brings back dead teen girls in order to solve their murders. I am loving this book so far!

In I-make-poor-reading decisions: I started reading right before bed a non-fiction book about a Brazilian hitman who has murdered almost 500 people. In my defense the book is really interesting so far so it’s not like putting it down was an option: The Name of Death by Kléster Cavalcanti,Nicholas Caistor (translator).

I finished a delightful memoir that read like a British comedy about an eighteen-year-old woman whose father made her join MI5 as a secretary in the ’50s: MI5 and Me by Charlotte Bingham.

Browse all the books recommended in Unusual Suspects previous newsletters on this shelf. And here’s an Unusual Suspects Pinterest board.

Until next time, keep investigating! And in the meantime come talk books with me on Twitter, Instagram, and Litsy–you can find me under Jamie Canaves.

If a mystery fan forwarded this newsletter to you and you’d like your very own you can sign up here.

Hi mystery fans! Hope spring has arrived wherever you are–unless you have allergies, in which case blergh to spring, bring summer! I’m actually looking forward to getting to read page-turner thrillers while pool floating, but for now, look at all the purdy flowers!

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Sponsored by Flatiron Books and M.L. Rio’s If We Were Villains

When a group of elite college thespians perform Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar,” life starts to imitate art when the lead actor ends up dead.

If We Were Villains was named one of Bustle’s Best Thriller Novels of the Year, and Mystery Scene says, “A well-written and gripping ode to the stage…A fascinating, unorthodox take on rivalry, friendship, and truth.”

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A Great Series for Veronica Mars Fans!

Trouble Never Sleeps (Trouble #3) by Stephanie Tromly: The conclusion to the Trouble series, which I hope with all my being isn’t the last book forever, because I love this series. If you haven’t read this series you should really start at the beginning: Trouble is a Friend of Mine. If you’ve been waiting for this third book in the series read on—or just go read the book! It totally satisfied everything for me of why I’ve been along for this ride where Digby has been trying to solve the mystery of his sister’s kidnapping, dragging Zoe into mostly ill-advised situations, while they’ve also been trying to work out their own feelings and relationship. I ended this book feeling swoony, and happy, AND also wanting more. So go buy this book so publishing will get the hint and I can have more Zoe and Digby and their perfect banter.

Will Satisfy Mystery, Women’s Fic, and Domestic Thriller Fans (Trigger Warning: rape/ suicide)

Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell: Lisa Jewell has a talent for building a mystery while still focusing on women’s daily lives and needs, desires, frustrations, and struggles. Laurel is a mother of three children when her youngest, her favorite, disappears. The book is told in parts, starting with the disappearance of Ellie, then years later as the family tries to move on with their lives—something Laurel is still struggling with, including guilt and the way the event affected her relationship with her other children and now ex-husband. When she finally puts herself out there and starts dating, things don’t seem right and the novel takes a new turn as Laurel tries to reclaim a life for herself but the past won’t let her. This was a page-turner for me with a healthy amount of suspense that builds from the middle of the novel. It’s also one of the only mysteries that has made me cry and not hate an epilogue.

Dark Dublin Procedural (Trigger Warnings: cutting/ domestic abuse/ suicide)

Too Close to Breathe (Frankie Sheehan #1) by Olivia Kiernan: This was a good start to a dark series–I’d say dark-ish for me but my measurement for dark is way off compared to other people. DCS Frankie Sheehan has her own demons from a recent event slowly revealed through the novel that she’s dealing with as a witness during the trial as she’s back at work and trying to catch whoever is murdering women. It starts with a doctor’s suicide, but Sheehan believes it to be staged, and then there are more victims and clearly she needs to identify and catch a serial killer. I found Sheehan interesting, good at her job and prickly with unnecessary nonsense, and the novel gave me enough thrills, mystery, and procedural to make it a page-turner while also leaving me excited that this starts a series. (I love an Irish narrated audiobook and Brona C Titley didn’t disappoint.)

Recent Releases:

White Rabbit by Caleb Roehrig (currently reading: Mix some Mean Girls with Adam Silvera’s YA relationships/heartbreak and throw in a whodunnit.)

The Girl I Used to Be by Mary Torjussen (TW: rape/ suicide) (Women fic + slow-burn psychological suspense. I really liked the direction it took for the ending.)

The Elizas by Sara Shepard (TW: suicide) (currently reading: novelist attempts suicide but has no memory and swears that can’t be what happened.)

Read Herring Hunt (Mystery Bookshop #2) by V.M. Burns (Cozy mystery with a bookstore owner, on my TBR.)

Beneath a Ruthless Sun: A True Story of Violence, Race, and Justice Lost and Found by Gilbert King (True Crime, on my TBR)

The Feather Thief: Beauty, Obsession, and the Natural History Heist of the Century by Kirk Wallace Johnson (True Crime, on my TBR–Alice and Kim review on For Real)

A Hiss Before Dying (Mrs. Murphy #26) by Rita Mae Brown (Paperback) (Cozy mystery with animals series)

The Boy in the Earth by Fuminori Nakamura, Allison Markin Powell (translation) (Paperback) (Psychological thriller, on my TBR)

And Book Riot is giving away 15 of this year’s mystery and thriller releases!!

Browse all the books recommended in Unusual Suspects previous newsletters on this shelf. And here’s an Unusual Suspects Pinterest board.

Until next time, keep investigating! And in the meantime come talk books with me on Twitter, Instagram, and Litsy–you can find me under Jamie Canaves.

If a mystery fan forwarded this newsletter to you and you’d like your very own you can sign up here.

Hello mystery fans!

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Wishlist upcoming releases you’re dying to read. Get exclusive podcasts and newsletters. Enter to win swag. Do it all when you join Insiders — and between April 15 and 30, you can get a free 2-week trial for Novel Monthly or Annual!
Subscribe to Book Riot Insiders!

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From Book Riot and the Internet:

Rincey and Katie have an interesting discussion about unreliable narrators on the Read or Dead podcast.

Great interview with Alison Gaylin and Megan Abbott (Creators of Normandy Gold) “Yet so much of what we were saying, not only about Washington corruption but about the power of female rage, feel incredibly relevant right now.”

From Vulture watch Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Sandra Oh, and Jodie Corner of Killing Eve discuss the #MeToo movement, equal pay, working on a show about powerful women… (adaptation from Luke Jennings novellas)

A mystery you can possibly help with: The National Archives has released photos from John F. Kennedy’s presidency on Flickr in hopes of helping to identify people.

AND Book Riot is giving away 15 of this year’s mysteries and thrillers!!!!

Adaptations:

They really buried the lead on this one: Megan Abbott’s Dare Me is going to be a series on USA Network! If you haven’t read Abbott’s work yet it really should be at the top of your reading pile. In Dare Me she uses a high school cheerleading program to explore the frenzied world of teenage girls.

Grantchester (based on short story mystery books by James Runcie) has been renewed for a fourth season (or series as they say in England). There’s a catch though, it will be “James Norton’s final episodes as character Sidney Chambers.” Guess you’ll have to wait and see who will get cast as the new vicar.

You can see the first trailer for You, an adaptation of Caroline Kepnes‘ novel centered on stalking.

A Little Q&A: Alex Segura (I give authors I’m excited about six questions and let them answer any three they’d like.)

Bienvenidos a Miami—where Pete Fernandez, who can be quite a bit of a hot mess, finds himself solving crimes and trying to stay alive. I like watching the main characters of mystery series evolve, and while Fernandez seems to keep at least some of his ability to make bonehead decisions, I’ve enjoyed watching him grow-up as he keeps finding himself in dangerous situations. I give a lot of side-eye to things set in Miami because so many feel like the creators have possibly never actually been to the city so I love recognizing a lot of the streets and Latinx communities in the series. Definitely a series to pick up if you’re a fan of modern hard-boiled mysteries.

Here’s Alex Segura:

What would you like to see more/less of in the mystery genre? I’d like to see more/better LGBTQ representation in the genre. There is some, and it’s done well, but I think we live in a diverse and changing world, and I’d like the genre to reflect that even more. I can be better at it, too. Sometimes what we know in our heads as writers, like a character’s orientation or background, doesn’t get a chance to reveal itself on the page, and that can be a missed opportunity. It’s something I think about a lot.

I’m also always eager to hear from new voices with unique backgrounds – writers that can put a new spin on the genre and push it forward because of their own, different life experiences. I love the PI novel, but the takes that I gravitate to as a reader are the ones that are nontraditional and feature characters that are flawed and evolving in believable ways, in terms of the kind of protagonists we see.

The last book you read that you loved? This is a bit of a cheat, but I’ll do nonfiction and fiction. In terms of fiction, Ariel Levy’s The Rules Do Not Apply is a jarring, intense and gut-wrenching memoir that I couldn’t put down, chronicling her life as a journalist, the ups and downs of her personal life and pregnancy and the miscarriage that sent her entire life into a tailspin. It’s not an easy read, but it’s an important one. Levy’s prose is compact and effective, and this book lingers with you. Not for the faint of heart.

In terms of fiction, I reread Emma Cline The Girls recently, and I was reminded how much I loved it the first time around. Her language is beautiful, I’m not sure how else to describe it. She has a knack for memorable metaphors and similes and the story, about a young girl in the 60s lured into a Manson-like cult and her experiences as an adult in the aftermath, flows organically and with purpose. Mysterious but not a mystery per se, The Girls is one of those books that you have to make a point of reading more slowly, otherwise you find yourself devouring it in a day.

Oh, and, okay – one more. I’m bad at picking just a single book, I guess: Ivy Pochoda’s Wonder Valley. It’s a multiple POV book that explores the lives of various characters in and around the California desert, from an ex-juvie kid to a burnt out suburban dad to a wandering college student, you really get into their heads and explore their desires and conflicts, with tons of great characterization, descriptions and a few jaw-dropping scenes. I really loved this one, and I’m eager to read Pochoda’s earlier novels.

Which non-mystery author would you love to see write a mystery? I’d love to read a mystery novel by Kelly Sue DeConnick (Bitch Planet, Captain Marvel). I absolutely love her comic book work and I just think she’d create a compelling and unique lead character. Make it happen, world!

Thanks Alex! *Throws ALL my money at a Kelly Sue DeConnick crime novel!

Kindle Deal:

A Red Herring Without Mustard (Flavia de Luce #3) by Alan Bradley is $1.99

 

Browse all the books recommended in Unusual Suspects previous newsletters on this shelf. And here’s an Unusual Suspects Pinterest board.

Until next time, keep investigating! And in the meantime come talk books with me on Twitter, Instagram, and Litsy–you can find me under Jamie Canaves.

If a mystery fan forwarded this newsletter to you and you’d like your very own you can sign up here.

Hi mystery fans! I’ve found the downside to writing posts about upcoming releases is that, inevitably, more books will be announced that I wish I could go back in time to add to the original post. Like when I wrote about the 2018 mystery & thrillers I was excited about ,I did not know Tana French has an upcoming novel! So let’s talk about those novels that didn’t make it into my first post because I didn’t know about them yet.

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Sponsored by THE MANSON WOMEN AND ME by Nikki Meredith published by Citadel Press.

Journalist Nikki Meredith writes of her experience visiting Leslie Van Houten and Patricia Krenwinkel in prison…As Meredith got to know Krenwinkel and Van Houten over the years, she increasingly came to wonder how seemingly normal people can come to commit such vicious, barbaric acts. Meredith asks the questions that have nagged many of us for years—how does this happen?

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The Witch Elm by Tana French (Viking, October 9): Tana French has an upcoming novel! And it’s a standalone! And suspense! After being attacked Toby goes to take care of his uncle at his family’s ancestral home, but if he meant this to be an escape it won’t be because a skull is discovered. All the give-me-grabby-hands! If you’ve missed all the Book Riot shouting about how fantastic French is here’s why her Dublin Murder Squad series is a perfect binge and A Little Q&A with Tana French.

Wrecked (IQ #3) by Joe Ide (Mulholland Books, October 9): A new IQ! A new IQ! I really enjoy this series about a PI who takes on cases in his East Long Beach neighborhood using his intelligence and deduction skills. Looks like this time around Dodson isn’t just a sometimes-needed-sidekick but a full on partner. Oh, and he’s got ideas for the business like social media and I’m already cracking up just imagining IQ’s response.

Any Man by Amber Tamblyn (Harper Perennial, June 26) (TW: rape): Tamblyn is known as a poet, actress, and vocal speaker for the #metoo movement, so seeing that she has a novel coming out definitely piqued my interest. Then I read the summary and it became a the-UPS-guy-is-definitely-getting-tackled-on-delivery-day must-read. Tamblyn uses poetry and prose to create suspense in a novel about a female serial rapist of men “to give shape to the shocking narratives of victims of sexual violence, mapping the destructive ways in which our society perpetuates rape culture.”

The Lady Killer by Masako Togawa (Pushkin Vertigo, October 2): Bring me all the Japanese crime novels. All of them! A married man with a roving eye is convicted of murdering three of his recent mistresses… “Full of subtly menacing tensions and sharp psychological insights”– here for this!

 

 

Pieces of Her by Karin Slaughter (William Morrow, July 31): Karin Slaughter’s last book, The Good Daughter, slaughtered me (sorry, not sorry) and here I am begging for more. A small town, family, secrets, and explosive violence–sounds like Slaughter is still at her best.

 

 

Caught in Time (Kendra Donovan #3) by Julie McElwain (Pegasus Books, July 3): You know my love for Nevertheless, She Persisted mysteries and this is one of my favorite series. Donovan is still stuck in 1800s England after somehow being transported from modern times where she was an FBI agent. Donovan trying not to reveal things from the future, while solving cases in a society that doesn’t let women do practically anything is always a smart and fun read for me.

It All Falls Down (Nora Watts #2) by Sheena Kamal (William Morrow, July 3): I really enjoyed the first in this series, The Lost Ones, which introduced Nora Watts and had an explosive thriller ending. I’m glad to see we’ll get more Watts–one of those “unlikable” women that I really liked a lot–as she travels to Detroit to uncover a mystery concerning her father. Problem is it seems her Vancouver past is looking for her…

 

The Hollow of Fear (Lady Sherlock #3) by Sherry Thomas (Berkley, October 2): That squeal you heard that cracked the earth was me finding out there is more Charlotte Sherlock on the way! It looks like the plot from the previous book continues so I’m not going to talk about this one in case you haven’t started the series but I am going to glare at you until you go start this fantastic series: A Study in Scarlet Women. (Equally wonderful in audiobook narrated by Kate Reading!)

My Favorite Thing is Monsters Vol 2 by Emil Ferris (Fantagraphics, August 14th): I have been needing this book since the second I turned the last page on Vol 1–a fantastic, gorgeous, smart, creative graphic novel about a young girl trying to solve her neighbor’s murder while trying to navigate her difficult life. If you haven’t read Vol 1 yet go do that immediately so you can then impatiently wait for August with me!

Murder at the Grand Raj Palace (Baby Ganesh Agency Investigation #4) by Vaseem Khan (Redhook, June 12th ): So this one time I read a mystery book just to see if it would give me tips on how to end up on the receiving end of inheriting a baby elephant: The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra. And then I fell in love with a retired Inspector and his elephant sidekick. So what I’m saying is I’m excited for more Chopra, baby elephant Ganesha, and I’d like more mysteries with animal sidekicks. Please, and thank you.

Paperback Releases

The Good Daughter by Karin Slaughter (Paperback) (TW: all of them) (Fantastic mystery that explores trauma and living with grief–Review)

If We Were Villains (Paperback) (Seven students attending Dellecher Classical Conservatory as Shakespeare actors have bonded and created a clique as they eat, sleep, breathe Shakespeare–that is until a real life tragedy!–Review)

Dark Chapter by Winnie M. Li (Paperback) (TW: rape) (A crime novel that follows two characters before, during, and after a rape–Review)

AND remember Book Riot is giving away 15 of this year’s mysteries and thrillers!!!!

Browse all the books recommended in Unusual Suspects previous newsletters on this shelf. And here’s an Unusual Suspects Pinterest board.

Until next time, keep investigating! And in the meantime come talk books with me on Twitter, Instagram, and Litsy–you can find me under Jamie Canaves.

If a mystery fan forwarded this newsletter to you and you’d like your very own you can sign up here.

Hi mystery fans! Anyone else watch the premiere of the BBC’s Killing Eve? I didn’t realize I was craving a good cat and mouse thriller until I was bummed the episode had ended and I didn’t have more. I did however know I was craving more Sandra Oh and I love her character–also, the both arms asleep has possibly, maybe, uh, happened to me. I’d say “don’t judge” but seriously, judge away.

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Sponsored by American by Day by Derek B. Miller

A gripping and timely novel that follows Sigrid—the dry-witted detective from Derek B. Miller’s best-selling debut Norwegian by Night—from Oslo to the United States on a quest to find her missing brother

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On Book Riot and Around the Internet:

Tana French has an upcoming novel!!!

This story about a librarian discovering the secret code elderly patrons use is delightful. And also a perfect way to start a mystery novel–hint, hint mystery writers.

Bustle put together The 20 True Crime Books On Goodreads With The Highest Ratings From Users

In news that sounds like a Bones episode: The mystery of the mummy’s head: How the FBI helped crack a 4,000-year-old case

If you haven’t already entered Book Riot is giving away 15 (fifteen!) awesome mystery/thrillers that have released this year.

Adaptation News:

Michelle McNamara’s true crime I’ll Be Gone in the Dark (review) will be an HBO docuseries. It is going to give me nightmares but I am going to watch it–during the day.

If you’ve been dying for the adaption of J.K. Rowling’s Cormoran Strike novels, C.B. Strike mini series(trailer),  to come to the U.S. there’s a good chance you’re going to be happy and then a bit bummed about this news. Yay: it’s coming this June to the U.S. Possibly bummed: it’s going to Cinemax–which I’m not sure many people have? *whispers I didn’t know it still existed

Fans expectations ruined the chances for more Sherlock seasons on BBC, at least according to Martin Freeman: “Being in that show, it is a mini-Beatles thing,” says Freeman. “People’s expectations, some of it’s not fun any more. It’s not a thing to be enjoyed, it’s a thing of: ‘You better f—— do this, otherwise you’re a c—.’ That’s not fun anymore.” Ah, the joys of intense fans.

For fans of The Sinner (trailer), USA Network’s adaptation of Petra Hammesfahr‘s novel, it has officially been renewed for a second season. They seem to be expanding out from the original source material and will give the detective a new case to solve. Based on their statement about staying consistent with the feel of the show I expect another dark whydunnit. As for streaming the first season, Netflix appears to have an actual page for the show without a “play now” button so I’m assuming it’s coming soon.

In reverse adaptation news (novelization) Joseph Fink’s podcast Alice Isn’t Dead is becoming a novel. In the podcast truck driver Keisha is searching for her missing wife Alice who was presumed dead but Keisha keeps seeing her in the background of news reports. The novel will release October 30th, and you can read an excerpt  and listen to the podcast while you wait.

Interviews:

David Grann, author of Killers of the Flower Moon, answers questions on PBS.

Kindle Deals:

Land of Shadows (Detective Elouise Norton #1) by Rachel Howzell Hall is $2.99! (If you’re looking to start at the beginning of a detective series it’s great–review) (A Little Q&A with Rachel Howzell Hall)

The Lost Ones by Sheena Kamal is $1.99! Just in time for the sequel, It All Falls Down, coming out in July. (For fans of thrillers– review)

The Night Manager by John le Carré is $2.99!

The Fourth Monkey (4MK Thriller #1) by J.D. Barker is $1.99 Also in time for the sequel releasing in July. (For fans of procedurals, serial killers, and horror–review)

And wow the collection (books 1-3) of Amy Stewart’s Kopp Sisters series is $3.99! (That’s ALL 3 ebooks for $3.99) (All the Books review)

My Week In Reading:

I am a monster and have tossed aside a bunch of books this week, le sigh. But I am reading Steph Cha’s Dead Soon Enough–I really enjoy this modern noir series. I started reading White Rabbit by Caleb Roehrig which made me realize I can’t say no to the wakes-up-holding-knife-next-to-dead-body-but-has-no-memory plot. So far it has notes of horror and is a bit soapy, which I’m here for. And from the library–ensuring I will not have a relaxing weekend–I got A False Report: A True Story of Rape in America by T. Christian Miller. Hope you’re all reading something excellent!

Browse all the books recommended in Unusual Suspects previous newsletters on this shelf. And here’s an Unusual Suspects Pinterest board.

Until next time, keep investigating! And in the meantime come talk books with me on Twitter, Instagram, and Litsy–you can find me under Jamie Canaves.

If a mystery fan forwarded this newsletter to you and you’d like your very own you can sign up here.

Hello mystery fans! Book Riot is giving away 15 of this year’s mystery/thriller releases to one super lucky person, so pet a Luckdragon and enter here.

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Sponsored by MURDER AT HALF MOON GATE by Andrea Penrose published by Kensington Publishing Corp.

A wealthy lord who happens to be a brilliant scientist…an enigmatic young widow who secretly pens satirical cartoons…a violent killing disguised as a robbery…Nothing is as it seems in Regency London, especially when the Earl of Wrexford and Charlotte Sloane join forces to solve a shocking murder.

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For Cozy Mystery Fans

Death by Dumpling (A Noodle Shop Mystery #1) by Vivien Chien: Lana Lee is suddenly back home–working at her parents’ Chinese restaurant–after a work meltdown and huge breakup. Life does not always take the path you want it to, which is an understatement when you find yourself delivering the dumplings that kill a man. And by “man,” I mean the owner of the strip mall Lee’s parent’s restaurant is in. This naturally puts her and the chef on the detective’s radar. What’s a woman to do but throw herself into not-well-thought-out scenarios, dangerous positions, and hardcore snooping to find out what exactly really happened. The ending certainly left me wanting to continue reading a series starring Lee.

For fans of Big Little Lies (TW: domestic violence/ suicide discussion)

Not That I Could Tell by Jessica Strawser: Take a group of friendly neighbors in a small Ohio town, disappear one, and watch the secrets rise to the surface. After a ladies’ night around a fire pit, where neighbors drank too much and may have divulged too much about themselves, one goes missing. Kristin, mother of twins, has disappeared along with her children, and when questions quickly turn towards her husband, those who knew Kristin realize maybe they didn’t know everything. You have her best friend, also a mother, and a new-to-town single woman who’s really just trying to run away from her life. While the women aren’t actively trying to solve the disappearance, the novel follows the effect it has on them–especially when one starts to date Kristin’s husband–and does solve the mystery of what happened to her, giving me the Big Little Lies vibes. Also BLL vibes: the relationship between the women and the secrets. (I enjoyed Erin Bennett’s narration on the audiobook.)

Great Historical Fiction (TW: pedophilia)

A Death of No Importance by Mariah Fredericks: In 1910 New York, Jane Prescott, raised by a religious uncle with a home for rescued women, is a ladies’ maid for the rich. Prescott’s voice grabbed me immediately and kept me invested throughout, even before the mystery is presented: the fiancé of Prescott’s mistress is murdered. Prescott begins to investigate mostly out of concern for the possibility that she may know two people who may be suspected in the murder: her mistress, and a childhood friend who is now an anarchist. The mystery plays out amongst the upper-class while the city deals with anarchists and awful working conditions for the lower-class. A great read for fans of historical fiction.

Recent Releases:

I Know a Secret (A Rizzoli & Isles #12) by Tess Gerritsen (Paperback) (review) (Little Q&A with Tess Gerritsen)

Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann (Paperback) (review on All The Books podcast)

Girl in Snow by Danya Kukafka (Paperback) (For fans of mystery, lit fic, YA, and multiple pov) (TW: It’s been too long for my brain to remember but I want to say stalking was definitely one.)

Dangerous Ends (Pete Fernandez Mystery #3) by Alex Segura (Paperback) (Detective series set in Miami–I especially liked the “past” chapters that were historical fiction relating to the Cuban Revolution.)

Macbeth by Jo Nesbø (Currently listening to audiobook: A Shakespeare retelling set in a Scottish town in the 1970s.)

The Sixth Day (A Brit in the FBI #5) by Catherine Coulter, J.T. Ellison (on my TBR)

You All Grow Up and Leave Me: A Memoir of Teenage Obsession by Piper Weiss (currently reading: fantastic coming-of-age memoir + true crime) (TW: suicide/ child predator)

Browse all the books recommended in Unusual Suspects previous newsletters on this shelf. And here’s an Unusual Suspects Pinterest board.

Until next time, keep investigating! And in the meantime come talk books with me on Twitter, Instagram, and Litsy–you can find me under Jamie Canaves.

If a mystery fan forwarded this newsletter to you and you’d like your very own you can sign up here.

Hello mystery fans! Rami Malek needs to star in a PI series and these candid photos are proof. Seriously, I would watch the hell out of him starring as a PI–even an amateur sleuth–in a series and I’ll take dark and gritty or fun and silly.

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Let’s start with some things you may have missed from Rioters and the internet:

On the Read or Dead podcast Rincey and Katie talk about Katie’s visit to Lizzie Borden’s house, recent mystery news, and recent/upcoming reads.

Rioter Sarah Ullery has 50 (fifty!) of the best audiobooks for fans of thrillers.

I’ve got 10 Dark Family Secrets for you in order of least dark crime novel to oozing with darkness.

If you’re looking for British Cozy Mysteries to read Kristen McQuinn has 7 for you.

20 Big Mysteries & Thrillers of Spring according to Goodreads, and more posts for their Mystery & Thriller Week

Adaptation News:

In you-had-me-at-the-title My Sister the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite will not only publish from Doubleday in November BUT it also has been optioned by Working Title. I am here for both the book and any adaptation because this is the description; “Satire meets slasher in this short, darkly funny hand grenade of a novel about a Nigerian woman whose younger sister has a very inconvenient habit of killing her boyfriends.”

And in adaptation news for back catalog titles (17 years back) The Earthquake Bird by Susanna Jones–“a Tokyo-set female-driven noir thriller”– will be adapted by Netflix and Scott Free Productions.

Not technically an adaptation, but “The Netflix projects will be complemented by a 2019 book series” and I’m super excited that Gina Rodriguez will be Carmen Sandiego so here’s an article from Quartz: Netflix is Learning How in the World to Play the Franchise Game with Carmen Sandiego

A TV adaptation of Amor Towles’ novel A Gentleman in Moscow will star Kenneth Branagh.

Sad news:

Philip Kerr, author of the Bernie Gunther series, has passed away.

Interviews:

Walter Mosley talks writing and his novels in this short video.

“But, if anyone saw my browsing history, someone would call the cops.” Alex Segura (Pete Fernandez PI series) talks to Laura Lippman about her work, including her latest Sunburn (review).

Watch That Read This:

For fans of procedurals who want a quick, satisfying, and well acted binge, Collateral is streaming on Netflix (Trailer). Starring Carey Mulligan, John Simm, and Billie Piper, British detectives are trying to solve the very randomly appearing shooting of a pizza delivery man. It follows a bunch of different characters while slowly unwinding the mystery in 4 episodes that are just under an hour each.

A great followup read, that is a fantastic series, which also incorporates current political issues is A Dangerous Crossing (Rachel Getty & Esa Khattak #4) by Ausma Zehanat Khan. (Review)

And if when you’re finished binging you’re wondering when there will be a season 2 the answer is most likely never (spoilers). Also, it was nice that they didn’t make a big deal out of Mulligan’s pregnancy and make her hide behind furniture or something.

Watch Now:

Killing Eve (based on Luke Jennings‘ Villanelle novellas) premieres on BBC America on April 8th. I’ve been really looking forward to this because it stars Sandra Oh but I’m also really intrigued by the premise: “Two women — equally obsessed with each other — go head to head in an epic game of cat and mouse.” (Trailer) (1st episode on EW)

Spinning Man: Based on a novel by George Harrar, the film about a professor with a missing female student and a reputation for “off-campus dalliances” leads his wife to doubt his alibi. Starring Pierce Brosnan, Minnie Driver, and Guy Pearce. (Trailer)

Chappaquiddick: A look at the 1969 drowning of Mary Jo Kopechne when Ted Kennedy drove his car off a bridge. The film stars Jason Clarke, Kate Mara, and Ed Helms. (Trailer) As for books, there’s been quite a few written: Chappaquiddick Speaks by Bill Pinney / Death at Chappaquiddick by Richard L. Tedrow, Thomas L. Tedrow / Senatorial Privilege: The Chappaquiddick Cover-Up by Leo Damore / The Bridge at Chappaquiddick by Jack Olsen

Kindle Deals:

The World’s Greatest Detective by Caroline Carlson is $6.99 (Delightful– review)

The Plot Is Murder (Mystery Bookshop) by V.M. Burns is $2.99

And if you’re making your way through Anne Holt’s series No Echo and Beyond the Truth are each $0.99

 

And a Bit of My Week In Reading:

Finished listening to The Escape Artist by Brad Meltzer which didn’t have great representation and relied way too much on kickass women need tragic abusive childhoods but it satisfied my need for a political thriller. Intense opening, and I loved the whole mortician in the army angle.

Also finished reading A Death of No Importance by Mariah Fredericks (April 10, Macmillan) which is a really good read for fans of historical fiction–the character had a great voice that sucked me in immediately.

I downloaded the egalley of You All Grow Up and Leave Me : A Memoir of Teenage Obsession by Piper Weiss (April 10, William Morrow) A true crime memoir that I’m going to go devour now so see ya’ll lovely mystery lovers next week!

ALSO Book Riot is hiring an Advertising Sales Manager. We strongly encourage women, individuals with disabilities, and people of color to apply. To view position description and apply, go here.

Browse all the books recommended in Unusual Suspects previous newsletters on this shelf. And here’s an Unusual Suspects Pinterest board.

Until next time, keep investigating! And in the meantime come talk books with me on Twitter, Instagram, and Litsy–you can find me under Jamie Canaves.

If a mystery fan forwarded this newsletter to you and you’d like your very own you can sign up here.