Category: Unusual Suspects

Upcoming Mystery Releases Worthy of Confetti Cannon!

Post author By Jamie Canaves
Post date April 17, 2018

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.

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?

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.

cover image: the title letters have a white brick wall graphic and the author's name have a car driving in flames in the letters 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.

cover image: a black and hot pink smokey graphic with the title and author name in block letters 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.”

cover image: dark blue with a section cut out of center with a woman in Japanese woman in a bar lighting a man's cigarette 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!

cover image: a bunch of polaroid photos put together to show a woman's face zoomed in to her eye, nose, and mouth 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.

cover image: Washington DC flipped upside as the skyline a british castle at the bottom and a woman in a blue Victorian dress running away in a white cloud in the center all washed in a light blue color 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.

cover image: silhouette of a profile of a woman looking up blended into a black background 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…

cover image: a view of a woman from behind standing in a snowy forest washed in blue light with her overcoat billowing behind 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!)

cover image: a wolf like monster in a skirt and blouse 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!

cover image: a gold framed green painting with the title and a baby elephant and palace painted 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

cover image: a silhouette of a woman holding a lit candle in front of her mouth 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.

Unusual Suspects

Fans’ Expectations Ruined the Chances for More SHERLOCK

Post author By Jamie Canaves
Post date April 12, 2018

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.

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

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 cover image: sunrise LA city image blended into a dark street image with a silhouette of a person walking 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.

Unusual Suspects

When You Deliver the Dumplings That Kill a Man…

Post author By Jamie Canaves
Post date April 10, 2018

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.

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.

For Cozy Mystery Fans

cover image: chinese takeout container with noodels spillling out and a sauce packet with a skull and bones on it 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)

cover image: patio chairs around a bonfire with purple blue sky and the edges of the cover appear to be burned 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)

cover image: young white woman dressed in read coat and skirt on a street with horse drawn carriages 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.)

cover image: black and white image of 1950s car driving down street with graphics of police line tape 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.

Unusual Suspects

A Very Inconvenient Habit of Killing Her Boyfriends…

Post author By Jamie Canaves
Post date April 5, 2018

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.

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!
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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.

Unusual Suspects

She Had a Teddy Bear in Her Arms and Murder in Her Eyes…

Post author By Jamie Canaves
Post date April 3, 2018

Hello mystery fans! I’ve been watching Smallville for the first time and ever since Lex Luther said, “I’ll take it in the conservatory” (referring to a phone call) I’ve wanted a Smallville/Clue mashup. And I’m curious what you’d love to see get mashedup with Clue–or get a mystery treatment?

Sponsored by What Are You Afraid Of? by Alexandra Ivy.

In New York Times bestselling author Alexandra Ivy’s gripping thriller spiced with romantic tension and diabolical twists, a true crime writer is targeted by a sinister psycho. She knows all about killers, but will he be the one to teach her how to die? “Ivy deftly charts a course between gruesome suspense and sudden romance as Carmen and Griff race to solve the whodunit before the predator kills again.” – Publishers Weekly

Captain Sam Wyndham and Sergeant ‘Surrender-Not’ Banerjee are Back! (TW: suicide)

cover image: silhouette of man with coat and hat standing in a green forest A Necessary Evil (Sam Wyndham #2) by Abir Mukherjee: I loved A Rising Man (review) and have since been eagerly awaiting more in the series. Being that my only “complaint” of the first in the series was that I would have wanted more Sergeant Banerjee, I am now a fully satisfied reader, as Wyndham uses Benerjee much more as a sidekick this time around. If you’re not familiar with the series, Sam Wyndham was a former Scotland Yard detective who is now working as a Captain in British ruled Calcutta (he’s brought along his opium addiction and PTSD from WWI), and Benerjee is one of the only Indian Sergeants. Traveling from Calcutta to Sambalpore, Wyndham and Banerjee try to solve the murder of a Prince but find it a difficult task due to politics and the whole “they’re not wanted there” thing. A great read for fans of historical fiction, and while the first in the series fit more for cozy mysteries (because of less violence) than this one, if you’re looking for a read where the violence isn’t towards women, here ya go. It also satisfies the itch for good-old-fashioned-detective-work-gets-the-killer mysteries.

Best Crime Thriller is Best!

cover image: an old red station wagon parked outside of a motel with a person runnign towards the car She Rides Shotgun by Jordan Harper: A fantastic crime thriller that reminded me of how much I loved Natalie Portman in The Professional. Right before being released from prison, Nate is marked by the Aryan Brotherhood to be killed. The problem is it’s not just him they’re taking out, it’s going to be his entire family. To keep his daughter Polly safe, he picks her up and they go on the run even though Polly really doesn’t know her father and isn’t sure she should be with him. At 11 she’s smart, precocious, feels different from other kids, and carries a teddy bear which she uses as an outlet to process her thoughts and feelings. There’s a quote *along the lines of “She had a teddy bear in her arms and murder in her eyes,” which pretty much sums up my love for this girl. If you’re looking for an intense read that you will not be able to put down, with a character you’ll fiercely love, read immediately! It’s a shame Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven on Stranger Things) is too old to play the role if this got adapted because she would be PERFECT. (*I listened to the audiobook so that’s my memory of the quote.)

Another Great Read from Australia!

cover image: silhouette of a person at water's edge with a city skyline in the bakcground all washed in blue tones Resurrection Bay (Caleb Zelic #1) by Emma Viskic: A page-turner thriller and great start to a series! PI Caleb Zelic finds his friend brutally murdered, leaving him a suspect. Not only does he need to clear his own name by finding who murdered his friend, but soon he’s looking into whether his friend was involved in shady dealings. Zelic has his work cut out for him: he’s deaf and with strangers relies on reading their lips; he’s attacked and needs to hide out with his ex-wife (loved her character!); his ex-cop friend offers to help his investigation but is struggling with her addiction. If you’re looking for a great, fast-paced PI mystery get thee this book.

Recent Releases:

A Front Page Affair (Kitty Weeks Mystery #1) by Radha Vatsal (Audiobook, narrated by Justine Eyre) (review)

Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz (Paperback) (Two mysteries for the price of one! Full review)

Lucky (A Detective Jack Yu Investigation #5) by Henry Chang (Paperback)

cover image: chinese takeout container with noodels spillling out and a sauce packet with a skull and bones on it Death by Dumpling (A Noodle Shop Mystery #1) by Vivien Chien (For cozy mystery fans. Review)

The Broken Girls by Simone St. James (Past and present mystery with a bit of a gothic feel. Full review)

The Window by Amelia Brunskill (Girl found dead outside her bedroom window thought to have fallen, twin refuses to stop looking into what may have happened…) (TW: suicide/ rape)

cover image: a black and white image of a man and woman in suit and dress on a vespa The Italian Party by Christina Lynch (Currently reading: MIX of genres, but one of the main characters is a CIA agent in 1950s Italy except his wife has no idea, and neither of them know any of the others secrets…) (TW: suicide)

No Way Home: A Memoir of Life on the Run by Tyler Wetherall (In my TBR stack next to my bed: This isn’t true crime but I’m a huge fan of memoirs and crime and this is the memoir of a woman who spent her childhood unaware that they moved so much because her father was a fugitive. Well until Scotland Yard showed up, so color me super interested.)

Why Kill the Innocent (Sebastian St. Cyr #13) by C.S. Harris (Historical fic mystery that sounded really good and I just started reading.)

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.

Unusual Suspects

J.K. Rowling Finished Writing the Next Cormoran Strike Novel!

Post author By Jamie Canaves
Post date March 26, 2018

Hi mystery fans! I have some exciting news to share: starting next week I’ll be bringing you all things mystery twice a week! Basically I’ll just have more room to actually tell you about recent releases and reviews in one newsletter and then at the end of the week I’ll share news, adaptations, Little Q&As, deals, and my week in reading. So here’s to more mysteries!

Sponsored by Enigma by Catherine Coulter.

The highly anticipated twenty-first FBI thriller by #1 New York Times bestselling author Catherine Coulter presents Agents Savich and Sherlock with two baffling mysteries. Working with Agent Cam Wittier (Insidious) and New York-based former Special Forces agent Jack Cabot, they must race against the clock to catch an international criminal and solve the enigma of the man called John Doe.

I LOVE Japanese Crime Novels! (TW: child death/ suicide/ ableism)

cover image: dark green background with title and an image of a vintage key with a red ribbon tied to it The Master Key by Masako Togawa, Simon N.C. Grove (Translator): Two incidents begin the novel: a child being buried; a man dressed in women’s clothing is in an accident. From there the story moves to a Tokyo apartment building that houses single women in the 1950s which is about to be physically moved for road expansion. While most residents are focused on the actual building being moved others are on edge over the master key–which opens every apartment–having disappeared… Something that I love in Japanese crime novels is that it will easily morph between genres. In this case the novel starts by presenting two mysteries– which the reader doesn’t know why these events have happened nor fully what the events are–then it becomes a mix of lit fic and crime novel which follows random characters, and finally it ends with a wrap up the way many mysteries end.

Over on Book Riot:

Rincey and Katie talk news, recent reads, AND an upcoming mystery that pairs Obama and Biden together–which I’ve marked as a must-read–on Read or Dead.

Speaking of podcasts: there’s a new one hosted by Rioters Kim and Alice called For Real which is fantastic–I swear I don’t have to say that, it is! I knew Kim was a true crime reader so I listened in hoping they’d talk about true crime reads sometimes and they did–in the first two episodes!

8 Great Reads with Unusual Detectives (This should be a subgenre because I would read the hell out of this subgenre.)

Teen Girl Sleuths (Another of my favorites!)

News:

J.K. Rowling announced on Twitter that she finished writing Lethal White, the fourth book in her Cormoran Strike PI series.

Laura Dern posted first look images from the set of Big Little Lies 2.

Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency, adapted from Douglas Adams series, will not have a season 3 after BBC America didn’t renew and the producers have been unable to find another network to pick it up.

A CIA Analyst In a Nightmare Scenario!

cover image: a woman in a trench coat from behind facing a foggy white blue sky with large star graphics indented Need to Know by Karen Cleveland: The summary for this one doesn’t give anything away so neither will I! Vivian Miller is a CIA analyst and while combing through the computer of a possible Russian agent she comes across something that literally changes her entire life and everything she thought she knew. With a husband and four kids, one with a serious heart condition, she has no idea what to do with the information she’s discovered because no matter what direction she takes her world is sure to implode. This is a roller coaster thriller in that there are super fast paced chunks of the novel and moments I was yelling “ohmygod hurry up you’re going to get caught!” but at the same time it is very much inside Miller’s head as she tries to not only rationalize what to do next but also she’s looking back over her life trying to assess how this happened. It isn’t Annie Walker from Covert Affairs (I miss that show!) but it’s a page-turner thriller for those who like getting into the minds of the main character.

Slow-burn Suspense with a Hell of a Payoff (TW: suicide)

cover image: black and white image of a thin white woman in a short sleeve shite collar shirt tucked into a skirt shading her eyes from the sun with her hand Tangerine by Christine Mangan: There are so many things I want to say about this novel but I can’t because I would never deny you the experience of how this unfolds–if you like lit fic and suspense I’d read this without knowing anything about it. But here’s what I will tell you: Alice and Lucy were roommates at school, bonded over being orphans, and then didn’t see each other again for years. In 1956 Alice is living in Tangier, Morocco with her husband when Lucy surprise visits. Except Lucy doesn’t find Alice exactly as she’d remembered her. Instead, Alice is hesitant to leave the apartment, doesn’t seem that thrilled to see Lucy, and there’s a strain in Alice’s marriage. This starts like a literary novel and weaves suspense throughout in a way that by the end I felt itchy by what was happening/needing to see how it would finish. An excellent read where the backdrop of the turmoil of Morocco fighting for Independence perfectly compliments the unfolding plot.

Kindle Deal:

cover image: ship with large sails in water with city sky line behind and washed in yellow fading into black sky Flower Net (Red Princess, #1) by Lisa See is $1.99 (The first book in this trilogy that pairs an American lawyer with a Chinese lawyer who met while studying in the U.S.)

Fractured by Catherine McKenzie is $1.99 (Review)

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.

Unusual Suspects

A Little Q&A with Tana French!

Post author By Jamie Canaves
Post date March 20, 2018

Hello mystery fans! I just binged Netflix’s new show On My Block and it had a mystery/adventure story running through which I had not expected but loved, so if you’re looking for a new show to binge it totally worked for me–until I finished and now I don’t know what to watch. So, more reading!

If You Wake Up Next To a Murdered Man, Did You Do It?!

Post author By Jamie Canaves
Post date March 13, 2018

Hi mystery fans! I have two reviews, new releases, and a treat: Clare Mackintosh (I Let You Go; I See You) discussing her writing and her new book in an exclusive essay!

Daphne Du Maurier’s Novel Reveals Much About the Author’s Fluid Sexuality

Post author By Jamie Canaves
Post date March 6, 2018

Hello mystery fans! I’ve listened to so many British audiobooks in a row that the voice in my head now has a new accent–please tell me this also happens to you?

Sponsored by RATTLE by Fiona Cummins

If you see him, it’s already too late.

Fiona Cummins delves into the seam of darkness that runs through us all, the struggle between light and shadow, redemption and revenge, as a detective and a desperate father hunt down a twisted killer with a macabre obsession …

Cozy Mystery with a Few Ghosts:

cover image: a red trumpet on a grey and black background Killing in C Sharp (Gethsemane Brown Mysteries #3) by Alexia Gordon: Gethsemane is an American living in an Irish cottage teaching music, but if she wants to keep her current living arrangement she’s gonna have to play nice with paranormal investigators–or so demands her landlord. The problem is she doesn’t want them actually spotting the ghost that lives there, nor does she want to have to deal with a terrible true crime writer, or a new ghost–but when a man is murdered Gethsemane is going to have to figure out who the murderer is while keeping the world from discovering her ghostly friend. The actual mystery was not at all the direction I would have thought this would take and I quite enjoyed it. A good read for fans of cozy mysteries–especially looking for less violence towards women– and a series I’ll keep picking up.

Great “PI” Pairing set in Australia (TW: child rape/ pedophilia )

cover image: foggy lake photo with water rings of movemeng on water surface Crimson Lake by Candice Fox: Ted Conkaffey was a Sydney detective until he happened to be the last person witnesses saw near a girl who was abducted, raped, and left for dead. He’s always maintained his innocence, and the charges have been dropped, but public opinion hasn’t changed. It’s why he’s relocated to Crimson Lake (which made me think of the Florida Everglades). His lawyer sets him up with a local PI, Amanda Pharrell, who was charged as a teen in the brutal stabbing of another teen and is now the only PI available in the area. Pharrell is quirky, a weird rhymer, troubled, and gifted in deducing things rather quickly. Conkaffey is just trying to survive the cops who are harassing him, and figure out a life outside of prison without his family–oh, and keeping a bunch of geese alive. But they work well together when it comes to solving the mystery of a missing local author whose ring was found inside a crocodile! A page-turning mystery, with great characters, and a vivid setting perfect for fans of Jane Harper’s The Dry. I look forward to more Pharrell and Conkaffey–and Australian wildlife!

Links:

Book Riot is giving away $500 Penguin clothbound books in the giveaway that has made all Rioters jealous they can’t enter!

Walter Mosley interview discussing Down the River Unto the Sea and writing.

Gillian Flynn interview–without the questions–where she talks about her next novel!

Rincey and Katie talk Noir on Read or Dead.

A new podcast discusses the making of Michelle McNamara’s I’ll Be Gone in the Dark. You can listen to a preview on iTunes here. And if you missed my review of the book here ya go.

Alex Segura and Gregg Hurwitz discuss the allure of cults in their own work.

Watch the trailer for In Ice Cold Blood, hosted by Ice-T, premiering April 1st on Oxygen.

“Du Maurier’s bestselling novel reveals much about the author’s fluid sexuality – her ‘Venetian tendencies’ – and about being a boy stuck in the wrong body, writes Olivia Laing” — Sex, jealousy and gender: Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca 80 years on

Over on Book Riot 7 Short Mystery Stories and 7 Japanese Mystery novels.

Dynamite will have a new Nancy Drew comic in June created by women: “written by Kelly Thompson (Jem and the Holograms, Hawkeye), with art by Jenn St-Onge (Bingo Love, The Misfits), color by Triona Farrell (Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers, Doctor Who: The Eleventh Doctor), and letters by Ariana Maher (Ringside, 8House).”

Suspenseful Mystery That Also Works for Literary Fans (TW: suicide)

If I Die Tonight by Alison Gaylin: Gaylin successfully explores a lot of issues (without feeling heavy handed) while strumming the chord of suspense and running a mystery throughout. I got sucked in from the opening and ended up reading it in two sittings. At the core is the mystery of who is responsible for a hit-and-run. When all eyes start to turn towards Wade Reed– who’s recently become too thin and withdrawn–his mother immediately comes to his defense. But does she really know the teen he’s become? Or is a washed-up ’80s popstar lying about the night’s events? An interesting look at family, age, social media, vilifying…that will probably leave you thinking. (I don’t know why the summary says “a dose of Stranger Things” but you should not think this is like ST.)

Recent Releases:

cover image: yellow and purple graphic doodles of magnifying glass, roses on ground, horse carriage, people in London scenes The Case for Jamie (Charlotte Holmes #3) by Brittany Cavallaro (I’m gonna have to put on my shelf just for the title!)

Death at the Durbar (Maharajah Mystery #2) by Arjun Raj Gaind (Historical mystery, 1911 India)

Agatha Christie by Laura Thompson (Biography)

They All Fall Down by Tammy Cohen (Good psychological thriller set in mental health facility–written with care.) (TW: suicide/ rape/ cutting/ eating disorder)

cover image: two Roman statues of greek gods from behind as they look to the side Memento Mori (Medicus Investigation #8) by Ruth Downie (Greek mythology mystery)

The Last Equation of Isaac Severy by Nova Jacobs

Plum Tea Crazy (A Tea Shop Mystery #19) by Laura Childs (Currently reading: great opening, tea shop owner sleuth in South Carolina.)

Auntie Poldi and the Sicilian Lions (Tante Poldi #1) by Mario Giordano, John Brownjohn (Translation) (review)

Phoenix Burning (A Veranda Cruz Mystery #2) by Isabella Maldonado (Currently reading: Mexican American detective, with a whopper of a secret, takes on a Mexican cartel in Phoenix.) (TW: rape)

A Brush with Shadows (Lady Darby Mystery #6) by Anna Lee Huber (Historical mystery, 1831 England)

Kindle Deals:

The Lion’s Mouth (Hanne Wilhelmsen #4) by Anne Holt is 99 cents (Reads as standalone– great political thriller/mystery.) (Read it too long ago to remember trigger warnings but this series is dark so assume at least a few.)

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.

Unusual Suspects

Terrifying and Heartbreaking Search for a Serial Killer & More Mysteries!

Post author By Jamie Canaves
Post date February 27, 2018

Hi fellow mystery fans! I’m overfloweth with words so I’m just diving in this week–hope you’re well and well-read!

Terrifying and Heartbreaking Search for a Serial Killer that has Gone Far Too Long Without Capture (TW: rape)

cover image: a very dark black and white image of a house with shrubs in front I’ll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman’s Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer by Michelle McNamara, Gillian Flynn (Forward), Patton Oswalt (Afterword): This book is the hard work and research born from McNamara’s obsession with discovering who the Golden State Killer was–originally known as the East Area Rapist who preyed in California during the ’70s and ’80s. If you digest a lot of true crime you know that the eye behind it is important because it’s the difference between a gross obsession with the perpetrator/violent acts and shows little or no regard for the victim(s), or a careful look into social behavior that understands there are victims and families destroyed by this person. McNamara wasn’t obsessed with him, or his crimes, but rather her obsession was with refusing to allow him to get away with his horrific crimes–she explains in the book how an unsolved murder from her childhood created her need to seek justice when it came to unsolved cases.

Sponsored by Mister Tender’s Girl by Carter Wilson

Alice Hill was only fourteen when she was viciously stabbed by two of her classmates and left to die. Her friends told authorities that Alice was supposed to be a sacrifice for a man called Mister Tender – but that’s insane. Mister Tender isn’t even real. He’s just a sinister character in a series of popular graphic novels. Isn’t he?

Over a decade later, Alice is trying to move on. But someone is watching her. They know more about Alice than any stranger could: her scars, her fears, and the secrets she keeps locked away. She can try to escape her past, but the threat of Mister Tender is never far behind.

Inspired by the Slender Man crime, this gripping thriller plunges you into a world of haunting memories and unseen threats, leaving you guessing until the harrowing end.

Sadly, McNamara passed away while working on this book. The majority of the book is written by her, some chapters start with a note that it’s been pieced together from her notes or previously published articles of hers, and then it ends with Billy Jensen and Paul Haynes (also working on solving this case) finishing the book by analyzing all the information, research, and notes McNamara had been working on. The afterword is written by her widower Patton Oswalt, so yeah have the tissues ready.

The book is excellent, but my favorite part is McNamara’s memoir chapter. She talks about her childhood and relationship with her mom, and it shows that not only was she a great crime journalist but she was also a gifted writer. Her honesty and her beautiful ability to analyze herself and the past, seeing the things we all miss when we’re in the present, has stuck with me the most out of everything in this book. (The audiobook is narrated by Gabra Zackman with a calm, smooth voice and Oswalt and Flynn narrate their own parts.)

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

I love a good detective series with a character that I know I’m going to want to follow for a long time, and that’s how I immediately felt about Elouise “Lou” Norton, a homicide detective in L.A. While Lou carries the disappearance of her sister with her, her current marital problems, and a new partner, nothing keeps her from solving her cases. Lou is a perfectly snarky, awesome woman who is one of my favorite detectives. If you’ve yet to discover this series start with Land of Shadows and read on!

And here’s Rachel Howzell Hall:

What would you like to see more/less of in the mystery genre? I want to see more women of color writing noir and crime. We have so many interesting, tragic, insightful stories. This comes from our weird place in America–to be black and female in this world today… There are so many mysteries with plenty of great characters, some of them that tell our story when we should be the ones doing that. And to go further, I want to see more writers getting attention than the one writer that is deemed to represent us and our experiences.

If you were to blurb your most recent/upcoming book (à la James Patterson): City of Saviors takes everything you love about LAPD Homicide Detective Lou Norton, then throws in cats, hording, peach cobbler, church and addiction, just in case you weren’t convinced that this story is unlike any other you’ve read.

Which non-mystery author would you love to see write a mystery? OMG, if Jon Krakauer wrote a mystery, I’d read it three times just like I read Into Thin Air. His writing leaves me breathless, anxious of ‘what’s gonna happen next cuz something is gonna happen next cuz that’s what he does.’ His stories are plotted and beautiful and tragic, and using his powers of storytelling for fiction would be some next-level s@*!

Thanks Rachel!

Over on Book Riot:

Book Riot is giving away $500 worth of Penguin clothbound books to 1 lucky–luckiest ever!–winner on Instagram.

Mysteries written by LGBTQ+ authors and People of Color

10 YA thrillers for fans of One of Us is Lying

8 Thrillers About Family

10 Suspense Novels

Recent Releases:

cover image: zoomes into womans face mostly covered by hair all tinted in red Dead Joker by Anne Holt (Paperback) (Dark series starring a Lesbian Norwegian Detective.)

Don’t Let Go by Harlan Coben (Paperback) (review)

The Last Night at Tremore Beach by Mikel Santiago, Carlos Frías (translator) (Paperback) (On my TBR)

The French Girl by Lexie Elliott (Girl who disappeared is now found dead, someone in a group of friends must have done it.) (TW: suicide) (I inhaled the audiobook in one day.)

Waking Lions by Ayelet Gundar-Goshen, Sondra Silverston (Translator) (On my TBR, sounds like literary crime.)

Curses, Boiled Again! (A Lobster Shack Mystery #1) by Shari Randall (currently reading: cozy mystery where a judge may have been murdered during a food festival.)

Kindle Deals:

A Map of the Dark cover image: dark image of forest trees with title text in center A Map of the Dark by Karen Ellis is $4.99 (review) (TW: cutting/ child abuse)

You Will Know Me by Megan Abbot is $2.99 (review)

Missing, Presumed by Susie Steiner is $1.99 (character focused procedural)

Meddling and Murder (Singaporean Mystery #4) by Ovidia Yu is .99 cents (restaurant owning amateur sleuth)

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.