Category: Unusual Suspects

Hello fellow mystery fans! Happy Hanukkah! I’m currently excited about 3 things: my annual from-me-to-me gift has arrived; I’m wrapping a bunch of books I’m gifting this year; and Rioter Deepali Agarwal wrote The 2017 Oscars, But for Books (hot-mess detective included) which made me happy and inspired this newsletter. Here are my quirky awards I’d present to some of the mystery and thrillers I read this year.

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Sponsored by AL CAPONE: His Life, Legacy, and Legend by Deirdre Bair, new in paperback from Vintage Books.

Through exclusive access to Capone’s family and rigorous research, National Book Award–winning biographer Deirdre Bair gives us the definitive account of the notorious mobster, a quintessentially American figure. At the height of Prohibition, Al Capone loomed large as Public Enemy Number One while his multimillion-dollar Chicago Outfit dominated organized crime. But then came the fall: a legal noose tightened by the FBI, a conviction on tax evasion, a stint in Alcatraz. When released, he was a much diminished man and lived quietly until the ravages of his neurosyphilis took their final toll.

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99% Chance You’ll Never Guess the Solve Award:

Six Four by Hideo Yokoyama, Jonathan Lloyd-Davies (Translation): Mikami, now working in press relations, as he’s struggling with the disappearance of his daughter, finds himself digging into a fourteen-year-old unsolved kidnapping/murder known as Six Four. This is a slow burn procedural–it’s a deep dive into the inner working of the department and its politics–you may even question if they’re planning on solving the main case and then BAM, the last 20% you find yourself in a thriller and most likely realize you would have never solved the mystery on your own.

Channeling Stephen King’s Horror/Suspense Award:

The Hole by Hye-Young Pyun, Sora Kim-Russell (Translation): Imagine an accident kills your wife and leaves you bedridden under the care of your mother-in-law. Now imagine that with all that time on your hands you start thinking your mother in law isn’t really here to care for you…

 

 

Whiplash From Twists Award:

Gone Without A Trace by Mary Torjussen: Dude straight up vanishes from his girlfriend’s life as if he had never been there, which had me asking a bunch of questions from the get-go. And I won’t say more because this is a twisty thriller…

 

 

 

Best Attention-Grabbing Opening Award:

The Birdwatcher by William Shaw: William South, a police sergeant in Kent, is assigned to a murder case but he has two reasons he tries to get out of it: first, he’s a birdwatcher and he doesn’t want to miss out on the arrival of migrating birds; second, HE’S A MURDERER HIMSELF. <– That’s the first page!

 

Best Use of a Baby Elephant Award:

The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra by Vaseem Khan: As he’s retiring, Inspector Chopra ends up unable to let go of the case of a drowned boy and, unrelated, inheriting a baby elephant. Being that he lives in an apartment and knows nothing about the care of elephants he has his hands full.

 

 

Badass Greek Goddess Award:

Winter of the Gods (Olympus Bound #2) by Jordanna Max Brodsky: A mystery set in modern day NY with a kick-ass hilarious goddess, who is secretly living amongst mortals and is asked to help with an investigation because someone is hunting down the gods…

 

 

Best Feminist Thieves Award:

Uptown Thief (Justice Huslers #1) by Aya de León: Imagine Robin Hood, but women running a women’s health clinic who have a side escort business to fund the clinic by finding marks to rob… (crime/romance)

 

 

 

Best Mix of ChickLit and Mystery Award:

I’ll Eat When I’m Dead by Barbara Bourland: Think The Devil Wears Prada minus the monster boss, where the women are friends, and activists, and now throw in murder and a hot detective!

 

 

 

For Action Movie Fans Award:

August Snow by Stephen Mack Jones: Snow may have turned down Eleanore Paget’s request to hire him to investigate her investment bank but when she dies he finds himself on the case, and in constant danger.

 

 

 

Best Use of Historical Invention Award:

Murder Between the Lines (Kitty Weeks Mystery #2) by Radha Vatsal: Set in N.Y. at the beginning of WWII the novel is filled with historical facts and puts Kitty into women’s suffrage events, visits from President Wilson, and even has her looking into Thomas Edison’s battery invention, all while digging deeper into the death of a girl since she’s unable to accept the sleepwalking explanation.

Links:

Today in for a split second I almost quit my job so I could enter this giveaway: Book Riot is giving away 20 (TWENTY!) of our favorite books of 2017 to ONE ridiculously lucky winner!!! Check out the list of books and enter!

Rincey and Katie’s new Read or Dead episode with another excellent title: You Love Baby Elephants, I Love Severed Hands

Rioter Tasha Brandstatter has 44 Mystery Romance Novels To Read Right Now

Audible’s pick for Best Mysteries & Thrillers of 2017 plus the 4 finalist.

This publishing deal sounds amazing: “Oyinkan Braithwaite’s MY SISTER, THE SERIAL KILLER, set in Nigeria about a woman who must decide how far she is willing to go to keep her younger sister’s habit of killing her boyfriends a secret.” (via PublishersLunch December 7th email)

Big Little Lies is officially coming back, HBO announced, and there will be a new director for all seven episodes, Andrea Arnold (Transparent, I Love Dick)

The 3rd book in Joe Ide‘s IQ series comes out next fall! (muppet arms!)

Jessica Knoll, author of Luckiest Girl Alive, has written a second book, The Favorite Sister, and you can read an excerpt now at EW.

(TW: sexual assault) Wired wrote about a battle between those who think the algorithm code being used in a program analyzing DNA should be revealed and the company that doesn’t want to: The Impenetrable Program Transforming How Courts Treat DNA Evidence 

At The New York Times: Unearthed Raymond Chandler Story Rebukes U.S. Health Care System

For horror/thriller fans: Final Girls by Riley Sager (pseudonym for Todd Ritter) is being adapted by Universal Pictures.

CBS’ Elementary got an extra order of episodes for season 6. (Yay!)

Not an adaptation but Netflix picked up Day and Night, an upcoming 32-part Chinese detective drama, which sounds great for procedural fans–meaning me!

Author Louise Erdrich is working on a mystery that will be set in Birchbark Books, the bookstore she owns.

Kindle Deals!

The Perfect Stranger by Megan Miranda is $1.99 (review)

Karin Slaughter’s Fractured (Will Trent #2) is $6.99

Jackaby by William Ritter is $4.21 (review)

 

 

We’re giving away a stack of our 20 favorite books of the year. Click here to enter!

Browse all the books recommended in Unusual Suspects previous newsletters on this shelf. And if you like to put a pin in things here’s an Unusual Suspects 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.

Hi fellow mystery fans! I’ve started reading galleys for 2018 mysteries because they’re stacked next to my bed chanting my name and who am I to say no? So this week I’m talking 2018 titles to put on your TBR now or to pre-buy!

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Sponsored by Imperfect Justice by Cara Putman

To the world it seems obvious: Kaylene Adams killed her daughter and then was shot by police. Attorney Emilie Wesley believes Kaylene would never hurt anyone and was looking for a way out of an abusive relationship.

Reid Billings thought he knew his sister. He discovers a letter from Kaylene begging him to fight for custody of her daughters if anything should happen to her and tells him to get help from Emilie Wesley.

Thrown together in a race to save Kaylene’s surviving daughter, Emilie and Reid must find the truth—and maybe a future together in the process.

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Down the River unto the Sea by Walter Mosley (February 20th, Mulholland Books): (TW: sexual assault) I’m still making my way through Mosley’s catalog, but you better believe I dropped everything to read this ARC the day it arrived. We’re introduced to a new detective, Joe King Oliver, a former cop-turned-PI. He’s a former cop because of a rape charge he denies, and the book focuses on him trying to find out who set him up while also taking on a case to find justice for a convicted cop killer. A good read that pits law vs. justice and I loved his relationship with his assistant, his teenage daughter.

Force of Nature (Aaron Falk #2) by Jane Harper ( February 6th, Flatiron Books): The followup to The Dry is just as good, which is saying something. This time around, Federal Police Agent Falk is back home with a new case: 5 women went on a work retreat in the woods, but only 4 are accounted for. The missing woman was cooperating with a financial investigation, the woods she’s missing in once housed a serial killer, and witnesses stories aren’t adding up…Harper delivers another solid mystery from beginning to end.

Hollywood Ending (A Detective by Day Mystery) by Kellye Garrett (August 8th, Midnight Ink): I’ve been looking forward to this since I finished Hollywood Homicide because I loved the characters so much. I am here for more of this cozy mystery and look forward to seeing what Dayna Anderson and her friends get into. And it looks like this time around Dayna is a P.I.’s apprentice so I’m excited to see her evolution from amateur sleuth.

Give Me Your Hand by Megan Abbott (July 17th, Little, Brown and Company): Abbott has topped herself! The pages are electric as suspense builds between the “then” and “now” as one woman holds onto a secret she never wanted from her past while trying to grab the future she wants… And reminding me of my love for Abbott the “now” is mostly set in a research lab looking into PMDD (premenstrual dysphoric disorder). Already on the Best of 2018 list!

A Necessary Evil (Sam Wyndham #2) by Abir Mukherjee (April 3rd, Pegasus Crime): Another sequel for a 2017 release that I can’t wait for! The series follows a former Scotland Yard detective trying to not only solve crimes for the CID but to navigate British ruled Calcutta in the early 1900s. The sequel has him working again with Sergeant Banerjee (one of the only Indians working for the CID) and I’m excited for their new mystery in the wealthy kingdom of Sambalpore.

Sunburn by Laura Lippman (February 18th, William Morrow): I’ve seen a lot of authors raving about this one so I had to read it. And the buzz is warranted: It’s a great read that mixes lit fic, crime, a whudunit and the “unlikable” woman. In this case you have a woman with a past trying to secure her future–but at what cost? If you’re a fan of writers that can tap into the energy of a ruthless need for survival don’t miss this one.

A Treacherous Curse (Veronica Speedwell #3) by Deanna Raybourn (January 16th, Berkley): A funny, feminist, historical fiction mystery series that I love. This one had me laughing from the first page as Speedwell and Stoker find themselves solving a mystery revolving around an Egyptian archaeological dig involving Stoker’s past. If you haven’t started this series yet now’s a perfect time to get caught up!

I’ll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman’s Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer by Michelle McNamara, Gillian Flynn (Introduction), Patton Oswalt (Afterword) (February 27th, Harper): (TW: sexual assault) McNamara never forgot about an unsolved murder from her childhood neighborhood which ultimately led to her creating a website as an adult to try and solve unsolved cases. One of those, which became her obsession, was a rapist/murderer who preyed in California during the ’70s and ’80s. Her extensive research and work is this book, which sadly she won’t get to see published because she passed away while writing it. I’m almost finished and so far I’ve had nightmares, cried, and fiercely loved McNamara.

The Trauma Cleaner: One Woman’s Extraordinary Life in the Business of Death, Decay, and Disaster by Sarah Krasnostein (April 10th, St. Martin’s Press): There are books I want to read solely for the title. Others because Rioter Liberty Hardy told me to. And those because I’m interest/fascinated with the subject. This book hits all 3 reasons as Sarah Krasnostein followed and wrote about Sandra Pankhurst, a trauma cleaner with a hell of a life story who “bring order and care to these, the living and the dead…”

Links:

Book Riot:

How to Set up a Mystery Book Club

Rincey and Katie dedicated a Read or Dead episode to Agatha Christie.

10 Great Mystery Books for Teens

20 Best Historical Mystery Books

Muppet arms: The mystery comic Goldie Vance is being adapted by Kerry Washington (producing) and Rashida Jones (writing)!

Michael B. Jordan to star in adaptation of Just Mercy, social justice activist Bryan Stevenson’s memoir about his first legal case.

Netflix has renewed Mindhunter (fictional adaptation of Mind Hunter) for a second season.

(TW: sexual assault)  How the Super Lawyer David Boies Turned a Young Novelist’s Sexual Past Against Her (Emma Cline, author of The Girls)

NPR’s Best Mystery picks

Kindle Deal

Caroline Carlson’s delightful The World’s Greatest Detective is $1.99 (review)

And the first in Laura Lippman’s Tess Monaghan series Baltimore Blues is $3.49

 

 

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 come talk books with me on Twitter, Instagram, and Litsy–you can find me under Jamie Canaves.

Hello fellow mystery fans! It’s time for Best of lists. I personally love looking at those lists to see if my favorites made it and to find books (movies/shows/albums) that I may have missed. I had a great reading year for mysteries and am excited to share with you my nine Best Mysteries of 2017!

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Sponsored by Home Sweet Home by April Smith, new in paperback from Vintage Books.

This riveting epic drama follows the Kusek family from New York City to America’s heartland, where their dream life turns into a nightmare, as they are caught up in the panic of McCarthyism, a smear campaign, a sensational trial, and, ultimately, murder. From the widely praised author of the FBI Special Agent Ana Grey series and A Star for Mrs. Blake.

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Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke: Excellent mystery from beginning to end! Darren Mathews is a black Texas Ranger who (while technically on suspension) decides to solve the murder of a black man and a white woman in a small town where he is not welcome. This is the kind of mystery where the setting becomes a character in itself, the characters are alive from introduction, you’ll be feeling the Texas heat and thinking about this one long after you finish. Oh, and that ending!

The Dry (Aaron Falk #1) by Jane Harper: The first 2017 mystery I read and even then I said it would be on the Best of List. It is a solid from-beginning-to-end mystery that brings to life a struggling Australian small town desperate to hold on to its secrets–past and present. Aaron Falk returns to his hometown after the death of his childhood friend and family (in what appears to be a murder-suicide) but after being asked to investigate, Falk is forced to face the town’s current state of despair and also everything he ran away from years before: the death of a childhood friend and the questions he’s never answered…

A Conspiracy in Belgravia (Lady Sherlock #2) by Sherry Thomas: I love this brilliant gender-swapped Sherlock and Watson series, and this book met my ridiculous excitement and expectations. Charlotte and Mrs. Watson are back with a rather delicate case involving a married woman looking to find a past lover–her true love. Scandalous! Making the case super-complicated is the fact that Charlotte knows both the woman’s husband and the true love. It’s packed with mysteries, ladies not here for society’s rules, improper flirting, learning to fight, and more!

What You Don’t Know by JoAnn Chaney: Dark, crisp, brutal, and worth the nightmares it gave me! With the convicted serial killer on death row, how are there new victims? That’s what the journalist who broke the story and the mismatched detective partners from the case are trying to figure out, but it’s been seven years since they apprehended the serial killer and they’ve fallen quite far in their own personal lives since then. This was a page-turner with flawed characters that completely delivers for fans of dark thrillers and fictional serial killers.

The Dime by Kathleen Kent: Detective Betty Rhyzyk is a hard-ass detective trying to balance her career, recent move to Texas, her personal relationship with her doctor girlfriend, and the ghosts of her past. While she may start out investigating a Mexican cartel in Texas, this takes some hard turns into different territory and leaves you with an ending you wouldn’t expect. Kent has written a brilliant detective with hard-edges and heart while striking the perfect balance of humor, violence, action, and procedural.

The Blinds by Adam Sternbergh: This one has an interesting premise: a tiny town made up of criminals and innocents (those who witnessed crimes/testified, etc.) who have had different degrees of their memories altered so that they just don’t remember the crime(s). Now that there’s been a suicide and a murder, does that mean the residents will always be who they were prior to their crimes/traumas being erased from their minds? Not only a solid and interesting mystery from beginning to end, but this had one of the best climactic scenes.

Overturned by Lamar Giles: A character I adored and an ending that stayed within the realm of possibility–be still my beating heart! Nikki Tate should only be focused on school (and being a teenager), but with her dad in prison she’s basically running the family business, playing in illegal card games, and trying to figure out what is going on between her mother and a man. Then her dad is exonerated and what should be a happy time only adds to the mystery of how he was sent to prison for something he didn’t do…

The Good Daughter by Karin Slaughter: I had to read this one with breaks because it was so intense in the trauma (all the trigger warnings) but it was so exceptional I couldn’t stay away from it. Almost thirty years after her family was violently attacked, Charlie, the youngest daughter, finds herself in another violent tragedy. Still living in the small town she grew up in, things take an even worse turn when her father decides to represent the person accused of the crime Charlie just witnessed. This event dredges up the trauma from Charlie’s childhood, and as much as she wants to forget it, she’s now about to relive it. The characters have so much depth, the mystery has plenty of twists, the lawyering scenes are excellent, and there are tiny bursts of humor throughout that perfectly deflate the tension, making clear Slaughter is a gifted writer.

Righteous (IQ #2) by Joe Ide: Ide brings to life the ethnically diverse community of East Long Beach without creating stereotypical caricatures, but rather by creating people with full backstories and lives in a crime novel where no one is necessarily all good, but everyone is human. Isaiah Quintabe (IQ) has his plate full: he’s trying to solve his brother’s hit-and-run; a childhood crush needs his services to help her sister in Las Vegas; he’s realized that he’s lonely and maybe he should try to work on getting along better with friends like Dodson–a not-always-happy-to-be-dragged-along side-kick of sorts; with his refusal to let things go he ends up in the crosshairs of multiple gangs. From East Long Beach to Vegas, strap in for a great ride!

I’d love to hear your best mystery picks! Find me under Jamie Canaves on Twitter, Instagram, and Litsy and tell me!

Browse all the books recommended in Unusual Suspects previous newsletters on this shelf. And if you like to put a pin in things here’s an Unusual Suspects board.

Hi fellow mystery fans! The holiday season has arrived so I thought I’d roundup a bunch of awesome gift ideas for mystery fans. Whether that means you’re buying gifts for someone else or for yourself is totally up to you. (News links and Kindle deals at bottom!)

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Sponsored by Penguin Random House Audio

When there’s a crime that can’t be solved, listen to the experts. Visit http://www.penguinrandomhouseaudio.com/thriller-series/ for a thrilling mystery series that you can get hooked on.

If you are looking for a brassy, independent female protagonist, you’ll love Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum. If you want an experienced ex-CIA man turned President, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan is the man for you. Or, perhaps you’d like a Victorian-era detective; then Clive Cussler’s Isaac Bell is a character you’ll enjoy.

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Let’s start with Clue:

Not only is this fun game a great gift for fans of the movie and Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None there are so many editions:

There’s the Classic, Retro 1986, and Junior Edition.

A Harry Potter Edition! A Star Wars Edition! A Game of Thrones Edition!

And (drum roll, please)

The Golden Girls Edition! (It was Sophia–always Sophia!)

 

 

 

There’s this Clue art print: Colonel Mustard, with the spanner, in the hall

There’s even a Hallmark Keepsake 2017 Family Game Night Clue Christmas Ornament.

Speaking of ornaments here’s one for fans of Richard Castle.

 

These one of a kind artist made dolls (only 1 of each): Dorothy Sayers Crime Writer Doll; Hercule Poirot doll; Agatha Christie Mystery Writer Doll; Agatha Christie’s Parker Pyne Detective

Speaking of Agatha Christie:

The Queen of Mystery (Agatha Christie) T-shirt (available in Unisex xs-3xl) Also comes in Women’s Dolman (xs-3xl)

Ideal Bookshelf 822: Agatha Christie Print

Writer’s Block: Agatha Christie (has option to be converted into Xmas ornament)

For Nancy Drew fans:

Nancy Drew enamel pin

Nancy Drew wrapped pencils

500 piece Nancy Drew puzzle or a 1,000 piece Nancy Drew puzzle

“Read in Color” Nail Polish – Nancy Drew’s Red Herring

Nancy Drew tote bag (adorable pocket inside)

For Sherlock fans:

Sherlock and Watson Russian Nesting Dolls

A charm keychain

BBC Sherlock 221B Door Wooden Ornament

For Sherlock, audiobook, and Stephen Fry fans: Sherlock Holmes: The Definitive Collection by Arthur Conan Doyle, Stephen Fry (Narrator) (my review) Especially great gift for those who like to reread.

A Sherlock Holmes Literary Glass

A 221B Baker Street Literary Candle (Smelling a dude’s Victorican flat wouldn’t be my first choice but who knows!)

Sherlock Comic Tshirt (Available for men and women, xs-xl, 20+ colors)

Sherlock:The Mind Palace: A Coloring Book Adventure

Sherlock Library Tote bag

Sherlock Holmes socks (can’t catch a perp without proper socks.)

Sherlock Holmes rubber stamp

Sherlock Holmes nail decals

Holmes Is Where The Heart Is – Sherlock Cross Stitch Pattern Digital Download PDF File

For Crime & Detective fans:

Murderino: A coloring book for fans of the My Favorite Murder podcast

True Crime Planner Stickers – SSDGM – Murderino Stickers

True Detective Pin & Sticker Pack

Partners in Crime friendship heart necklaces

My Favorite Murder Magnetic Story Poetry

My Favorite Murder Flair Pins

Murder She Wrote Cross Stitch Pattern PDF download

SVU Detectives Cross Stitch

Murder She Did Jessica Killed Them All T-Shirt (If you thought it was super suspicious that murders just always happened around Jessica Fletcher…) (available in: 7 colors, unisex, s-xxl)

Flavia de Luce print (perfect for fans of Alan Bradley‘s series)

Law & Order SVU intro text mug

Saint Angela Lansbury // Murder, She Wrote Prayer Candle

For Die Hard fans (an adaptation of the thriller Nothing Lasts Forever by Roderick Thorp): Die Hard: The Authorized Coloring and Activity Book and there’s  A Die Hard Christmas: The Illustrated Holiday Classic

Pushing Daisies season 1: This show is utterly delightful, quirky, unique, with beautiful sets and costumes, AND every episode is a mystery. Ned has a secret gift: if he touches something dead it comes back to life. But there’s a catch (isn’t there always?!): if he touches it a second time it is dead forever, and if he doesn’t touch it dead again then something nearby will die in its place. Naturally a local detective figures out Ned’s gift and uses him to help him solve crimes (for reward money) by touching the recently deceased. The show is never streaming anywhere so it’s a great DVD or digital gift. And there’s a 2nd season.

For Paperback Readers Here are Recent Releases:

A Midsummer’s Equation (Detective Galileo #6) by Keigo Higashino, Alexander O. Smith (Translator) (I love Higashino)

I See You by Clare Mackintosh (my review)

IQ by Joe Ide (The first in a great series.)

The Mistletoe Murder: And Other Stories by P.D. James

And for Fans of Movie Tie-in Paperbacks:

Murder on the Orient Express (Hercule Poirot Mysteries) by Agatha Christie

The Snowman by Jo Nesbø, Don Bartlett (Translator) (For fans of dark Scandinavian thrillers.)

Links:

Time is almost up to enter Book Riot’s giveaway of $500 to a book store of your choice! (That’s a lot of mula for gift giving!)

Rioters talking mysteries: 10 minutes of Liberty talking about backlist mysteries on All the Backlist!

Rioter Tasha Brandstatter with The Most Mysterious Edgar Allan Poe Story You’ve Never Heard Of

Rioter Jen Sherman with Crime Fiction Novels Make Excellent Travel Guides

Rioter Kristy Pasquariello with 8 Thriller Missing Person Mysteries on Audio

And I am ridiculously excited: Attica Locke’s Bluebird, Bluebird will be an FX series titled Highway 59. *muppet arms

More to be excited about: Mahershala Ali will executive produce and star in the movie adaptation of the upcoming true-crime thriller Burn by A.J. Wolfe. (The book rights are being shopped and the book is about “the incredible true story of a Northern California detective who destroyed a cartel while keeping his undercover life secret from his family.”)

And looks like there will be a followup film to Murder on the Orient Express: Fox is developing Agatha Christie’s Death on the Nile.

Kindle Deal

A Front Page Affair (Kitty Weeks Mystery Book 1) by Radha Vatsal is $3.14 and the sequel Murder Between the Lines is $5.59 (my review here and here) A good series for fans of historical fiction, cozy mysteries, and awesome women.

 

 

Browse all the books recommended in Unusual Suspects previous newsletters on this shelf. And if you like to put a pin in things here’s an Unusual Suspects 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.

Hello mystery fans! Unusual Suspects is officially a one-year-old–and I never had to change a diaper! Thank you for reading, sharing, and being awesome mystery fans!

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Sponsored by Endeavour Press

Father Colin McAvoy is the principle of the newly formed Matteo Academy. Its staff include Father Charron who, although brilliant, never fully recovered from assisting an exorcism. Its students include such eccentrics as Phillip Grant, whose rebellious attitude has him researching the faculty’s private lives for a grand reveal. On top of all this, a new pupil arrives who has been accused of trying to kill his mother. After convincing the staff he is not violent, a boy is found dead, suspected drug overdose. Will this circumstance of blood be unravelled before more are killed?

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Noir Short Stories

Atlanta Noir by Tayari Jones (editor): Akashic Books has a lot of Noir collections set in different places, and while I usually reach for the collections set outside the US, Tayari Jones is the author of one of my favorite novels ever (Silver Sparrow) so I had to read this collection. It opens with a short story by Tananarive Due (another excellent author: Ghost Summer) which was suspenseful and left me too scared to sleep. While the stories aren’t puzzle-type mysteries, they’re all crime stories, following either the criminal(s) or victims (or both) and this is noir so don’t expect upstanding citizens or happy endings. Definitely a great collection that will introduce you to many writers, and being short stories you can fit one in here and there for a nice small bite of noir.

Links:

Over on Book Riot I did a roundup of all the Little Q&A’s so far: A Little Q&A with 8 Mystery Writers

Book Riot has $500 for one lucky winner to spend at a book store of their choice!

Rincey and Katie discuss what they’re currently watching and reading, plus the GoodRead’s Choice Awards and why people might gravitate towards true crime on the latest Read or Dead.

Rioter Kathleen Keenan takes a look at the many on-screen Hercule Poirots.

Sounds like a second season of HBO’s Big Little Lies (adapted from Liane Moriarty‘s novel) is going to happen.

AMC’s next John le Carré adaptation will be The Little Drummer Girl.

Watch the teaser trailer for Game Night, a comedy about a murder mystery party which turns out to be a real murder mystery.

Amazon’s Best of 2017 picks our up, including their mystery, thriller, and suspense choices. (Human Acts is fantastic, especially on audio, but I would not classify it under this genre.)

Vulture did a comparison between Margaret Atwood’s Alias Grace and Netflix’s adaptation.

Wired thinks you need to give Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency another chance–or first. (Sci-Fi mystery, adapted from Douglas Adams series.)

Backwards Storytelling (Trigger Warning: Suicide)

Genuine Fraud by E. Lockhar: Like Megan Miranda’s All the Missing Girls, this novel plays a bit with structure in that a lot of it is told backwards. You usually know the outcome of things but not the why, how, or who in many instances until another chunk of the story is revealed. The novel begins with a woman, Jules, who appears to be on the run, and it seems she thinks she’s been found. That’s when we’re taken back, back to her friendship with Imogen where the pieces start to be put into place and stacked together to reveal these two women… Suspenseful at times, I enjoyed watching the slow reveals of the characters, and Rebecca Slower did a great narration for the audiobook. (If you go with audiobook just make sure you pay attention to the dates, since it’s told backwards.)

A Good Slow Burn Read:

Fragments of the Lost by Megan Miranda: This is my third Miranda mystery read, and at this point I can count on a good read with some element of surprise. In this case the surprise was in what the novel was not–but I can’t tell you, because mystery. High schooler Jessa Whitworth is tasked with the brutal job of cleaning out her now deceased ex-boyfriend’s room. His family is moving and his mother can’t handle the job. The story starts with you getting to know Jessa and her ex Caleb through flashback memories she has while going through the items in his room. Throughout the present and past stories you’ll get a little blip that may ping your brain or a sentence that seems like something you should pay attention to. It isn’t until 70% into the story that all those little threads start to come together and you realize not only the mystery, but start needing to know the what-who-how. Jessa was a lovely teen girl to get to know, who does her best in the situations she finds herself in.

Kindle Deals! (I don’t know when they expire, sorry.)

The Hidden Keys by André Alexis is $6.99 (A puzzle mystery, one of my Best of 2016 picks.)

Malla Nunn’s Blessed are the Dead and Present Darkness are each $1.99 (From Detective Emmanuel Cooper series, set in South Africa.)

 

 

Browse all the books recommended in Unusual Suspects previous newsletters on this shelf. And if you like to put a pin in things here’s an Unusual Suspects 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.

Hi fellow mystery fans! If winter has found you I hope you’re warm and getting plenty of reading-under-a-cozy-blanket.

Great Puzzle Mystery:

Salvation of a Saint (Detective Galileo #5) by Keigo Higashino, Alexander O. Smith (Translator): Another great Japanese mystery–this one isn’t dark (like most I’ve read) but does have a puzzle mystery. A man is found dead in his home from poison. The obvious suspect would be his wife. The problem is, Ayane was out of town, making it rather impossible for her to have been the culprit. Making matters even more complicated is Detective Kusanagi seems to be a bit enamored by Ayane, and really can’t see her having committed the murder. Enter physics professor Manabu Yukawa (Detective Galileo) who is consulted to try and help them figure out how this man could have been poisoned. Twists, red herrings, and a procedural that follows different procedure than what readers of U.S./U.K mysteries are used to. If you’ve never read Higashino before you should resolve that. (Reads as a standalone–but you’ll want to read all his novels.)

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Sponsored by Yellow Pear Press

In 1889, Bridget joins the Borden household as their maid, but something evil is brewing beneath the house’s genteel surface. In 2016, Brooke hides from her dangerous past and avoids making friends. But what if it’s time to stop running?

Bram Stoker Award finalist Erika Mailman brings the true story of the brutal murder of Lizzie Borden’s father and stepmother into new focus by adding a riveting contemporary narrative. Intelligent and detailed, The Murderer’s Maid is a gripping read from beginning to bloody conclusion.

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Links:

Book Riot is giving away $500 to a book store of your choice! (You can build a huge bookfort!)

So déjà vu with the Goodsreads Choice Awards: I wrote about the problem last year (0 out of 15 books nominated were written by an author of color) and I’m not counting any kind of win in this year’s nominations with 1 out of 15 books nominated being written by an author of color. I’m happy to see some great books up for the award: The Dry; The Good Daughter; Righteous. BUT again that list is missing great releases this year: Bluebird, Bluebird (3.96 rating); A Conspiracy in Belgravia (4.19 rating); A Rising Man (3.9 rating); I Know a Secret (4.29 rating); Overturned (3.75 rating)… It really feels like while genres like Literary Fiction and YA seem to really be pushing hard to make changes, the Mystery/Thriller genre seems to just be digging in its heels which is equally sad, gross, and infuriating.

Snow Blind by Ollie Masters, Tyler Jenkins (a graphic novel about a family in witness protection) is being adapted by Fox.

If you’re watching S2 of Riverdale (Archie reimagining) you know they’ve introduced a serial killer and turned up the notch on ridiculous: Decider has rounded up some banana pants moments from the first four episodes.

If you’re watching Netflix’s Mindhunter (fictionalized series based on the non-fiction Mind Hunter: Inside the FBI’s Elite Serial Crime Unit), here Newsweek rounded up all the real serial killers portrayed.

Speaking of serial killer Ed Kemper: This Los Angeles Times articles from the ’80s is making the rounds again: Blind Couple See Only Good, Not the Guilt of the Helpers (Prisoners were used to make audiobooks for the blind.)

The 2nd Roxane Weary novel by Krysten Lepionka now has a title and cover.

For Miamians (and visitors): It’s time for Miami Book Fair (Nov 12-18) with all it’s amazing events, authors–including Noir at the Bar.

Jessica Jones Wrote a Good Thriller! (Okay, the actress.)

Bonfire by Krysten Ritter: Imagine Erin Brockovich returning to her hometown to look for evidence of water pollution from the company keeping the town afloat, and to face the high school mean girls. Oh, and hopefully figure out where the meanest one is—rumor is she just ran away, but some things have never added up. It isn’t long before Abby Williams is spiraling out from the weight of her father being ill, all of her childhood memories that she’s suddenly confronting, and her inability to stop herself from breaking into the “missing” girl’s storage unit. Something is clearly not right, but the more Williams seems to be losing it the further she may be getting from the truth… I am 100% here for an adaptation of this novel starring Krysten Ritter–you’re going to be imagining her as Abby Williams the whole time.

Things Aren’t What They Seem:

Still Midnight (Alex Morrow #1) by Denise Mina: Criminals burst into a home in Glasglow demanding to see Bob. Except there is no Bob. By night’s end a family member will be shot and the criminals will kidnap Amir, the patriarch of the family. The family and police are all confused as to why this particular family was targeted considering there is no one named Bob and the criminals shouted about Afghanistan when Amir was born in Uganda. And none of the family members have any relation or ties to Afghanistan. The novel equally follows the criminals (with the kidnapped Amir who imagines his mother alive and with him for comfort); Alex Morrow (a detective navigating the politics of her department and personal issues that are slowly revealed); the family members (as they try to heal and get Amir back). The novel is a procedural and crime novel that explores how humans don’t actually behave the way we expect them to–especially, when contained in a stereotypical box.

Kindle Deals! (Don’t know when they expire, sorry!)

Deanna Raybourn’s 1st two novels in the awesome and fun Veronica Speedwell series are on sale! A Curious Beginning is $2.99 and A Perilous Undertaking is $5.99 (review)

The Devil’s Star (Harry Hole #5) by Jo Nesbø is $1.99

And Steph Cha’s Juniper Song trilogy are each $7.99 (I swear this is a good deal considering the Hardcovers were always above $25 and there aren’t paperbacks which has been a huge bummer!) Follow Her Home (review); Beware Beware (review); Dead Soon Enough.

Browse all the books recommended in Unusual Suspects previous newsletters on this shelf. And if you like to put a pin in things here’s an Unusual Suspects 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.

Hello fellow mystery lovers! We’ve made it to November–I can smell the seasonal pies. Since the publishing industry hits the brakes during the end of the year when it comes to new releases, I’m going to do as much catch up and back catalog reading as I can–also, give a few books I put down a second (or third) try. Do you have any end of year reading goals?

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Sponsored by Bethany House

When a terrorist investigation leads FBI agent Declan Grey to a closed immigrant community, he turns to crisis counselor Tanner Shaw for help. Despite the tension between them, he needs the best of the best on this case. Under imminent threat, they’ll have to race against the clock to stop a plot that could cost thousands of lives—including theirs.

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There’s a baby elephant!

The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra (Baby Ganesh Agency Investigation #1) by Vaseem Khan: I 100% picked up this book because Inspector Ashwin Chopra inherits a baby elephant and I wanted to know how to get in on an inheritance like that. Sadly, I am no closer to inheriting one, but I did end up reading a delightful mystery. Inspector Chopra is retiring due to health, and ends up with a case of a drowned boy and (unrelated) a baby elephant. He may be retired, but he is not letting go of the boy’s death–which he refuses to accept as a drowning. He’s also having to figure out how to care for a baby elephant while living in an apartment complex. And you get to know Chopra’s wife, who has been unable to conceive all these years but finds herself coming up with an elaborate plan to finally have a child. Mystery, Mumbai, and a baby elephant–what more can you ask for?! (KINDLE DEAL ALERT: As of me writing this the kindle ebook is on sale for $2.99!)

Links:

There’s still time to enter Book Riot’s $500 dollar giveaway to a bookstore of YOUR choosing!

Rioter Nicole Mulhausen on reading Nancy Drew for the first time as an adult.

Attica Locke (and Joe Hill) are on this week’s Recommended!

Rincey and Katie discuss the trainwreck that is The Snowman adaptation publicity tour (and the film) and the mysteries they’re reading on Read or Dead.

“The only thing I want before I die is for the world to know the truth, that Pablo Neruda was murdered,” Araya told the Mexican magazine.” According to a 16-member panel Neruda did not die of cancer…

Hopefully the adaptation of this Dutch memoir will mean there will be an English translation release because it sounds really interesting: Astrid had to decide whether to turn against her mob boss brother after the murder of their brother-in-law.

Dear Nathan Fillion fans: He’ll be back at ABC with a “light crime drama” based on a true story of a rookie cop about twenty years older than all the other rookies.

Lorenzo Carcaterra’s Chasers has been put into development at CBS as a police drama series.

All the squeals for Megan Abbott’s next novel Give Me Your Hand which will release in July 2018.

Jenni Konner and Lena Dunham (creators of Girls) will adapt Genuine Fraud by E. Lockhart.

A Cult, A Mystery, A Pinch of Orange is the New Black:

The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly by Stephanie Oakes: Seventeen-year-old Minnow Bly is in juvenile detention for assault and if she wants to get out, rather than transferred to prison, she’s going to have to cooperate with an FBI agent who keeps randomly showing up. He’s got some questions about the Kevinian cult she was raised in. The one whose leader just died. Camp burned to the ground. Does Bly know who was responsible? And is she willing to reveal what she knows for her own freedom? Told in the present and with flashbacks that take you through Bly’s life growing up in the cult, how she lost her hands (graphic), and the night she lost everything she’d known and how that possibly can finally give her freedom. Beautifully written, this one stayed with me.

Twisty With Bite:

The Hanging Girl by Eileen Cook: Skye Thorn “is in over her head” is an understatement. Needing money for college, she decides to use her tarot-card-reading-girl persona to help sell a fake kidnapping to the cops by claiming to have visions. The problem is everything goes wrong with the kidnapping, her accomplice has an agenda Thorn was unaware of and did not sign up for, and now Thorn’s psychic mother has decided she’ll also help the police with her visions. Soon Thorn doesn’t even care about the money anymore, she’d just like to get out of this entire mess alive and hopefully not arrested. I liked Thorn, as much as she’s screwing up and making some awful decisions, she’s aware and does have introspection and the desire to do better. The question is, is it too late?

Browse all the books recommended in Unusual Suspects previous newsletters on this shelf. And if you like to put a pin in things here’s an Unusual Suspects 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.

Hello fellow mystery lovers! This week I’m recommending some great genre-mixed mysteries. I pretty much read every genre, and since mystery has always been my favorite, I love when they mingle. I’ve found it’s also a great way to expand your reading into other genres and to be able to read the same book with someone who doesn’t necessarily read the genre(s) you love. It’s like a middle ground that lets you explore a bit of more than one thing.

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Sponsored by Haven by Mary Lindsey

Rain Ryland has never belonged anywhere. He’s used to people judging him for his rough background, his intimidating size, and now, his orphan status. He’s always been on the outside, looking in, and he’s fine with that. Until he moves to New Wurzburg and meets Friederike Burkhart.

Freddie isn’t like normal teen girls, though. And someone wants her dead for it. Freddie warns he’d better stay far away if he wants to stay alive, but Rain’s never been good at running from trouble. For the first time, Rain has something worth fighting for, worth living for. Worth dying for.

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Fantasy Meets Historical Fiction Mystery:

Jackaby (Jackaby #1) by William Ritter: Think Sherlock with a female assistant and throw in some critters like Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Abigail Rook, the narrator, has run off to be an Archeologist (how dare that woman not be a proper lady!) but when her dreams don’t pan out she finds herself working with Jackaby, a socially oblivious investigator. While Jackaby may not be super observant of social behavior, he is skillful in spotting nonhuman creatures–now if he can only convince others. Rook and Jackaby make a great team. Theirs is a serial killer mystery, and it’s fun. If fantasy isn’t usually your jam, this is set in Victorian England with only sporadic creatures so it’s a great toe-in-the-water step into fantasy without feeling overwhelmed. It’s also the first in a series of four, so you can binge the whole thing: Beastly Bones; Ghostly Echoes; The Dire King. (And those covers are gorgeous!)

Chick Lit Meets Mystery:

Getting Rid of Bradley by Jennifer Crusie: When Chick Lit exploded onto the scene, I read it all. ALL. It was generally funny, fun, and centered around women, and I devoured it like candy. This book has managed to stay on my bookshelves since the ’90s–I’m an old–and I decided to give it a reread. It was as delightful as I remembered it–which honestly is all I remembered because my memory is terrible. Lucy Savage is divorcing her husband, and good riddance. Except getting rid of Bradley (ha!) isn’t solving any of her problems: her I’ll-be-a-fabulous-blonde has turned her hair funky colors; there seems to be a mix-up with Bradley’s identity; two cops keep bothering her; and it looks like someone is trying to kill her. Turns out one of those cops, the one that looks like a bad boy, has some serious sparks with Savage which is only going to get further ignited as she’s under his protection. OhMy! I know Chick Lit gets a bad rap–as things women like tend to–but this book is fun, and ridiculous, and at the core a mystery about who Bradley is, where he went, and why someone is suddenly trying to kill Lucy Savage.

Science-Fiction Meets Mystery/Thriller:

Sleeping Giants (Themis Files #1) by Sylvain Neuvel: This novel is amazing and if you’re an audiobook reader it’s a must in audio–all the narrators are fantastic. Told mostly through interviews and journal entries we get the story of Rose Franklin who as a child was ridding her bike and came across a giant metal hand. Think of discovering a gigantic dinosaur bone except metal and ohmygod what! Almost twenty years later there is still not much known about this metal hand, nor where it came from. But people want, and need, to know, including Franklin, who is a physicist in charge of cracking the mystery of the hand. Everything about this book is built on not only the mystery of what and from where, but you don’t even know who the “investigators” are, which also becomes a part of the mystery. It’s a page-turning Sci-Fi mystery/thriller that is a hell of a ride. And since it’s set in the U.S. and doesn’t have the world building of a lot of Sci-Fi, it’s a great place to start if you’re overwhelmed by the genre.

Crime Meets Romance (Trigger Warning: Sexual/Domestic Abuse):

Uptown Thief (Justice Huslers #1) by Aya de León: A fellow Rioter had recommended this and I’m so glad he did. This is a mashup crime novel and romance. It isn’t a puzzle mystery type book, instead you follow criminals. But not your everyday criminals, these are women who are running a women’s health clinic in NY for underprivileged women. But you need money to keep a clinic open and funding just isn’t enough. So Marisol Rivera creates a down-low escort service that targets CEOs that want to donate to the clinic. Except she’s targeting human garbage CEOs so her and her crew can rob them. Girls gotta do what a girls gotta do to keep helping her community… As for the romance: Rivera may finally get a shot at a real relationship when a now ex-cop she grew up with starts circling her orbit. There’s also a really nice relationship between two of the clinic workers. Also, plenty of criminal activity–including some hold-your-breath-they’re-going-to-get-caught moments.

Links to Click:

Book Riot is giving away $500 to a bookstore of your choosing–ermergerd that’s SO MANY BOOKS!

A murderer helped make the Oxford English Dictionary.

Winnie M Li’s Dark Chapter has won the 2017 Not the Booker prize. (Review)

An interview (via live chat) with Tess Gerritsen, author of Rizzoli & Isles series and a ton of books.

Sarah Blaedel’s Louise Rick series is being adapted into a TV series.

Milwaukeeans: Murder and Mayhem on Nov. 4th

Now in Paperback:

Tell the Truth Shame the Devil by Melina Marchetta (Review)

Everything You Want Me To Be by Mindy Mejia (Review)

Fields Where They Lay (Junior Bender #6) by Timothy Hallinan

The Last Day of Emily Lindsey by Nic Joseph (Review)

Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mew’d (Flavia de Luce #8) by Alan Bradley

 

Recent Release Kindle Deal!

Are You Sleeping by Kathleen Barber is $2.99 (Review)

 

 

Browse all the books recommended in Unusual Suspects previous newsletters on this shelf. And if you like to put a pin in things here’s an Unusual Suspects 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.

Hi fellow mystery fans! Have you been watching any good mystery shows and/or reading any great mysteries recently? I’m really enjoying Mindhunter on Netflix (especially love the dynamic between the “partners”) and my library went back to using Overdrive so I’ve been putting a dent in my backlist TBR!

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Sponsored by Bethany House

When a terrorist investigation leads FBI agent Declan Grey to a closed immigrant community, he turns to crisis counselor Tanner Shaw for help. Despite the tension between them, he needs the best of the best on this case. Under imminent threat, they’ll have to race against the clock to stop a plot that could cost thousands of lives—including theirs.

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When the Followup Novel is Just As Good!

Righteous (IQ #2) by Joe Ide: This was my must-read pick for October, and it’s one of the best mystery releases this year. Isaiah Quintabe (IQ) is back, still living in East Long Beach and helping his community by taking on cases and accepting payment in any form clients can pay–chickens included. While IQ is a loner and doesn’t always have the greatest social skills it’s because as a child he was being raised by his brother who was killed in a hit-and-run that was never solved. Not only does he decide to solve his brother’s case, but he also gets a visit from the past in the form of a woman who needs his services to help her sister in Las Vegas. With his refusal to let things go and his need to solve his cases, IQ ends up in the crosshairs of multiple gangs. All while realizing that this life he’s been living is lonely and maybe he should try to work on getting along better with friends like Dodson–a not-always-happy-to-be-dragged-along side-kick of sorts. Ide brings to life the ethnically diverse community of East Long Beach without creating stereotypical caricatures, but rather creates people with full backstories and lives. It’s the kind of crime novel where no one is necessarily all good, but everyone is human. I can’t wait for more IQ.

Links to Click:

Feeling lucky? Book Riot is giving away $500 to spend at any bookstore you choose!!!!!!!

Rioter Tirzah Price’s Genre Kryptonite is Queer Ladies Solving Crime.

Rincey and Katie talk Tana French, newsy items, and review recent releases on Read or Dead.

An interview with Adam Sternberg, author of The Blinds.

An interview with Leye Andele, author of Easy Motion Tourist.

The next novel in Alex Segura’s Pete Fernandez series is Blackout and the cover has been revealed.

The Problem with Pop Culture’s White Male Serial Killer Obsession by Sandra Song

Inside Tumblr’s Serial Killer Fandom Problem by Vanessa Willoughby

E! is adapting One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus into a series.

The Nancy Drew series that CBS passed on looks to be getting a second chance with NBC–although, as a completely different show that will follow the author of Nancy Drew. And sadly Sarah Shahi is no longer starring.

Sisters in Crime celebrates 30 years and put together a Publishing Summit Report: Raising Women’s Voices for Thirty Years.

She Finds Dead People:

Grave Sight (Harper Connelly #1) by Charlaine Harris: Depending on how you look at it, Harper Connelly is either cursed or gifted with the ability to find dead people after a lightning strike as a child. She can’t tell you who did it or why, nor is she a lie detector. What she can tell you is how they died and where the body is. It’s become her job, actually. Her and her stepbrother Tolliver travel around picking up cases where someone would like to finally know what happened to a missing person. If they’re dead, and within a reasonable distance, she finds them and can sense the cause of death–then she gets paid and moves on to the next place and case. Problem is, her new case is keeping her much longer then her or Tolliver care to stay even after she found the body, because it seems now there’s more bodies. Not only are Harper and Tolliver not able to leave, but it’s clear they’re not wanted. Harper is also going to have to face her co-dependent relationship with her stepbrother that stems from an abusive/neglected childhood–but maybe they should just focus on getting out of the town as fast as they can…

Ridiculous Small Town Characters Make for a Fun Read:

Pumpkin Picking with Murder (An Otter Lake Mystery #2) by Auralee Wallace: I picked this up because I needed something fun and seasonal to read and saw a review complaining that the characters were all too ridiculous–which to me sounded perfect. Erica Bloom visits her hometown (Otter Lake, New Hampshire) hoping that this time nothing goes wrong and she can finally get a relationship with the town’s sheriff to work. Enter a dead man, Erica’s “aunts” being looked at as suspects, Erica’s mother currently taking a vow of silence, and her best friend Freddie who has now deemed himself in charge of security demanding they look into the death. It’s one ridiculous event after another as Freddie and Erica do a lot of terrible investigation that places Grady, the sheriff, in the position of having to arrest his potential girlfriend…

Awesome Kindle Deals! (Same caveat as last time: I have no idea when the sales end so if you want it, get it–they’re all great reads!)

No One Knows by J.T Ellison is $1.99 (Mystery/Thriller about a missing husband and the suspected wife.)

Lamar Giles’ Fake ID is $4.99 and Endangered is $3.99 (A Little Q&A with Lamar Giles: here.)

Trouble is a Friend of Mine (Trouble #1) by Stephanie Tromly is $4.99 (For Veronica Mars fans.)

The Truth and Other Lies by Sascha Arango, Imogen Taylor (translator) is $4.99 (Suspenseful crime novel about an author.)

North of Boston by Elisabeth Elo is $5.99 (Mystery/thriller with a unique MC and one of my favorite reads.)

Alexia Gordon’s Murder in G Major and Death in D Minor are each $2.99 (Cozy, fun, with some ghosts: reviewed here.)

The Missing File by D.A. Mishani is $1.99, A Possibility of Violence is $3.99, and The Man Who Wanted to Know Everything is $3.99 (Israeli detective series which feels written with kindness and is great for fans of procedurals and the exploration of human behavior.)

Browse all the books recommended in Unusual Suspects previous newsletters on this shelf. And if you like to put a pin in things here’s an Unusual Suspects 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.

Hello fellow mystery fans! He did the mystery mash! The mystery mash. It was a forensics smash… (Sorry, not sorry.)

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Sponsored by The Dark Lake by Sarah Bailey

Rosalind’s secrets didn’t die with her.

Detective Sergeant Gemma Woodstock is deeply unnerved when a high school classmate is found strangled, her body floating in a lake. And not just any classmate, but Rosalind Ryan, whose beauty and inscrutability exerted a magnetic pull on Smithson High School.

Rosalind’s enigmas frustrate and obsess Gemma, who has her own dangerous secrets—an affair with her colleague and past tragedies that may not stay in the past. Brilliantly rendered, THE DARK LAKE has characters as compelling and mysteries as layered as the best thrillers from Gillian Flynn and Sophie Hannah.

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Great Start to a Very Long Running Mystery Series:

A is for Alibi (Kinsey Millhone, #1) by Sue Grafton: I did something I rarely do and started all the way at the beginning of a very long running mystery series! How long you ask? Well the series has a title for every letter of the alphabet and is currently at Y (Y is for Yesterday). The final in the series looks to release in 2019, so I’ve got a lot of reading to do!

The first book in the series introduces us to Kinsey Millhone, a thirty-two year old California PI with two ex-husbands and zero kids. She’s mouthy, observant, a good liar, and while I love me an unlikable female character, for those who don’t, she doesn’t cross into that territory. Her current case is a woman just released from prison after finishing her sentencing for murdering her husband. Except she claims she never did, and wants Millhone to find out who actually did. Being that the murdered husband was a womanizing divorce lawyer, Millhone has plenty of suspects to reevaluate while also keeping an eye on the widow–wouldn’t be the first time someone claimed to be innocent who was not. Millhone isn’t all business though, as she seems to have an eye for the fellas… A solid mystery, great detective character (reminded me of my love for Kat Colorado), humorous, and with a bit of action. I totally get why so many people love Millhone and this series and look forward to continuing.

A Little Q&A: Attica Locke (I give authors I’m excited about 5 questions and let them answer any three they’d like.)

And ohmygod I’m so excited! Attica Locke is one of those writers that I will pickup any book she writes–and watch any show she is a producer/ writer for: Empire. She wrote one of my favorite opening scenes in a novel which takes place in a historic plantation house: The Cutting Season. And her recent novel Bluebird, Bluebird (which you’ve heard me raving about for months) and the Texas ranger character Darren Mathews are now all time favorites of mine. Locke is not only a great writer when it comes to plotting mysteries but my favorite thing about her writing are her characters–who are always completely alive in my mind from their introduction–and her ability to 100% immerse me in her settings.

And here’s Attica Locke:

If you were forced to live the rest of your life as one of your characters who would it be?

Darren Mathews in the newest book, Bluebird, Bluebird  ’cause he gets to carry a gun. And I like bourbon probably as much as he does.

If you were to blurb your most recent/upcoming book (à la James Patterson):

“It’s my favorite, but don’t tell the others.”

The last book you read that you loved?

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

Thanks Attica! I’m going to have to bump Eleanor Oliphant up on my reading list. And I really hope that Bluebird, Bluebird is the beginning of a series because I need more Darren Mathews!

Cozy Mystery October Read!

Hallowe’en Party (Hercule Poirot #36) by Agatha Christie: I’ve been wanting to reread Christie for-EV-er, and while I was planning on finally reading her in order, I couldn’t pass up reading this one for Halloween. It was an entertaining, cozy reread for me, but does have some political and societal things that may have gotten some side-eye– like every character believed the only answer to who the culprit could be was a mental patient released because of overcrowding. The adults really didn’t seem to like children much, which for some reason I found amusing, and I enjoyed the look at Halloween and the games played in the opening. It’s certainly not a happy Halloween party (a thirteen-year-old girl is found “drowned” in the apple bobbing bucket). But Poirot, asked by the host of the party to look into it even though the police are on the case, will solve the cas,e and all will be explained by the end of the book. (You can read Christie out of order, except leave the final Poirot novel for last.)

Links to Click:

Over on Book Riot I added even more books to The Past is Gonna Get ‘Cha mysteries.

I’m so freaking excited that Kathleen Kent’s The Dime has a script commitment because it’s a fantastic book perfect for an adaptation.

Excited for Riverdale‘s season 2? Here’s an interview with Ashleigh Murray (Josie): “We’re only just getting into the thick of the turmoil that’s happening between Josie and the Pussycats.” (Premieres Oct. 11th on the CW)

Speaking of S2 premieres: Good Behavior will be back on TNT Oct. 15th. If you need a s1 recap here you go.

Netflix’s Mindhunter (based on the true crime book Mind Hunter: Inside the FBI’s Elite Serial Crime Unit) will be streaming Oct. 13th.

Great Books In Kinds Deals! (But there’s a caveat: I have no idea when the sales expire! As of me sending this out they are on sale, fingers crossed they stay that way until you get your ebook.)

Speaking of the fantastic Attica Locke Black Water Rising (Jay Porter #1) is $4.99

Megan Abbott’s noir novels Bury Me Deep and The Song is You are each $3.99

Silent City (Pete Fernandez Mystery #1) by Alex Segura is .99cents (Miami journalist turned PI throughout series.)

The Undertaker’s Daughter by Kate Mayfield is $4.99 (Memoir of growing up in a small town as the mortician’s daughter.)

And Sometimes I Wonder About You (Leonid McGill #5) by Walter Mosley is $4.99 (NYC-based PI.)

Browse all the books recommended in Unusual Suspects previous newsletters on this shelf. And if you like to put a pin in things here’s an Unusual Suspects 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.