Mystery & Suspense from the 2016 Winter Newsletter

In this excellent new installment of Craig Johnson’s Longmire series, Walt is called to investigate an accident at a Wyoming motorcycle rally. Backed by Vic and Henry Standing Bear—who rides a motorcycle and quotes Sherlock Holmes—Walt encounters drunken bikers, a military vehicle, the firecracker namesake of Henry’s Thunderbird, and all kinds of trouble. This is a tight-knit, drily funny mystery that’s one hell of a good ride. —Flannery

Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they’re not out to get you, and Detective Antoinette Conway knows this better than most. The acidic, sharp detective from The Secret Place returns for the fight of her life against her own colleagues. Tana French is my absolute favorite mystery novelist, and The Trespasser, with its slow, twisty unfolding, reminded me why. —Kat

What I perhaps love most about the Mary Russell series is that we are frequently treated to trips back in time, to moments that reveal something new about Mary and Sherlock. Imagine my delight in an entire collection of these gems! With stories of Mary Russell’s first sleuthing adventures in San Francisco, as well as a murder by bees and even a glimpse of Mary at age 92, this collection will delight fans of this fantastic series.  —Kat

Love music? Love crime? This is for you. Collected within are 20 short crime noir stories all revolving around music—from an Elvis Costello–loving serial killer to ladies out for revenge. Plus, there’s a delightful treat in the form of a surprise new Longmire short story from Craig Johnson! I’m not generally a huge short story fan, but I thoroughly enjoyed these little puzzles. This is has a bit of something for everyone. —Flannery

Isaiah Quintabe may seem ordinary from the outside, but underneath he houses a fiery intellect that he uses to solve crimes in his East Long Beach neighborhood. When he takes a case involving an unusual assassination attempt on a semi-crazed rap mogul, he finds himself tangled in far more than he bargained for. Edgy and fun, this introduces a fresh, bold new voice in mystery. I’ll be looking forward to more from Joe Ide. —Flannery

Atlanta, 1948, isn’t an easy place to be black, and Lucius and Tommy know that being the first black police officers doesn’t make it any easier. They have no real power, and both the white officers and civilians understand that. When a young black woman is found beaten to death, they suspect white officers of the murder and launch their own investigation, regardless of the risks. This is a gritty, dark mystery well worth reading.  —Flannery

The Mid-Autumn Festival is a time for family. Unfortunately for punk rock–loving street-food vendor Jiang-nan, this means keeping an eye on his spoiled cousin as a favor to his gangster uncle. What could possibly go wrong? This fast-paced, funny mystery brings Taiwan to such rich, vibrant life that you’ll want to run out to the all-night fruit stand for a fresh peeled pineapple. I thoroughly enjoyed it. —Flannery

When suspended cop Bish discovers that his daughter’s bus has been bombed in France, he rushes to her side, not realizing he’s about to be pulled into a complex web that will send him searching for a missing teen girl with links to an old crime. Printz Award–winning author Marchetta has already shown her writing skills in her young adult novels, and now she proves she can write a great adult mystery as well! —Flannery