Mystery and True Crime

People who've been traumatized by a crime are victims, too. Finding ways to comfort them is also part of my job. I adored this gentle, intricately plotted novel! Told in vignettes, this unusual whodunnit follows Detective Kaga as he solves small domestic mysteries with kindness and grace, while gaining more insight into the life of the murder victim and those around her. - Ksenia

Attica Locke’s award-winning Highway 59 series is a favorite of contemporary mystery fans, and this sequel to 2017’s Bluebird, Bluebird is another fantastic novel. It again follows black Texas Ranger Darren Mathews deep into East Texas, this time to the swampy bayous of Caddo Lake in search of a missing child who also happens to be the son of a local member of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas. Locke’s characters are complex and her writing is evocatively detailed, suspenseful, and intensely atmospheric. I loved it! - Stuart

Spies, treason, double crossing, triple crossing, and British manners: Who can give us all of this with such edge-of-your-seat excitement the way John le Carré can? Nobody, that’s who. This new novel by the master of espionage stars a British agent examining his loyalties in this confusing time of Brexit, Putin, and Trump. An engrossing read, with mordant, extremely English humor (or, should I say, humour) and a memorable cast of characters. - Jess

The Long Call was everything I wanted to curl up with and lose myself in. A vibrant British seaside town is rocked with the mysterious murder of a formerly homeless man, himself more mysterious yet. The character-driven mystery kept me turning pages for the secrets and complexities of a community of artists, do-gooders, bird watchers, spiritual seekers, and of course police—including haunted detective Matthew Venn, whose husband may be at the center of everything. I am so satisfied, and so ready for the next of this wonderful new series. - Jocelyn

From the award-winning, bestselling author of Gorky Park comes a new Arkady Renko story set against the harsh and forbidding landscape of Siberia. Investigator Renko must fight against his own demons as well as the larger global threat posed by Russian spies when he travels to find missing journalist Tatiana Petrovna. “A stellar spy novel that provides an authentic view of contemporary Russia.”—Publishers Weekly

Where does the cycle of violence begin and how does it end? What is justice and who is justified? There are no easy answers and this book offers none. Set against the backdrop of a fictionalized version of the 1992 Los Angeles riots, two families linked by tragedy struggle with the legacy of death, racism, and a flawed court system. This book is so timely and important. It has wrapped itself around my heart and refuses to let go. - Ivy

Honestly, I started reading this for the promise of liquor, sex, and betrayal, and stayed for the delicious onion of a plot, the slow peeling of layers that kept me up far too late reading. Olguín deftly adds in characters, subplots, and themes, all while keeping everything concise and not overwhelming to the reader. My only regret is that I won’t be able to read it for the first time again. - Rachel

As doctors race to invent more powerful anesthetics in the higher society of 1847 Edinburgh, an unsettling pattern of dead women surfaces in the city’s underbelly. Will Raven, an enigmatic new assistant to one of the city’s most prestigious doctors, and Sarah Fisher, the doctor’s astute housemaid, strike up an unlikely partnership to discover who is targeting the city’s most vulnerable women. The Way of All Flesh is a gritty and addicting read that will satisfy both mystery readers and lovers of historical fiction. - Tori

This is a fast-paced mystery with just the right amount of character development and literary heart, told in alternating voices of two teenagers living a world apart. Rosie lives in England under the shadow of her older sister, who went missing when she was just a baby. Anna lives in Florida, the only child of a reclusive and religious mother who was widowed when Anna’s father was killed in a car accident. When Anna receives an unmarked package from a stranger, dangerous questions start to rise. Meanwhile, an ocean away, Rosie reads an email that was never meant for her. Each of the girls separately follows her path as the plot moves toward a thrilling conclusion. - S.M.C.

Maisie Dobbs was a poor girl who worked as a nurse in the Great War. In 1920's London, still carrying emotional battlefield scars, she sets up shop as a private investigator. Her first case leads to murder and exposes wartime secrets still causing harm. Winspear's plotting and depiction of post-WWI Britain will have you devouring pages. - Jocelyn