Mystery

When journalist Camille Preaker returns to her tiny hometown to report on a local murder, deep-rooted family issues and an overwhelming sense of claustrophobia quickly take hold. I love a good mystery, and Flynn’s character-driven, deeply atmospheric writing immediately drew me in. Suspenseful, original, and subtlety sinister, this kept me guessing until the very end. - Jade

As a fan of the genre, I know the search for a satisfying mystery can leave you sifting through blurbs that end up sounding somewhat samey. This one is an ingenious mix of Christie-style English village murder and contemporary publishing thriller that scratches the itch whether you're an avid mystery reader or just an occasional one. I truly found it hard to put down! - Ilana

The Cormoran Strike novels have so many of the elements I love in mysteries. The main characters are flawed but winning, there is a fiendish puzzle at the heart of each book, and there are equal helpings of darkness and snort-inducing humour. On top of that, the series has one of the most delicious will-they-won't-they romance subplots I have ever read. - Ilana

While I’m not familiar with the earlier books in this series, that fact didn’t get in the way of my enjoyment. A wonderful mix of kidnappings, escapees, and amazing shenanigans, Enigma managed to hit all of my favorites elements in a mystery. An FBI team is pulled in two directions: one half chasing down a recently escaped Most Wanted, while the rest struggle to find a missing baby taken from under their noses. Toss in a comatose John Doe, and your summer beach read is complete! - Rachel

Jane Doe January was the stunning memoir which first hooked me on Emily Winslow's work. As a mystery writer, Winslow delivers! Look For Her orbits the era-defining case of a missing girl from the 70’s. Winslow’s nonlinear narrative builds intense psychological suspense, a cold-case mystery with new threat of active violence, which wraps up neatly into a satisfying, divine-able yet unexpected bow. One of a series, this is also an ideal standalone summer read. - a.c.

This compulsively readable book is as much about NYC as it is about the two toxic friends who roam the city in pursuit of the next Thing -- party, selfie, gala, boy. It’s a wild and heart-pounding ride through private clubs and penthouses as Lavinia introduces Louise to a lifestyle any girl would kill for. A delicious blend of The Talented Mr. Ripley and Gossip Girl, you won't be able to put this down until the last bloody page. - Kelly

Edgar award winner Megan Abbott is wonderful at portraying doomed female friendships with the sizzling tension usually reserved for forbidden romances. This claustrophobic psychological thriller examines the way a dark secret between two old high school friends re-emerges when they reunite as adults, threatening to tip them both into insanity. Just like the high school friend your mother didn’t approve of, this book will shock you, make you cackle, and get under your skin. - Ilana

Two characters are the centerpiece in Flemming’s books, yet here it is just Reverend Claire Fergusson. Arriving home after serving as a combat pilot in Iraq, Claire, broken, with PTSD, is without an anchor in spite of being in love and about to marry police chief Russ Van Alstyne.  As a suicide investigation goes sideways, Claire falls more deeply into fear and obsession. Flemming painted this character with real human tones. By the end, I felt she had always been my friend. - Karen

Sunset Grove, a retirement home for the old in age but young at heart, plays the setting of a murder. But don't worry! Siiri and Irma, or the Lavender Ladies as they call themselves, are on the case! Get wrapped up in this silly and suspenseful Finnish mystery about murder, friendship, and life in the later years. - Nicole

The indomitable Mary Russell is back at it again, this time tracking down a friend’s missing aunt in a search that leads her from the notorious insane asylum of Bedlam to the canals of Mussolini-era Venice. With a cast of players that includes fascist Blackshirts and Cole Porter in full party mode, King’s writing is, as ever, brimming with wit, rich historical detail, and her own brand of infectious joie de vivre. - Ilana

Don’t miss our in-store book launch event with Laurie R. King on June 24th, 2018.