Mystery

Phoebe Siegler, a Manhattan woman who finds herself shattered and floundering after the results of the presidential election, jumps to volunteer to find her close friend’s runaway daughter. Following leads to the California desert, Phoebe meets an obscure private detective known for his ability to find and aid runaways and strays. In search of the missing girl, the two set out on a journey that feels chimerical and twisted. The pair must rely on the desert’s fringe inhabitants, and the story starts to hint of violence and turmoil. This novel/mystery/love story is both an enigmatic tale of being lost and found and a frame for the subtext of a divided America, one where truth, power, and the haves and the have-nots are in need of deep scrutiny. - S.M.C.

If you liked Stephen King’s classic Misery, pick up a copy of this tense, gripping novel by Hye-Young Pyun, winner of many of Korea’s top literary prizes. Oghi has woken from a coma after causing a devastating car accident that took his wife’s life and left him paralyzed and badly disfigured. Cared for by his mother-in-law, his world shrinks to the room he lies in. As Oghi searches for a way to escape, he discovers the difficult truth about his wife and the toll their life together took on her.

I loved this novel! Sujata Massey is a strong, confident storyteller and this captivating mystery, set in 1920s Bombay, features superb world-building, a riveting plot, and great characters. Perveen Mistry is a richly written protagonist: By turns confident and conflicted, she strives to do the right thing and is more than capable of getting herself out of trouble. Highly recommended for a fresh take on the mystery genre. - Stuart

Fans of The Essex Serpent will savor Perry’s deft and effortless character development. Melmoth, a modern-day gothic horror, opens when a haunted translator from Prague learns her friend’s secret, then disappears. The novel grapples with a beast: Melmoth, macabre, who stalks the guilty, compelling them to wander in shame or choose life. Is Melmoth real or abstract? A horror, a haunting metaphor, or both? - a.c.

A burglary gone awry, a near-perfect life destroyed, a mind torn. Toby is caring for his dying uncle and finding himself again. When a skull is found in the wych elm, it seems that a decades-old murder may tear apart a family and Toby himself, as he tries to piece together what happened—and what he might have done. A haunting novel portrayed by a narrator unreliable to himself. - Jocelyn

Sharon Bolton’s latest gothic-tinged crime fiction The Craftsman is set at the edge of the Yorkshire Dales, where the UK’s largest witch trial was held. Assistant Commissioner Florence Lovelady attends the funeral of a child murderer whom she arrested 30 years before, only to find evidence all these years later that the case isn’t closed after all. This promises to be a twisty, chilling read, perfect for the colder, darker nights. - Ilana

This deliciously nuanced and layered mystery is a terrific book for Lou Berney fans and thrill-seekers. Set days after JFK’s assassination, November Road follows two people who are on the run from a diabolically evil hitman and have no choice but to do what comes unnaturally for both: trust each other. Berney’s latest masterpiece will have you clutching the pages and your pearls as he takes you on a white-knuckle road trip from the sticky heat of the French Quarter to the dusty skies of Nevada. - Kelly

If you like espionage thrillers, you won’t want to miss this one! Firefly is a fast-paced, thought-provoking tale about Naji, a 13-year-old undocumented Syrian refugee who has critical information concerning an unfolding terrorist plot. An intense chase quickly develops when both MI6 and the terrorists pursue Naji as he makes his way across Europe to create a better life for his family. Warning: This page-turner could easily keep you up all night. - Trey

The feelings evoked by the life story of Kya, the Marsh Girl, lingered with me long after I finished reading this beautifully crafted novel. Abandoned first by her mother, and then by the rest of her family, by age ten Kya was living on her own in the marsh of coastal North Carolina. This is a coming of age story, a romance, a murder mystery, and a remarkable love story about the living breathing marsh itself. - Trey

Samuel Clay, a 9-year-old boy whose father has just passed away, has been left under the care of the strict disciplinarian housekeeper, Ruth. But not everything is as it seems in this once grand estate in Cornwall. Ruth said that Samuel’s mother left in the dead of night to travel abroad to America, but can Ruth be trusted? His mother has been gone for months, and all that Samuel has left of her are the sporadic postcards she’s sent on her travels. Samuel can’t help but begin to suspect that something awful has happened to his mother. Is it just his imagination, or is Ruth really a cold-blooded killer? This gripping novel is filled with the “Did she, or didn't she?” emotional tension that all mystery lovers crave. - Nicole