Mystery and True Crime

This fourth installment in Atkinson’s stellar mystery series starring Jackson Brodie is every bit as good as the previous ones. When Brodie and retired officer Tracy Waterhouse find themselves with unexpected, rescued charges, they find that there are startling repercussions for their good deeds. As with her earlier novels, the best parts of this book are the depth of the emotional and psychological lives of her characters, the intricate plot, and the sharp, dark wit.

I love love loved this book, and I think you will, too. It’s epic in scale with a whole cadre of characters to love and hate, and Follet weaves them together into an addictive story. Like Pillars of the Earth or World Without End, you feel immersed in history—yet drawn in to the intimate details of the characters lives. By balancing five families from all sides of the Great War, Follet paints a complex picture of the beginning of the Twentieth Century.

I get cranky if I go too long without a Mary Russell fix. God of the Hive was published a scant year and a half ago, but it feels like much longer since I've checked in with my favorite detectives, Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes. In Pirate King we are taken to Lisbon, where a mystery involving silent films and Gilbert and Sullivan awaits. King's dexterous plotting skills are hard at work in this novel, and surprises are in store. I can't wait!

“Far from being just another morose Nordic crime writer, Denmark’s Adler-Olsen creates a detective whose curiosity is as active as his soul is tortured. The villain is a monster and the crime horrendous, but readers will root for the victim and for the belabored Department Q. This absorbing psychological thriller is recommended not only for fans of Henning Mankell, Jo Nesbø, and Stieg Larsson, but for true crime aficionados who might like to try fiction.” —Library Journal 

Smart, sassy Brett is a talented tattoo artist with her own high-end parlor on the Vegas strip, and a knack for finding trouble. When her cop brother requests her expertise, she and a handful of colorful cohorts find themselves wrapped up in murder. Short and sweet chapters always end in a cliff hanger, making for a fast, fun read you don’t want to put down.