Mystery & SF/F Recommendations, 2016

It is a rare storyteller who can make a new tale seem familiar. Naomi Novik deftly accomplishes this feat in Uprooted. Agnieszka is a compelling, stubborn protagonist and the exacting “Dragon” is her perfect foil. The premise is precise and well crafted, combining Russian folktales with a classic European fairytale. It felt like coming home to the fantasy roots of my youth. —Ivy

Fans of battle scenes, revenge plots, kick-ass females, creative demonology, and non-hetero-normative characters rejoice. Crown for Cold Silver is the fantastic start to a fresh fantasy series that turns so many of the genre’s tropes on their heads. It's fun, feisty, and ferocious. BONUS: Book 2—A Blade of Black Steel—was recently released, and it’s excellent as well. —Nici

A Vietnam vet returns home and finds his specialty is rescuing children from abusive situations. It’s the only job that provides the adrenaline he needs that matches the war.  Keeping Watch  takes psychological suspense to its highest level. It’s also the best book I’ve read that conveys the psychological horrors of that war and it’s my favorite Laurie King stand-alone title. —Clytia

Will Keller, war photographer, is more than happy to get lost in Cambodia’s underbelly and forget his past. Despite his efforts, he is drawn into a search for a lost girl, a trip that takes him across the country and through his past. The author draws on personal career experience as a photojournalist to bring life (and death) to this hauntingly stark and brutal novel. I read this in one night, unable and unwilling to drag out the suspense. —Rachel

If you’ve heard of a criminal profiler, you have John Douglas to thank. He was one of the first to explore at the psyche of a killer to predict their next move and help law enforcement catch the worst killers imaginable. In this memoir, Douglas recounts the early days of profiling and talks about killers we all know of—including Santa Cruz serial killer Edmund Kemper. Warning: It’s about serial killers. It gets nasty. —Flannery