Margaret Agnew

Jule Selbo: 6 Days

by

Dee Rommel #5

6 Days by Jule Selbo is, ironically, the fifth book in the Dee Rommel series. This is already a crowded, detailed world by the time Dee is hired for her first solo mission as a private eye. Hired by her godfather, the former head of the firm’s best friend, she is soon drawn into the uppercrust world of Freya Cummings and her small isolated family. Though there is a little story beforehand, the book truly picks up when they reach Freya’s private island.

Freya was traumatically raped at the age of thirteen, and had a baby that she was told was dead. However, a young woman has stepped forward claiming to be her daughter and is pushing hard to meet her mother. Freya, a famous recluse who hasn’t left her island in years, is not eager to make the acquaintance. Dee and the family friend, who is immediately smitten with Freya, are tasked with making this claim simply go away – whether there is a biological relationship or not between them. read more

Anastasia Hastings: Of Devotion and Death

by

Dear Miss Hermoine #3

Of Devotion and Death, the third in Anatasia Hasting’s Dear Miss Hermione series set in 1880s London, finds main character Violet on the precipice of a big decision. She has been invited by her almost beau, Eli, for a scandalous Christmas in Venice. Violet is normally very levelheaded but Eli sends her into an emotional tailspin every time she sees him – and rarely do they get along when they are in the same room. Still, there is something irresistible enough about him to Violet that she hasn’t told her beloved sister, Sephora, or loyal retainer, Bunty, about the real reason she’s going to Venice. They all assume it’s about solving a mystery. read more

Carol Goodman: Our Marriage is Murder

by

Our Marriage is Murder centers, appropriately, on the crumbling marriage of Thea and Fred, a duo in writing and in life. The latest in Carol Goodman’s stand alone novels, it has a cozy feel with some of Goodman’s trademark grisly murders sprinkled in. The married couple are up for an award for their who-done-it series, based on their relationship in the loosest terms, at a mystery convention they’ve attended many times before. Now, partially to honor Thea and Fred, it’s being held in Italy at the new hotel, and former nunnery, Castellarosa. read more

S.E. Reed: Black Water Bones

by

S.E. Reed’s latest standalone Black Water Bones spends a lot of time in and around water. Heroine Cameron St. Rose has been away from her small hometown,  Chokoloskee Island, Florida, for a long time. Though she’s there to help with the search for body parts that appeared after a big storm, she’s also missed the place and especially her father’s airboat business. Cameron had a good childhood, though she still remembers the dark day her mother disappeared and  found a severed arm at the same time. This is part of the reason she immediately takes off from her fancy job in a spa to help. read more

Stig Abell: A Twist in the River

by

Jake Jackson #4

 A Twist in the River is the fourth in Stig Abell’s Jake Jackson series, and unlikely to be the last. Set in a rural town, where Jake moved to escape his previous life as a cop in London, all of the action centers around the titular river. A missing jogger kicks off the classic “missing white woman” search, mobilizing the entire town, as well as the Tiktok crowd, into a frantic search for her. The longer she is missing, the more reporters flock to the location. But just when it looks like things will calm down – she’s found drowned with no signs of foul play – another body appears. And then another. read more

Kang Jiyoung: Mrs. Shim is a Killer

by

Mrs. Shim is a Killer is not your average mystery. Indeed, Kang Jiyoung’s most recent novel is unlike anything I’ve ever read. A bizarre, multi point of view tale, Mrs. Shim is at times a compelling examination of what it means to live a desperate life, at times simply a straight up drug trip. The Korea in the book is a bleak place. Every character seems to be struggling. I was deeply surprised to see it described as a “darkly comedic” work, as I generally missed out on what was supposed to be funny. read more

Stacy Hackney: The Primrose Murder Society

by

Paperback Original

The Primrose Murder Society is the first adult mystery by Stacey Hackney, who has previously written two middle grade books. Indeed, this mystery also prominently features a kid – main character Lila’s rebellious little girl, Bea. When we meet mother and daughter, they’ve lost just about everything but each other. Lila’s well to do husband, Ryan, has been caught committing fraud and has abandoned them to run from the law. No one in Lila’s upper crust circle believes that she didn’t know about the crimes, and she has been shunned from society. read more

Lilli Sutton: A Long Dark Night

by

A Long Dark Night is the second novel by Lilli Sutton, and it follows her debut stand alone that was of a similar mold – a harsh story of survival with themes of family, resilience, and ambition. Nina’s story, however, is also a murder mystery. Coming home when the corona virus shuts down the world, Nina is estranged from her parents and siblings and has been running her own restaurant. Her family lives in isolated Whitespur, Alaska, and has limited access to any form of technology, especially cell service. Before, her mother wrote her letters, but Nina eventually stopped answering them. Her mother never acknowledged her success. read more

Pam Lecky: The Carver Affair

by

Lucy Lawrence #5

The Carver Affair is the fifth book in the Lucy Lawrence mystery series, and the first in the series that I’ve read. The story follows Lucy as she travels to Ireland for her husband’s work, settling in for the summer in a charming rented house with her staff and kids. Shortly, though, things go awry – her loyal housemaid, Mary, reports that her nieces Peggy and Bridget have gone missing looking for work in the city. The reader already knows, however, that Peggy has been murdered and that Bridget is nowhere to be found. read more

Aviva Orr: Death at Villa De Lacey

by

Series debut

The first in the De Lacey and Squires Mysteries, Death at Villa De Lacey by Aviva Orr, steps immediately into a great moment of change for both its main characters. Bridget’s safe and peaceful life at her ancestral home is shattered when she is told that her father killed himself. To add insult to injury, his last act was to lose the deed to their home in an ill-fated hand of cards. The rich victor, Edward Squires, very much intends to collect on the winnings.

He sends his brother, Nate Squires, to reside at the property. read more