The Librarians (publication day September 30, 2025) by Sherry Thomas was a wild ride that I enjoyed every moment of! And I was floored to learn Thomas has an impressive backlist of romance, fantasy, and mystery–both adult and YA–and that English is her second language! Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the e-ARC.Continue reading “The Librarians”
Tag Archives: contemporary mystery
The Language of the Birds
I really enjoyed The Language of the Birds (publication day May 13, 2025) by K.A. Merson, which is a young adult thriller/ mystery that features a neurodivergent, 17-year old main character named Arizona and her dog Mojo. As I read it, I was somewhat reminded of the middle-grade mysteries Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett, andContinue reading “The Language of the Birds”
Detective Aunty
Detective Aunty (publication day May 6, 2025) by Uzma Jalaluddin is a satisfying cozy mystery featuring the widowed Kausar Khan, who is called back to Toronto, from her home in North Bay, Ontario, by her adult daughter who is a suspect in a murder. Kausar and her late husband, Hassan, had fled Toronto fifteen yearsContinue reading “Detective Aunty”
All the Sinners Bleed
All the Sinners Bleed (2023) by Anthony award-winning S.A. Cosby was a gripping, frightening mystery/ thriller set in rural, coastal Virginia featuring former FBI agent, and the county’s first Black sheriff, Titus Crown. Racial tensions are coming to a head, with local white people wanting to parade in support of a Confederate statue and TitusContinue reading “All the Sinners Bleed”
Killers of a Certain Age
I thoroughly enjoyed Killers of a Certain Age (2022) by Deanna Raybourn! While mystery/ thriller is a genre I read now and again, I was not familiar with Deanna Raybourn, but she has an extensive backlist and is an Edgar winner. We meet Billie, Mary Alice, Helen, and Natalie, all 60-something women on the vergeContinue reading “Killers of a Certain Age”
Mad Honey
Mad Honey (2022) by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan, was the library book group’s February selection, and, as sometimes happens, I started reading with no background or expectations about the book. I’ve read other Picoult books (which I generally enjoyed), but I wasn’t familiar with the second author. I was immediately hooked! We meetContinue reading “Mad Honey”
Zero Days
Zero Days by Ruth Ware (2023) had a cover review and interview with the author earlier this year in my favorite place to find recommendations: BookPage. I was completely intrigued by the idea of a penetration tester on the run and having to use her skills to save herself. Jacintha (Jack) Cross and her husband,Continue reading “Zero Days”
Finlay Donovan Is Killing It
Finlay Donovan Is Killing It (2021) by Elle Cosimano is the first installment in a widely-popular comic thriller/mystery series (the third book is expected in January 2023) in which we meet divorced mother of two, writer Finlay Donovan. After a rushed meeting with her editor, Finlay is mistaken for a hit woman, and decides toContinue reading “Finlay Donovan Is Killing It”
The Cutting Season
The Cutting Season, by Attica Locke (2012) is an adept, completely absorbing crime/ mystery novel that grapples with race and history. Set in 2009, five years after Hurricane Katrina decimated New Orleans, Caren Gray, law school dropout and mother to 9-year-old Morgan, is managing the historical plantation Belle Vie south of Baton Rouge. Belle VieContinue reading “The Cutting Season”
Reading While Fat 