Tuesday, September 27, 2022

The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman

 The Thursday Murder Club quartet of Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron, and Ibrahim decide to delve into the case of reporter Bethany Waites. Bethany was presumed dead ten years ago when her car was seen driving off a cliff. They get close to journalist Mike Waghorn (who was Bethany's good friend at the time she disappeared), in hopes that Mike will help lead them to cracking the case. In addition, Elizabeth find herself in a quite a spot. As a former spy, someone wants her to commit a murder for them. If Elizabeth refuses, the person, nicknamed the Viking, will kill Joyce. How will Elizabeth get herself out of this situation and keep Joyce safe? In this third book of the Thursday Murder Club series, Osman doesn't disappoint with his light-heartened humor and memorable characters.

Thursday, September 15, 2022

A Death in Door County by Annelise Ryan

Morgan Carter owns a bookstore in Door County, Wisconsin. She is also a cryptozoologist in her spare time, searching for creatures that people say exist, but have never been proven (e.g., Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster). The police chief of Washington Island, Jon Flanders, hires Morgan to consult on the deaths of two men who were found with the same injuries in the waters near the island. The authorities have hit a dead end on what could have caused the men's deaths. Morgan is excited to be working on the two cases, wondering if there really could be a creature in the area. Soon, however, her involvement puts herself and those around her in danger. A Death in Door County is the first book in a new cozy mystery series and is a fun diversion for those familiar with the Door peninsula.

Sunday, September 11, 2022

Wake by Shelley Burr

 Private investigator Lane Holland contacts Mina McCreery because he needs the sizable reward money that solving her sister Evie's disappearance will bring in. Evie disappeared as a child almost twenty years ago on the family property in a remote part of New South Wales. The unsolved case still holds the public's interest which, along with the trauma of not knowing what happened to Evie, makes it hard for Mina and her father to move on. Mina slowly begins to trust Lane and opens up to him about details of the case, but might Lane have another reason he is so eager to solve the case? Wake is a great read-alike for Jane Harper and Scrublands by Chris Hammer.

Friday, September 9, 2022

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

In 1952, Elizabeth Zott works as a chemist at the Hastings Research Institute, where she meets Calvin Evans, who was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. They soon fall in love. Lessons in Chemistry recounts their relationship, the birth of their daughter, Madeleine, and the creation of the cooking show "Supper at Six" that Elizabeth becomes famous for. Filled with humor, quirkiness, and a main character who refuses to let society's rules hold her back, it's a unique read.

Wednesday, September 7, 2022

The Lost Ticket by Freya Sampson

After her boyfriend breaks up with her, Libby moves to London. On bus route 88, she meets pensioner Frank, who tells Libby that he's been routinely riding that route since 1962, hoping to meet again a woman who changed his life. They were probably going to have a date, but Frank lost her phone number, which was the only way he could contact her. Libby decides to help Frank find the woman, putting up flyers with the help of Frank's carer--mohawk-clad Dylan. Will Libby and Dylan be able to find her before Frank is moved into a retirement home due to his memory issues? And what about the burgeoning relationship between Libby and Dylan who discover they have feelings for each other? The Lost Ticket is a delightful second novel by Freya Sampson. For readers of Major Pettigrew's Last Stand and Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine.

Thursday, September 1, 2022

Desert Star by Michael Connelly

Renee Ballard is now head of the LAPD's Open-Unsolved Unit, charged with working cold cases. She has convinced retired detective Harry Bosch to join her team. Bosch is very interested in looking into the murders of the Gallagher family. It's a case that he worked on when he was still with the force, but wasn't able to get enough evidence to charge Finbar McShane, the man Bosch believed was guilty. Ballard also wants Bosch to help with the case of Sarah Pearlman, the sister of Councilman Jake Pearlman, who was killed in 1994. Desert Star recounts Ballard's and Bosch's journey as they attempt to solve both of the cases. It will be published in November.