Go to main content
Library - Home

Contact Us

Newport Public Library
35 NW Nye St.
Newport, OR 97365
541.265.2153
Email

Building Open Hours

Tuesday, Friday 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Wednesday, Thursday 10:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Saturday 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Book Return Hours

Our book returns are always open.

Search Oceanbooks Catalog

Search the Internet

Library Newsletter

Enter your email address in the box below to subscribe to our monthly newsletter and receive updates about all the fun things happening at the Library.

Research Articles

Connect With Us

Facebook Flickr Instagram Twitter YouTube

 

 


New Mysteries

Return to New Items

Death by chocolate raspberry scone / Sarah Graves.
cover image"With the August heat strong enough to melt solid chocolate into syrup, Jake and Ellie crave a break from the bakery ovens, despite tourist season promising a sweet payday. But they never envisioned spending the last weeks of summer drifting around Passamaquoddy Bay searching for pirate's treasure--and a dead body. Sally Coates believes her husband was murdered off the coast, and begs Ellie, a trusted childhood friend, to locate his remains. It's unusual that a skilled fisherman would vanish along with the gold doubloon he inherited from his grandfather. And Sally isn't the only one coveting the valuable heirloom for her own. As Jake and Ellie island-hop for answers, they find themselves caught between hungry sharks and hungrier suspects. Can the duo tempt fate and dodge danger before there's blood in the water--or are they destined to fall into the jaws of a killer's trap?"--Provided by publisher

Patchwork quilt murder / Leslie Meier.
cover image"When a community center opens in town, many embrace it as a space where locals of all ages can gather and create. Others view it as a waste of taxpayer dollars. The director, Darleen Busby-Platt, is no less controversial. Intense and showy, Darleen has huge plans for her new role. But Lucy believes the woman isn't exactly as warm hearted--or qualified--as she seems. That hunch deepens when Darleen and a young employee vanish... and dismembered remains appear! With lots of clues and few concrete answers, Lucy rushes to connect loose ends. First there's the disappearance of Tim Stillings, a troubled twenty-something who endured harsh treatment on the job. Next there's Darleen herself, who made fast enemies as the highest-paid resident in Tinker's Cove. Finally, there's Darleen's rich ancestry and ties to heirlooms worth either a fortune or nothing at all. The closer Lucy gets to the facts, the more she realizes that solving this murder depends on the lies. Because the truth rests somewhere between wild rumors, a trusted friend's emotional new sewing project, and the authenticity of a mysterious three-hundred-year-old patchwork quilt. And Lucy must piece together the big picture--before she becomes part of crafty killer's deadly design..."-- Provided by publisher.

The poison pen / Paige Shelton.
cover image"Edinburgh is mourning recent the death of Queen Elizabeth II when Bookseller Delaney Nichols's boss comes to her with a most unusual assignment. An old friend of his, living in an estate in the village of Roslin, has found what could be a priceless relic on her property, and Delaney is tasked with investigating. Could Jolie possibly have an item of breathtaking Scottish historical significance in her possession? But when Delaney arrives at Jolie's estate, she is greeted by a legal team with a vested interest in the property. Jolie manages to remove the interlopers, but as they're examining the priceless item, they hear a scream, and meet a much less welcome discovery: a body. As Delaney digs deeper, she discovers Jolie's own fascinating history. Jolie's mother had long claimed that her daughter was the rightful heir to the throne, not Elizabeth II, because of an affair she claimed to have with King Edward VIII. The only evidence, however, is in the form of a purported journal that one of Edward's secretaries kept. The puzzles become more confusing when a connection is uncovered between this far-fetched story and the murdered man. Delaney will have to read between the lines to put together the pieces...or become history herself"-- Provided by publisher.

The dark edge of night / Mark Pryor.
cover image"Winter 1940: With soldiers parading down the Avenue des Champs-Élysées, Nazi flags dangling from the Arc de Triomphe, and the Eiffel Tower defaced with German propaganda, Parisians have little to celebrate as Christmas approaches. Police Inspector Henri Lefort's wishes for a quiet holiday season are dashed when the Gestapo orders him to investigate the disappearance of Dr. Viktor Brandt, a neurologist involved in a secret project at one of Paris's hospitals. Being forced onto a missing persons case for the enemy doesn't deter Henri from conducting his real job. A Frenchman has been beaten to death in what appears to be a botched burglary, and catching a killer is more important than locating a wayward scientist. But when Henri learns that the victim's brother is a doctor who worked at the same hospital as the missing German, his investigation takes a disturbing turn. Uncovering a relationship between the two men-one that would not be tolerated by the Third Reich-Henri must tread carefully. And when he discovers that Dr. Brandt's experimental work is connected to groups of children being taken from orphanages, Henri risks bringing the wrath of both the SS and the Gestapo upon himself and everyone he loves."-- Provided by publisher.

The clock struck murder / Betty Webb.
cover image"Expat Zoe Barlow has settled well into her artist's life among the Lost Generation in 1920s Paris. When a too-tipsy guest at her weekly poker game breaks Zoe's favorite clock, she's off to a Montparnasse flea market to bargain with the vendor Laurette for a replacement. What Zoe didn't bargain for was the lost Chagall painting that's been used like a rag to wrap her purchases! Eager to learn whether Laurette has more Chagalls lying about like trash, Zoe sets off to track her down at her storage shed. With no Laurette in sight, Zoe snoops around and indeed finds several additional Chagalls--and then she finds Laurette herself, dead beneath a scrap heap, her beautiful face bashed in. With Paris hosting the 1924 Summer Olympics, the police are far too busy with tourist-related crimes to devote much time to the clock seller's murder. After returning the paintings to a grateful Marc Chagall, Zoe begins her own investigation. Did the stolen paintings play any part in the brutal killing? Or was it a crime of passion? Zoe soon discovers that there were many people who had reason to resent the lovely Laurette. But who hated the girl enough to stop her clock permanently? When Zoe discovers a second murder victim, the pressure is on to find the killer before time--and luck--run out."--Amazon.

Butter : a novel of food and murder / Asako Yuzuki ; translated by Polly Barton.
cover image"The cult Japanese bestseller about a female gourmet cook and serial killer and the journalist intent on cracking her case, inspired by a true story. There are two things that I can simply not tolerate: feminists and margarine. Gourmet cook Manako Kajii sits in Tokyo Detention Center convicted of the serial murders of lonely businessmen, who she is said to have seduced with her delicious home cooking. The case has captured the nation’s imagination but Kajii refuses to speak with the press, entertaining no visitors. That is, until journalist Rika Machida writes a letter asking for her recipe for beef stew and Kajii can’t resist writing back. Rika, the only woman in her news office, works late each night, rarely cooking more than ramen. As the visits unfold between her and the steely Kajii, they are closer to a masterclass in food than journalistic research. Rika hopes this gastronomic exchange will help her soften Kajii but it seems that she might be the one changing. With each meal she eats, something is awakening in her body, might she and Kaji have more in common than she once thought? Inspired by the real case of the convicted con woman and serial killer, "The Konkatsu Killer," Asako Yuzuki’s Butter is a vivid, unsettling exploration of misogyny, obsession, romance and the transgressive pleasures of food in Japan." -- Jacket flap

The whole truth / Cara Hunter.
cover image"She has everything at stake; he has everything to lose. But one of them is lying, all the same. When an Oxford student accuses one of the university's professors of sexual assault, DI Adam Fawley's team think they've heard it all before. But they couldn't be more wrong. Because this time, the predator is a woman and the shining star of the department, and the student a six-foot male rugby player. Soon DI Fawley and his team are up against the clock to figure out the truth. What they don't realise is that someone is watching. And they have a plan to put Fawley out of action for good."--Provided by publisher.

Never come back : a thriller / Joe Hart.
cover image"Family advocate Nora McTavish is settling into her new practice when she receives a call from Tess Grayson, a childhood friend she hasn't spoken to in years. Tess is entangled in a custody battle with her ex-husband, Neil, a popular professor at a local university. It's getting vicious--and dangerous. Rumors are swirling of Neil's affairs with students, one of whom was found bludgeoned to death. Though the charges against him were dropped, Tess doesn't want the man anywhere near their nine-year-old daughter. But as Nora digs deeper into the shattered Grayson marriage, she sees more sides to the story than anyone anticipated. Which side can she trust is the question. Old secrets and lies are beginning to emerge--some from Nora's own past--and as suspicions begin to shift, another murder draws Nora perilously close to a killer. This time she's not just betting her reputation on a case. She's betting her life on it."-- Amazon website.

The hollow tree / Philip Miller.
cover image"Intrepid investigative journalist Shona Sandison, gone freelance following the tragic events of The Goldenacre, is attending the wedding of her closest friend and former colleague, Vivienne. But the night before the wedding, Vivienne's reclusive old school friend, Dan, throws himself off a roof. Shona is the only witness to the suicide--and so the only person who saw the occult tattoos covering Dan's body, and heard the unsettling, mystical phrases he was uttering. Shona sets off on a conflicted quest to find out why Dan killed himself, the meaning of the strange messages, and what happened to Vivienne's missing brother twenty years prior. Despite knowing that investigating Viv's family will mean she could lose her friend forever, Shona travels to a small, forgotten town in the north of England to investigate a small group of classmates who have held a dark secret for decades."-- Provided by publisher.

The night in question / Susan Fletcher
cover imageFlorrie Butterfield--eighty-seven, one-legged, and of cheerful disposition--believes there can't be any more surprises in life. Yet one evening, there's an accident at Babbington Hall--the adult residence where she lives--so shocking and strange that Florrie is suspicious; is this really an accident? Or is she being lied to? Is she living alongside a potential murderer? In her efforts to learn the truth, Florrie is forced to look back on her own life, with all its passions and regrets; she must confront her own bloody secret--and, at last, confess. Above all, she learns, through the help of her new friend, Stanhope, that when it comes to love, it's never too late.

The vacancy in room 10 / Seraphina Nova Glass.
cover image"When Anna Hartley’s husband, Henry, calls her with a terrible, guilty confession, she can’t believe what she hears. It has to be a bad joke—the mild, predictable artist she married would never hurt a fly, let alone commit murder. But her confusion turns to horror when police find his body washed up on the banks of the Rio Grande. Desperate for answers to the millions of questions his untimely death has raised, Anna checks in to The Sycamores, the run-down motel turned apartment Henry rented as an art studio. As she absorbs every bit of gossip the eclectic mix of residents are willing to share about her husband and each other, she begins to piece together a picture of a very different man than the one she married, and the life he led behind her back. The more she learns, and the less sense things seem to make, she finds herself wondering: Did she ever really know Henry at all? But Henry’s secrets aren’t the only ones; as Anna’s search for clues expands, Cass, the mysterious, jaded motel manager, seems more and more determined to keep Anna in the dark. And when threatening letters start appearing at her door, Anna has to decide what’s more important—the truth, or her own safety." -- Provided by publisher.

A murder most French / Colleen Cambridge.
cover imageTabitha Knight investigates the sudden death of a chef at a cooking school who poured himself a glass of wine from a rare vintage bottle.

Rough trade / Katrina Carrasco.
cover image"In this propulsive follow-up to The Best Bad Things, Alma Rosales (and her alter ego, Jack Camp) is back as a stevedore and part-time opium smuggler"-- Provided by publisher.

Lost birds / Anne Hillerman
cover imageJoe Leaphorn may be long retired from the Navajo Tribal Police, but his detective skills are still sharp, honed by his work as a private detective. His experience will be essential to solve a compelling new case: finding the birth parents of a woman who was raised by a bilàgana family but believes she is Diň based on one solid clue, an old photograph with a classic Navajo child's blanket. Leaphorn discovers that his client's adoption was questionable, and her adoptive family not what they seem. His quest for answers takes him to an old trading post and leads him to a deadly cache of long-buried family secrets. As that case grows more complicated, Leaphorn receives an unexpected call from a person he met decades earlier. Cecil Bowleg's desperation is clear in his voice, but just as he begins to explain, the call is cut off by an explosion and Cecil disappears. True to his nature, Leaphorn is determined to find the truth even as the situation grows dangerous. Investigation of the explosion falls in part to Officer Bernadette Manuelito, who discovers an unexpected link to Cecil's missing wife. Bernie also is involved in a troubling investigation of her own: an elderly weaver whose prize-winning sheep have been ruthlessly killed by feral dogs.

Every time I go on vacation, someone dies / Catherine Mack.
cover image"Ten days, eight suspects, six cities, five authors, three bodies . . . one trip to die for. "Quick, captivating, and oh-so-much-fun! This delicious mystery is as spellbinding as Knives Out."-Elle Cosimano, New York Times bestselling author of the Finlay Donovan series All that bestselling author Eleanor Dash wants is to get through her book tour in Italy and kill off her main character, Connor Smith, in the next in her Vacation Mysteries series-is that too much to ask? Clearly, because when an attempt is made on the real Connor's life-the handsome but infuriating con man she got mixed up with ten years ago and now can't get out of her life-Eleanor's enlisted to help solve the case. Contending with literary rivals, rabid fans, a stalker-and even her ex, Oliver, who turns up unexpectedly-theories are bandied about, and rivalries, rifts, and broken hearts are revealed. But who's really trying to get away with murder? Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies is the irresistible and hilarious series debut from Catherine Mack, introducing bestselling fictional author Eleanor Dash on her Italian book tour that turns into a real-life murder mystery, as her life starts to imitate the world in her books"-- Provided by publisher.

Cold to the touch : a novel / Kerri Hakoda.
cover imageWhen women are being kidnapped and murdered, including a bright young college student he bought coffee from every morning, in the dead of an Alaskan winter, Anchorage homicide detective DeHavilland Beans and his team are determined to stop a serial killer's spree before it's too late.

A game of lies / Clare Mackintosh.
cover image"Stranded in the Welsh mountains, seven reality show contestants have no idea what they've signed up for. Each of these strangers has a secret. If another player can guess the truth, they won't just be eliminated - they'll be exposed live on air. The stakes are higher than they'd ever imagined, and they're trapped. The disappearance of a contestant wasn't supposed to be part of the drama. Detective Ffion Morgan has to put aside what she's watched on screen, and find out who these people really are - knowing she can't trust any of them. And when a murderer strikes, Ffion knows every one of her suspects has an alibi . . . and a secret worth killing for"-- Provided by publisher.

The innocents / Bridget Walsh.
cover image"The Variety Palace Music Hall is in trouble, due in no small part to a gruesome spate of murders that unfolded around it a few months previously. Between writing, managing the music hall and trying to dissuade her boss from installing a water tank in the building, Minnie Ward has her hands full. Her complicated relationship with detective Albert Easterbrook doesn't even bear thinking about. But when a new string of murders tears through London, Minnie and Albert are thrown together once more. Strangely, the crimes seem to link back to a tragedy that took place fourteen years ago, leaving 183 children dead. And given that the incident touched so many people's lives, everyone is a suspect . . ."--Amazon.

One of us knows : a thriller / Alyssa Cole.
cover image"Years after a breakdown and a diagnosis of dissociative identity disorder derailed her historical preservationist career, Kenetria Nash and her alters have been given a second chance they can't refuse: a position as resident caretaker of a historic home. Having been dormant for years, Ken has no idea what led them to this isolated Hudson River island, but she's determined not to ruin their opportunity. Then a surprise visit from the home's conservation trust just as a Nor'easter bears down on the island disrupts her newfound life, leaving Ken trapped with a group of possibly dangerous strangers--including the man who brought her life tumbling down years earlier. When he turns up dead, Ken is the prime suspect. Caught in a web of secrets and in a race against time, Ken and her alters must band together to prove their innocence and discover the truth of Kavanaugh Island--and their own past--or they risk losing not only their future, but their life"--Provided by publisher.

A matter of hive and death / Nancy Coco.
cover image"When a bee wrangler is bludgeoned, Let It Bee honey shop owner Wren Johnson makes it her beeswax to solve the crime in Nancy Coco's second Oregon Honeycomb Mystery... For the picturesque town of Oceanview on the Oregon Coast, May brings blossoming fruit trees and the annual UFO festival. As Aunt Eloise tries out alien costumes on their Havana brown cat Everett, Wren is off to meet with a bee wrangler, her go-to guy for local fruit tree honey. But when she arrives, Elias Brentwood is lying on the ground amidst destroyed hives and a swarm of angry bees. The bees didn't kill him, a blow to the head did. As blue-eyed Officer Jim Hampton investigates and the town is invaded by its own swarm of conspiracy theorists and crackpots, Wren and Aunt Eloise decide the only way to catch the bee wrangler's killer is to set up a sting."-- Provided by publisher.

Murder marks the page / Karen Rose Smith.
cover image"The first in a new series spun off from the Daisy Tea Garden Mysteries, Daisy's daughter Jazzi Swanson has opened her own book and tea shop, providing a variety of literature and flavored beverages for a rural New York community. But Jazzi has not only inherited her mother's gift for brewing tasty drinks--she also has a nose for sniffing out murder. New York State's Belltower Landing is a lakeside resort town where tourists spend their summer days boating, floating, and paddle-boarding on the water. It's also the perfect place to cuddle up with a good book and enjoy a cup of tea, courtesy of Tomes & Tea. Owned and operated by Jazzi and her best friend Dawn Fernsby, the book bar is beloved by vacationers and locals alike, but browsers grabbing brews in the off season aren't enough to help them make ends meet. Between brainstorming social media publicity ideas for the shop and fending off flirtatious men she has no interest in or time for, Jazzi befriends a woman named Brie who has recently made contact with her biological father. As an adopted child herself, Jazzi is more than happy to give Brie emotional support, especially as her wealthy father's wife and children see her as a threat. But Brie is also looking to start a family of her own. Unfortunately, all the potential princes she's met through a dating app turn out to be frogs. Then, when Brie is found murdered, Jazzi finds herself playing detective. With a list of suspects ranging from jealous half-siblings to less-than-suitable suitors, Jazzi may need to consult some of her shop's bestselling mysteries to help her uncover a killer..." -- jacket flap.

A deadly walk in Devon / Nicholas George.
cover imageAfter a long career as a detective in San Diego, Rick "Chase" Chasen has traded in his badge for a change of scenery in the coastal comforts of Devon, England, until a local murder takes him on a deadly detour... Still grieving the death of his long-time partner, Chase reunites with his dear friend and fellow Anglophile Billie Mondreau for a seacoast holiday of historic sightseeing. Assigned a pair of guides from the tour company Wanderers, Chase and Billie join seven other like-minded Americans looking forward to an English getaway. All except for Ronald Gretz. The wealthy entrepreneur behind the international Golden Sunset nursing home chain doesn't like anything about walking, touring, or England. Coarse and opinionated, Gretz's complaints get on the nerves of his fellow Wanderers--and his long-suffering trophy wife. But Gretz's gripes are tied to his own nerves being frayed. He has been receiving threatening texts and emails signed "An Avenger." Convinced someone means him harm, Gretz asks Chase to watch his back. Soon, Gretz falls afoul of several "accidents," leading to more friction with the other walkers. Until one final "accident" results in Gretz dead at the bottom of a cliff. Chase, whose investigative instincts remain sharp, knows Gretz's death was no accident. While helping the police investigate, he discovers that members of the tour group not only disliked the victim but had legitimate motives for wanting him dead. Now, he just has to uncover who among them is willing to kill... -- Provided by publisher.

To slip the bonds of Earth / Amanda Flower.
cover imageDecember 1903: While Wilbur and Orville Wright's flying machine is quite literally taking off in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina with its historic fifty-seven second flight, their sister Katharine is back home in Dayton, Ohio, running the bicycle shop, teaching Latin, and looking after the family. A Latin teacher and suffragette, Katharine is fiercely independent, intellectual, and the only Wright sibling to finish college. But at twenty-nine, she's frustrated by the gender inequality in academia and is looking for a new challenge. She never suspects it will be sleuthing... Returning home to Dayton, Wilbur and Orville accept an invitation to a friend's party. Nervous about leaving their as-yet-unpatented flyer plans unattended, Wilbur decides to bring them to the festivities... where they are stolen right out from under his nose. As always, it's Katharine's job to problem solve--and in this case, crime-solve. As she sets out to uncover the thief among their circle of friends, Katharine soon gets more than she bargained for: She finds her number one suspect dead with a letter opener lodged in his chest. It seems the patent is the least of her brothers' worries. They have a far more earthbound concern--prison. Now Katharine will have to keep her feet on the ground and put all her skills to work to make sure Wilbur and Orville are free to fly another day. -- Provided by publisher.

Death of a master chef / Jean-Luc Bannalec ; translated by Jamie Lee Searle.
cover image"Jean-Luc Bannalec's internationally bestselling series starring Commissaire Georges Dupin returns with Death of a Master Chef. Commissaire Georges Dupin is certain these first beautiful summer days in June would be perfect for a fun trip to Saint-Malo. In a region known as the culinary heart of Brittany, the paradoxical city is known for being a uniquely Breton, yet un-Breton, place. Their cuisine's moto is voyages et aventures. Travel and adventure. Dupin would love to explore the internationally renowned cuisine one bite at a time. But to his chagrin, Dupin is there instead to attend a police seminar dedicated to closer collaboration between the Breton départements. To prepare himself for what's to come while in Saint-Malo, Dupin wanders through the halls of a local market-stopping to sample its wares as he goes-while admiring its aromatic orchestra. But Dupin's morning is derailed when there's a murder at a nearby stall. He quickly realizes this case is unlike any he's worked on before. The police know the victim: Blanche Trouin, a grand chef of the region. They know the perpetrator: Lucille Trouin, Blanche's sister and fellow successful chef in the area. The two had a well-known and public feud. After a bit of searching, Lucille is even in custody. The only thing they're missing is the motive. And Lucille refuses to talk. Saint-Malo doesn't want any help from the visiting commissaires. Even Dupin's assistant, Nolwenn, is telling him to stay out of it. But Dupin, along with a few of his Breton colleagues, can't help but begin an investigation into why a chef killed her sister in the middle of a crowded market"-- Provided by publisher.

What cannot be said / C.S. Harris.
cover image"On a sunny day in July 1815, thirty-eight-year-old Philippa, Lady McKinsey, takes her sixteen-year-old daughter, Emma, and her young niece and nephew, fifteen-year-old Arabella and thirteen-year-old Percy, on an outing to Richmond Park. But when Arabella and Percy go off to pick flowers, tragedy strikes. Shots echo across the park. Two young gentlemen investigate and find Lady McKinsey and her daughter dead. As the men gaze in horror at the strangely posed bodies of the victims, the other two children come up laughing, their arms full of blossoms. Arabella opens her mouth to scream, but there is no sound. Sir Henry Lovejoy, Bow Street magistrate and good friend of Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin, finds himself reliving a nightmare. Fourteen years before, Lovejoy's own wife and daughter were murdered in Richmond Park, their bodies posed in the same bizarre fashion. Lovejoy himself had been instrumental in the arrest of the ex-soldier later found guilty of the killings, and he'd watched the man hang with grim satisfaction. Now he must turn to Sebastian for help as he confronts the very real possibility that he helped send an innocent man to the gallows, and that the monster responsible for the deaths of his wife and daughter is still at large--and has killed again"-- Provided by publisher.

Poison spring / LaVonne Griffin-Valade.
cover imageWhen the murder of a beloved ranch owner shocks the entire county, Maggie Blackthorne must unmask a killer hiding in plain sight... Ranch owner Mike Drake is a fixture in Grant County, beloved and respected by friends and neighbors alike. So everyone is shocked when his prize bull is found mutilated on his property near Poison Spring just outside of the village of Kimberly. Residents throughout the county demand answers as Maggie and Hollis must watch their step as they dig up dark secrets about one of the county's most upstanding residents. Particularly when their search takes them into the craggy, luminous fossil beds surrounding Poison Spring Ranch - it's dangerous terrain to wander around in...and the perfect place for a killer to hide.

Where they lie : a novel / Claire Coughlan.
cover imageDublin, 1943. Actress Julia Bridges disappears. She was last seen entering the house of Gloria Fitzpatrick, who is later put on trial for the murder of a woman whose abortion she facilitated. But it's never proven that Gloria had a hand in Julia's death - and Julia's body has never been found. Gloria, however, is sentenced to life in an institution for the criminally insane, where she's found dead a few years later from an apparent suicide, and the truth of what happened to Julia Bridges dies with her. Until... Dublin, 1968. Nicoletta Sarto is an ambitious junior reporter for the Irish Sentinel when the bones of Julia Bridges are discovered in the garden of a house on the outskirts of the city. Drawn into investigating the twenty-five-year-old mystery of Julia's disappearance and her link to the notorious Gloria Fitzpatrick, Nicoletta becomes immersed in the tangled underworld of the illegal abortion industry, stirring up long-buried secrets from her own past. A beautifully atmospheric, timely debut novel, Where They Lie uses a mystery as a lens to focus on the long struggle of women fighting to achieve autonomy and succeed in a man's world.

A mansion for murder / Frances Brody.
cover image"1930, Yorkshire. Intrigued by a mysterious letter from a stranger offering important information, Private Investigator Kate Shackleton arrives in the mill village of Saltaire. At nearby Milner Field mansion, overshadowed by its reputation for misfortune and untimely deaths, she expects to meet the letter writer, Ronnie Creswell. Kate soon hears the shocking news that Ronnie has been killed. At first his death appears to be a tragic accident at the mill, but soon it becomes clear that Ronnie's demise was no mishap. Kate is enlisted to help investigate the murder. Kate moves into the tower rooms at Milner Field, as she tries to uncover resentments, industrial espionage, and old secrets in the close-knit village. Although she doesn't believe in curses, she wonders what sinister truth lies behind this latest in the litany of deaths connected to the infamous Milner Field.Then just when things couldn't get any worse, a young girl in the village goes missing, and Kate must use all her strength and skill to unravel the mystery around the mansion once and for all."--Publisher.

Desolation ridge / LaVonne Griffin-Valade
cover imageWhen a small town in the Pacific Northwest is rocked by a shocking murder, Maggie Blackthorne hunts a killer still lurking in the surrounding forest. After a state trooper is killed under mysterious circumstances, Oregon State Police sergeant Maggie Blackthorne is assigned to the case. The investigation takes her to Desolation Ridge in the Umatilla National Forest, where the suspect is reported to be hiding out with a possible hostage. It's late fall. Daylight is scarce, and there is a fierce chill in the air. To make matters worse, a deadly cougar has been spotted nearby. But as Maggie and her partner Hollis trudge on, uncovering clues and dealing with their own tense past, one thing is clear: Somewhere amongst these towering pines, a murderer is watching them.

Murderers creek / LaVonne Griffin-Valade
cover imageSergeant Maggie Blackthorne's latest case gets personal as she risks everything to prove her innocence and bring a killer to justice. The highly anticipated second novel in the compelling Maggie Blackthorne series. After an unexpected and unpleasant visit from her ex-husband, Oregon State Police Sergeant Maggie Blackthorne is called to a grisly crime scene. Her ex has been found dead - the victim of a vicious attack. Her earlier confrontation with the deceased places Maggie squarely on the list of suspects, and she is soon the subject of an internal investigation. Desperate to clear her name and uncover the truth, Maggie and her partner, Trooper Hollis Jones, have no time to waste. With a couple of townspeople acting suspiciously, reports of missing or stolen property, and evidence of drug deals gone bad, the case is proving to be a difficult one to crack. And just when Maggie and Hollis think they've finally caught a break, the lone eyewitness turns up dead. As the personal and professional pressure mounts, Maggie struggles to catch a remorseless killer who has nothing to lose, And one wrong move could cost Maggie her career... or her life.

Dead point / LaVonne Griffin-Valade
cover imageWhen Maggie Blackthorne returns to her hometown after nearly twenty years to serve as an Oregon State Police Sergeant, she expects to deal with the usual suspects - drunk drivers, oxy slingers, and the occasional rural scofflaw. But after she stumbles up on the bullet-ridden bodies of twin brothers, she realizes she's stepped into something much more sinister. With little homicide experience, Maggie and her partner, Trooper Hollise Jones, find themselves thrust into the murder investigation. And when a third man turns up dead, Maggie and her partner, Trooper Hollis Jones, find themselves thrust into the murder investigation. And when a third man turns up dead, Maggie fears it's only a matter of tiem before th ekiller strikes again. As they race to piece together what happened, Maggie and Hollis discover a tangled web of theft, deceit and deals gone bad. Faced with multiple motives and several persons of interest, maggie and Hollis finally catch a break - but are they willing to risk everything to put the murderer behind bars?

The killing parade / TG Reid.
cover imageWhen the body of a local reality show winner is discovered, on the eve of headlining Kilwinnoch's annual Civic Week celebrations, it throws the festivities into chaos and threatens to tear the close-knit community apart. For DCI Bone, the death is personal. Days earlier, he'd received a call from the victim, warning that she was about to be killed. He'd dismissed it as a hoax. With threats of more to come, a town on edge, and a ruthless killer evading detection with ease, Bone knows from hard-won experience that, in a case like this, one kill is never enough.

Night comes falling / TG Reid.
cover imageWhen a morning jogger discovers a dead body on the outskirts of Cullenbrae, a remote hamlet deep in the heart of the Campsie Fells, DCI Bone and his team are called out to what appears to be a straightforward hit and run incident. But the victim's horrific injuries and a murder weapon found at the scene suggest a far more sinister motive. With the spectre of a notorious forty-year-old murder still haunting the isolated community, a second brutal attack quickly following the first, and a cast of suspicious locals all with equal reason to kill, Bone and his team face a race against the odds to catch a deranged killer before Cullenbrae rips itself apart, and Bone with it.

Dead man's stone / T G Reid.
cover image"When DCI Duncan Bone is contacted by a terminally-ill psychiatric patient and given clues linking a forty-year-old unsolved murder to high-profile public figures, he finds himself locked into a conspiracy at the very heart of the Scottish criminal and political establishment. With his bosses stonewalling the investigation lives under threat, and his career on the line. Bone faces a race against time to hunt down a group of men who will stop at nothing to cover their murderous crime. Can DCI Bone catch the killer before the killing starts again?"-- Page 4 of cover.

Dark is the grave / T G Reid.
cover imageA dead cop. A damaged detective. A copycat killer on the loose. When the chief suspect in the notorious Peek-a-boo cop killer case blew himself up, almost taking lead investigator DCI Duncan Bone with him, the psychologically damaged detective thought his days on the force were over. But when another PC is abducted and murdered in the same deranged Peek-a-boo fashion, Bone is persuaded to return to lead the new investigation. But as Bone and his team hunt a copycat killer, and with time running out before yet another cop is slain, Bone's terrifying past returns to tear open old wounds and push him to very edge of the abyss. Can DCI Bone end the killing before the killing ends him? Set among the dramatic hills and glens of Scotland's Campsie Fells, Dark is the Grave is the first in a series of edge-of-your-seat crime thrillers that will keep you guessing right up to the nail-biting, heart-stopping climax.

Blood Water Falls / T G Reid.
cover imageWhen the brutally murdered body of a local geography teacher is discovered at Kilwinnoch's famous beauty spot, Blood Water Falls, the community is rocked to its core. For DCI Duncan Bone, the killing appears to be an open and shut case. But it's not long before a sinister clue unleashes dark and deadly forces, blowing the investigation wide open, and putting Bone and his team in grave danger. With the town baying for blood, and too many suspects and not enough answers, DCI Bone faces not only the toughest case of his career, but the battle of his life to defeat the psychological demons determined to destroy him once and for all.

Isle of the dead / T G Reid.
cover image"Enjoying a rare break in his remote lochside cabin, DCI Bone suddenly finds himself cut off when the mother of all snowstorms hits the Campsie Fells. Intrigued by the flickering lights from one of the loch's uninhabited islands, Bone commandeers a local boat and heads out across stormy waters to investigate. There, amongst the island's ancient Celtic gravestones, Bone makes a grisly, surreal discovery: a mutilated bride and groom, bound together in frozen union. Unable to contact his team at Kilwinnoch Police Station and ill-prepared for the weather, Bone faces one of the most gruelling cases of his career, as he battles fierce elemental forces to catch an ingenious killer with a heart far colder than a Scottish winter." --Amazon.com.

A deadly endeavor / Jenny Adams.
cover image"In a historical mystery, a serial killer is on the loose in Jazz Age Philadelphia. Philadelphia, 1921. When Edie Shippen returns home after spending years in California recovering from Influenza, she's shocked to discover her childhood sweetheart is engaged to her twin sister. Heartbroken and adrift, Edie vows to begin living her life as a modern woman--and to hell with anyone who gets in her way. But as young women start to disappear from the city, her newfound independence begins to feel dangerous. Gilbert Lawless returned home from the Great War a shell of his former self. He hides away in the office of Philadelphia's Coroner, content to keep to himself until a gruesome series of corpses come into the morgue. And when his sister, Lizzie, goes missing, he risks his career to beg help from the one person Lizzie seemed to trust: her employer, Edie Shippen. Fearing the worst, Edie and Gilbert desperately search for clues. It soon becomes clear that Lizzie's disappearance is connected to the deaths rocking the City of Brotherly Love... and it's only a matter of time until the killer strikes again."-- Provided by publisher.

Hungry death / Robin Blake.
cover image"When a blackened body is discovered buried beneath a hot-house, Coroner Titus Cragg uncovers a tale of scandalous secrets stretching back almost twenty years. Coroner Cragg. You think you can find out what happened at this house? You are mistaken. You can never find out. November, 1747. County Coroner Titus Cragg has been called to the scene of a gruesome slaughter at a rural farmhouse: a mother and her four children brutally murdered in their own home. Were they killed by the man who should have protected them: their husband and father? And what role is played by the peculiar religious cult the family belongs to? Perhaps the mute boy who lives in the dog kennel knows the truth. Meanwhile, Titus's friend Dr Luke Fidelis is a guest of wealthy landowner and local magistrate John Blackburne at nearby Orford Hall. When a blackened but well-preserved body is discovered deep beneath Blackburne's hot-house, Cragg and Fidelis are asked to investigate. But how can they make headway when, as they soon learn, this corpse might have been in the ground for centuries? Gradually, Titus pieces together a tale of secrets, scandal and thwarted passion - and uncovers a shocking connection between the body under the hothouse and the slaughter in the farmhouse." -- Provided by publisher.

A gentleman fallen on hard times / Grace Burrowes.
cover image"Lord Julian Caldicott has come home from the war in ragged health and with a reputation in tatters. All he wants is to recuperate in private without bringing any further scandal on the family's name. His godmother inveigles him into serving as her escort to a rural house party, whereupon circumstances conspire to prevent Julius from resuming his reclusive existence. Julian becomes the subject of rumors, lies, and whispers, and soon he's faced with a choice: Wage one more battle for honor's sake, or be branded a traitor to all that he holds dear. He will enlist unlikely allies, face old demons,and vex every other guest on the premises, but he will not stop until he's brought a criminal to justice-or dies trying" -- Page [4] of cover.

Watch where they hide / Tamron Hall, with T. Shawn Taylor.
cover image"After dropping her child off at preschool, Marla Hancock, a stay-at-home mother, disappears. She had recently left her verbally abusive husband in rural Indiana and moved in with her sister, Shelly, who simply can't believe that her sister would ever willingly vanish without her children. But with limited support from the town's police department or media resources, Shelly fears that Marla's disappearance won't get the attention it deserves, or worse, will go unsolved. So, several weeks after filing a missing person's report, she reaches out to TV journalist Jordan Manning for help. After her investigative and reporting skills helped solve multiple murders, Jordan Manning's career in the newsroom is on the rise. She has gained a reputation as more than your typical news reporter: a "fixer" with a vigilante edge, dogged and undeterred to seek the truth. But even with this new status, Jordan still feels pressure to prove herself as a young Black professional. When Shelly reaches out, she feels compelled to do all she can to find Marla. Jordan's search twists and turns in ways she could never have imagined, illuminating scandals and secrets that place her own life in grave danger"-- Provided by publisher.

Twice the trouble : a novel / Ash Clifton.
cover imageA private investigator follows a trail of blood and bodies to find his latest target--or die trying.

Speculations in sin / Jennifer Ashley.
cover image"To save an innocent man's life, amateur sleuth and cook Kat Holloway must expose a financial scam that could ruin the most powerful aristocrats in Victorian-era London, from the New York Times bestselling author of The Secret of Bow Lane. Kat Holloway is distressed to learn that Samuel Millburn, husband of the woman who looks after her daughter, has been accused of embezzling funds from the bank where he works as a clerk. The accusation is absurd, and Samuel's wife fears that her husband will not only lose his post but be imprisoned. Kat vows to uncover the truth. When she discovers the bank is involved in shockingly murky business dealings, Kat realizes she's treading in dangerous waters. She turns to her confidante and handsome suitor, Daniel McAdam, for help. To exonerate Samuel, Kat and Daniel may have to expose the unseemly financial dealings of prominent aristocrats and government officials, and even those working to bring down the royal family. Kat will risk everything to protect the man who has sacrificed so much for her daughter, even if it means endangering herself and the friends she has come to love"-- Provided by publisher.

Murder visits a French village / Susan C. Shea.
cover image"Ariel Shepard is devastated by the sudden loss of her husband, but nothing could have prepared her for inheriting the rundown French château they'd visited on their honeymoon four years ago. With finances tight she has no choice but to swap her Manhattan apartment and city lifestyle for a renovation project in a peaceful French village. When Ariel hires an expert to help her uncover the legacy of her beautiful ruin, life only becomes more complicated. Christiane, the historian, is found dead in the moat, and although the local police aren't suspicious, Ariel is. She joins two other ex-pats, Pippa and Katherine, to investigate, but with plenty of workmen--and errant tools--around the château, many people had the means, but who had the motive? Why would anyone want to kill a historian? Ariel begins to suspect that her French village life will be anything but peaceful! Can she solve the suspicious murder and make her château in Burgundy the perfect new home?"--Amazon website.

Murder and the missing dog / Susan C. Shea.
cover image"Ariel Shepard has spent the last year renovating her beautiful French château, while also ingratiating herself into the lives and hearts of the quirky locals of Noyers-sur-Serein. The shocking business of the murder of the local historian is behind her and she is finally feeling at home. However, it's not long before murder and mystery once again seek Ariel out, when she and her friend Katherine find the body of the elderly Madame Toussaint in the doorway of Katherine's flea market shop. Who would want to harm this lonely soul? Where is the bag the woman never leaves home without? And more importantly, where is her loyal, loving dog who never leaves her side? Could Raoul, Ariel's stoic gardener, really have something to do with it? And could Madame Toussaint have been mixed up with the robberies increasing around the idyllic villages of France? Despite warnings from the rather handsome Brigadier Allard, Ariel, with help from Katherine and Pippa, once again dons her sleuthing hat . . ."-- Provided by publisher.

Murder at the college library / Con Lehane.
cover imageAn invitation from a prestigious liberal arts college to buy their mystery-novel collection comes as a welcome surprise for Raymond Ambler, crime-fiction curator at New York City's prestigious 42nd Street Library. But his pleasure quickly turns sour when the collection's curator - Ambler's friend Sam Abernathy - tells him he plans to fight the acquisition tooth and nail. Why would Abernathy kill - and was it for his collection, for college politics, or for some dark secret yet to be revealed? Ambler's not sure his old friend's a killer, but he is sure he wants justice - for both the living and the dead.

Black coffee : a Hercule Poirot novel / by Agatha Christie ; adapted as a novel by Charles Osborne.
cover imageA novel based on a 1930s play in which detective Hercule Poirot investigates the murder of a British scientist and the theft of his formula for an atomic explosive. Suspects range from his son, heavily in debt, to an Italian lady spy.

Death and the chevalier / Robin Blake.
cover imageAs the Young Pretender and his Jacobite army approach, Coroner Titus Cragg must solve a brutal murder - and prevent himself being executed for the crime. November, 1745. Preston, Lancashire. Rumours abound that Charles Edward Stuart, the Young Pretender, has landed in Scotland, intent on marching south to claim the English throne. Meanwhile Coroner Titus Cragg must investigate a headless body discovered in an icy pond. There is evidence to suggest a connection with the approaching rebel army - unless someone is deliberately using the Highlanders' invasion as a cover for murder. As simmering tensions, conflicting loyalties and open hostilities engulf the town, Cragg finds himself arrested for murder. In order to clear his name and escape execution by firing squad, Titus must team up with his old friend, Dr Luke Fidelis, to expose the real killer.

All the rage : a novel / Cara Hunter.
cover image"After being abducted and assaulted, a teenage girl somehow managed to escape from her captor. She is traumatized and needs to heal, but the police need her help to catch her assailant-information she clearly knows, but is unwilling to give. Without the girl's assistance, DI Adam Fawley's investigation is at a dead end. When another girl vanishes under the same circumstances, he recognizes a disturbing pattern-and a link to something long buried in his past. . ."-- Provided by publisher.

Once upon a murder / Samantha Larsen.
cover image"1784 England. Officially hired as the librarian for the Duchess of Beaufort, Miss Tiffany Woodall is through with masquerades and murders for good. That is, until she stumbles upon the frozen dead body of former footman Mr. Bernard Coram. The speed with which her peaceful new life is upended is one for the record books: the justice of the peace immediately declares her the primary suspect in the murder. As Tiffany hunts for the truth to clear her name, she learns that Bernard got into a fight over a woman at the local pub the night of his death-but he was also overheard blackmailing Samir. The justice of the peace arrests Samir, and Tiffany realizes that her life may have more in common with a tragic play than a light-hearted romance. With her love locked up in jail and her own reputation on the line, Tiffany must attempt to solve the murder before the book closes on her or Samir's life"-- Provided by publisher.

The mystery writer : a novel / Sulari Gentill.
cover image"Theo Benton decides to move to the United States to finally finish her novel, and she is soon drawn into a literary labyrinth where identity is something that can be lost and remade for the sake of sales and readership. When her mentor and lover is brutally murdered, Theo wants the killer to be found and justice to be served. But when the prime suspect turns out to be her older brother, Gus, Theo does what is necessary to protect him-to save him. Then she disappears. But the writer has left a trail, a thread out of the labyrinth in the form of a story. When Gus finds that thread, he follows it, and in attempting to find his sister, inadvertently, or perhaps recklessly, threatens the foundations of the labyrinth itself. In order to protect the carefully constructed deceit, Theo Benton, and everyone who ever looked for her, will have to die."-- Provided by publisher.

Pay dirt / Sara Paretsky.
cover image"V.I. Warshawski is famous for her cool under fire, her intelligence, her humor, her unflinching courage, and her love of good coffee. But even the strongest people sometimes need a break to recharge, and so her friends send her to Kansas for a weekend of college basketball where Angela, one of her protegees, is playing. And that's where trouble finds V.I. Sabrina, one of Angela's roommates, disappears and V.I. agrees to try to find her. Finding a missing person in a city where she knows few pepole and doesn't have her trusted contacts is hard, but not as hard as the brutally negative reaction to the detective from some of the locals. When V.I. finds Sabrina close to death in a remote house, she lands herself in the FBI's crosshairs and faces a violent online backlash. The men running the county's opioid distribution are also not happy. Discovering a dead body in the same house a few days later, V.I. is pitched headlong into a local land-use battle with roots going back to the Civil War. She finds that today's combatants are just as willing as opponents in the 1860s to kill to settle their differences. V.I.'s survival depends on keeping one step ahead of players in a game she never intended to play, before the clock runs down." -- Front jacket flap

Feline fatale / Rita Mae Brown & Sneaky Pie Brown ; illustrated by Michael Gellatly.
cover image"Spring flowers may be about to bloom in Crozet, Virginia, but Harry is thinking about snow. Her dear friend Ned Tucker is in the House of Delegates, advocating for a bill to improve road clearing during bad weather, and Harry and Ned’s wife, Susan, have gone down to the statehouse to support him. Tensions are high between political parties, and no one can agree on anything for long enough to get something done. The bill’s chief detractor is the glamorous Amanda Fields, a former newscaster turned delegate whose flair for the dramatic has earned her a formidable reputation—and made her more than a few enemies. Amanda’s claws-out approach to politics might have some of her colleagues wishing she was dead, but the statehouse is rocked when one of the young pages who assists the delegates dies under mysterious circumstances. Could his death be related to the political infighting? Or is something even more sinister threatening the lives of Virginia’s finest representatives? With help from her feline sidekicks, Mrs. Murphy and Pewter, as well as Tee Tucker the corgi and Irish Greyhound Pirate, Harry is determined to find the answers and restore order once more to the Capitol." -- Amazon.com

An Unfinished Murder / Deveraux, Jude.
cover imageRetired romance novelist Sara Medlar has been comfortably sharing her large home with her niece Kate and her "honorary grandson" Jack. It's a convenient arrangement given the Medlar Three, as they've become known, are often working closely together to solve mysteries in their small town of Lachlan, Florida. But when real estate agent Kate announces she's been given the listing for the town's storied Lachlan House, it sets off alarm bells for Sara and Jack. The infamous house has a dark history, one that's certain to haunt them all.With little memory of her childhood, Kate doesn't understand what the fuss is about-until the trio visits the house and makes a grim discovery. Flooded by memories of the past, Kate realizes she spent time there as a child. But stumbling upon a skeleton dressed in a rotting tuxedo-a murder victim with connections to her father-causes Kate to wonder if the childhood she can't remember might be one she'd rather forget.As Sara, Kate and Jack delve deeper into the dead man's history, they learn he was last seen at a party held at Lachlan House in the late nineties-a swanky soiree attended by his many enemies. With more than one motive in play, every partygoer is a suspect, and Sara is determined to find the culprit, even if it means digging up past secrets she's worked hard to keep buried.

Off the air / Christina Estes.
cover image"Equal parts thought-provoking and entertaining, Emmy Award winning reporter Christina Estes introduces Jolene Garcia in her Tony Hillerman Prize winning debut, Off the Air. Jolene Garcia is a local TV reporter in Phoenix, Arizona, splitting her time between covering general assignments-anything from a monsoon storm to a newborn giraffe at the zoo-and special projects. Stories that take more time to research and produce. Stories that Jolene wants to tell. When word gets out about a death at a radio station, Jolene and other journalists swarm the scene, intent on reporting the facts first. The body is soon identified as Larry Lemmon, a controversial talk show host, who died under suspicious circumstances. Jolene conducted his final interview, giving her and her station an advantage. But not for long. As the story heats up, so does the competition. Jolene is determined to solve this murder. It's an investigation that could make or break her career-if it doesn't break her first"-- Provided by publisher.

A midnight puzzle / Gigi Pandian.
cover image"Secret Staircase Construction is under attack, and Tempest Raj feels helpless. After former client Julian Rhodes tried to kill his wife, he blamed her "accident" on the home renovation company's craftsmanship. Now the family business - known for bringing magic into homes through hidden doors, floating staircases, and architectural puzzle walls - is at a breaking point. No amount of Scottish and Indian meals from her grandfather can distract Tempest from the truth: they're being framed. When Tempest receives an urgent midnight phone call from Julian, she decides to meet him at the historic Whispering Creek Theater - only to find his dead body, a sword through his chest. After a blade appears from thin air to claim another victim, Tempest is certain they're dealing with a booby trap... something Secret Staircase Construction could easily build. Tempest refuses to wait for the investigation to turn to her or her loved ones. She knows the pieces of the puzzle are right in front of her, she just has to put them together correctly before more disaster strikes. Multiple award-winning author Gigi Pandian and her sleuth Tempest Raj return in A Midnight Puzzle, where an old theater reveals a deadly booby trap, secrets, and one puzzle of a mystery"-- Provided by publisher.

Murder on Mustang Beach / Alicia Bessette.
cover image"Cattail Island in the Outer Banks is a popular destination for honeymooners and nature lovers alike. So it is a huge blow when the murder of a newlywed grinds the pre-summer season to a screeching halt. Bookseller Callie Padget launches her own investigation, after mysterious customer Geri-Lynn Humfeld, caretaker of the island's protected wild horses, brings in an irresistible piece of information. Determined to restore order and safety to her beloved hometown, Callie searches for answers-even as those answers cast suspicion on her soon-to-be boyfriend, Toby Dodge, whose martial arts studio was the scene of the crime. As she digs deeper, Toby becomes the police's prime suspect. The truth raises troubling questions and sends her scouring the bookshop's shelves for guidance. Meanwhile, a well-loved member of the mustang herd-a pregnant mare whose anticipated foal is a symbol of summery hope for locals and visitors alike-may be facing dire circumstances. With help from Geri-Lynn, Callie unearths startling secrets surrounding not only the compromised mare, but the murdered newlywed, too. And when another body shows up, this time on isolated Mustang Beach, she must race against time to stop a killer from claiming any more innocent lives"-- Provided by publisher.

Nosy neighbors / Freya Sampson.
cover image"Twenty-five-year-old Kat Bennett has never felt at home anywhere, and especially not in crumbling Shelley House. According to her neighbors, she's prickly and unapproachable, but beneath her tough exterior, Kat is plagued by guilt from her past. Seventy-seven-year-old Dorothy Darling is Shelley House's longest resident, and if you believe the other tenants, she's as cantankerous and vindictive as they come. Except there's a good reason Dorothy spends her days spying on her neighbors-a closely guarded secret that no else knows and the reason Dorothy barely leaves her beloved home. When their building faces demolition, sworn enemies Kat and Dorothy become unlikely allies in their quest to save their historic home. But when someone starts to play dirty and viciously targets one of the residents, Dorothy and Kat suspect foul play in their community. After the police close the investigation, it's up to this improbable pair to bring a criminal to justice."-- Provided by publisher.

The last word / Elly Griffiths.
cover imageNatalka and Edwin, whom we met in 'The Postscript Murders,' are perfect if improbable partners in a detective agency. At eighty-four, Edwin regularly claims that he's the oldest detective in England. He is a master at surveillance, deploying his age as a cloak of invisibility. Natalka, Ukrainian-born and more than fifty years Edwin's junior, is a math whiz who takes any cases concerning fraud or deception. Despite a steady stream of minor cases, Natalka is frustrated. She loves a murder, as she's fond of saying, and none have come the agency's way. That is until local writer Melody Chambers dies. Melody's daughters are convinced that their mother was murdered. Edwin, a big fan of the obit pages, thinks that Melody's death is linked to that of an obituary writer who predeceased many of his subjects. The trail leads Edwin and Natalka's boyfriend, Benedict, to infiltrate a slightly sinister writers' retreat. When another writer is found dead the weekend they are there, Edwin thinks that there must be a clue in what the participants have written. Seeking professional help, the investigators turn to their friend DI Harbinder Kaur only to find that they have stumbled upon a plot that is stranger than fiction.

Circle in the water / Marcia Muller.
cover image"San Francisco is home to more than 200 privately owned streets. Most are alleyways, but a select few look torn straight from the pages of a magazine. Lined with mansions and elaborate gardens, the properties are luxurious and perfectly maintained; security guards patrol the grounds to keep the curious at bay. Few know of these exclusive enclaves, but those who do prowl for availability, ready to make a grab for the precious real estate if opportunity strikes. When several such streets are targeted in a series of so-called pranks, Sharon is hired by a coalition of concerned owners to investigate. But as things escalate - an attempt on Sharon's life, an explosion at a meth lab, and a shocking murder - Sharon realizes far more is at play than a few misdemeanors gone wrong. The case takes a sudden turn when one of McCone & Ripinsky's most trusted employees is implicated, and Sharon will have to dig deep to save her agency - and her life"-- Provided by publisher.

The murder of Mr. Ma / John Shen Yen Nee, SJ Rozan.
cover image"London, 1924. When shy academic Lao She meets larger-than-life Judge Dee Ren Jie, his life abruptly turns from books and lectures to daring chases and narrow escapes. Dee has come to London to investigate the murder of a man he’d known during World War I when serving with the Chinese Labour Corps. No sooner has Dee interviewed the grieving widow than another dead body turns up. Then another. All stabbed to death withg a butterfly sword. Will Dee and Lao be able to connect the threads of the murders—or are they next in line as victims?" -- Goodreads.com

Sleeping giants : a novel / Rene Denfeld.
cover image"Twenty years ago, a nine-year-old boy was swept away by powerful waves on a remote Oregon beach, his body lost to the sea. Only a stone memorial remains to mark his tragic death. For most of her life, Amanda Dufresne had no idea she had an older brother named Dennis Owens, or that he had died. Adopted as a baby, she learned about him while looking into her late birth mother, and is curious to know more about this lost sibling. A solitary young woman, Amanda has always felt distanced from the world around her. Her brain works differently from others, leaving her feeling set apart. Her one true companion is the orphaned polar bear she cares for working at the zoo. By getting to know her birth family, she hopes to understand more about herself. Retired police officer Larry Palmer is a widower with nothing but time and in need of a purpose. He offers to help Amanda find answers. The search leads to shocking and heartbreaking discoveries. Dennis Owen had been a forgotten foster child abandoned to a home for disturbed boys off the coast. As Amanda and Larry dig deeper into the past, the two stumble upon decades of cruelty and hidden crimes--including a barbaric treatment still used today"-- Provided by publisher.

Murder in Rose Hill / Victoria Thompson.
cover image"Midwife Sarah Malloy and her private investigator husband, Frank, must shine a light on the truth and catch the fiend who killed a young reporter in this new entry in the USA Today bestselling Gaslight Mystery series. Louisa Rodgers is working as a magazine reporter and is hoping midwife Sarah Malloy can help her. New Century Magazine, like Colliers and McClure's, is branching out into investigative articles on pressing social issues. Louisa explains that she is researching the dangers of patent medicines. She had been walking through the neighborhood in search of people addicted to such nostrums to interview when she saw the sign for the clinic. Sarah is only too happy to tell Louisa exactly what she thinks of the so-called medicines that hurt much more than they help. A few days later, Sarah receives a visit from a man who introduces himself as Louisa's father. Bernard Rodgers explains that Louisa has been found strangled in the lobby of the building where New Century has its offices. The police have decided it was a random attack and have made no attempt to investigate, hinting that Louisa got what she deserved for sticking her nose where it didn't belong. Her family found Sarah's card among Louisa's effects, and now it is up to Sarah and Frank to catch a cold-blooded murderer"-- Provided by publisher.

Death in the details / Katie Tietjen.
cover imageMaple Bishop is ready to put WWII and the grief of losing her husband, Bill, behind her. But when she discovers that Bill left her penniless, Maple realizes she could lose her Vermont home next and sets out to make money the only way she knows how: by selling her intricately crafted dollhouses. Business is off to a good start--until Maple discovers her first customer dead, his body hanging precariously in his own barn. Something about the supposed suicide rubs Maple the wrong way, but local authorities brush off her concerns. Determined to help them see "what's big in what's small," Maple turns to what she knows best, painstakingly recreating the gruesome scene in miniature: death in a nutshell. With the help of a rookie officer named Kenny, Maple uses her macabre miniature to dig into the dark undercurrents of her sleepy town, where everyone seems to have a secret--and a grudge. But when her nosy neighbor goes missing and she herself becomes a suspect, it'll be up to Maple to find the devil in the details--and put him behind bars.--Amazon

Black wolf / Juan Gómez-Jurado ; translated from the Spanish by Nick Caistor, Lorenza Garcia.
cover image"Antonia Scott has an unusually gifted mind, able to see what others miss, able to solve the crimes that baffle all others. The only thing she fears is herself. Antonia is the lynchpin of the Red Queen project, created to work behind the scenes to solve the most devious and dangerous crimes. But she is unwilling to move past the last case, convinced it's related to a personal tragedy, until a series of deadly events pulls her back in. In southern Spain, in the Costa del Sol, a key mafia figure is found brutally murdered in his villa, his pregnant wife, Lola Moreno, barely escapes an attempt to kill her in a shopping mall and is on the run. A shipping container from St. Petersburg arrives in port in Spain containing the corpses of nine woman, all who suffocated. Now Antonia, with the help of her helper and protector, Jon Gutierrez, must track down this missing Lola. But they aren't the only ones on Lola's trail - a dangerous contract killer, known as the Black Wolf, is also on her trail. And Antonia Scott, still plagued by her personal demons, must outwit, out-maneuver, and, ultimately, face this terrible, mysterious rival"-- Provided by publisher.

How to solve your own murder : a novel / Kristen Perrin.
cover image"A dual narrative, feel good mystery in which a woman, Frances, spends a lifetime trying to prevent her murder as predicted by a fortune teller at a country fair when she was just 17. When she is in fact murdered nearly 60 years later, her great niece Annie must solve the crime to avenge her great aunt's death, and in so doing uncovers the dark heart of the quaint English village of Castle Knoll, where she might just find herself in the path of the killer"-- Provided by publisher.

Ash dark as night / Gary Phillips.
cover image"Los Angeles, 1965. Tempers have boiled over in the Watts neighborhood, sparked by the traffic stop of two Black motorists, the Frye brothers, by the Highway Patrol. Freelance crime photographer Harry Ingram is on the scene, capturing images of the cops as they unleash batons, dogs, and water hoses on the predominantly Black crowd. When he snaps proof of an unarmed man being shot down by the LAPD, he winds up in the hospital, beaten, his camera confiscated. Proof of the killing seems lost--until Ingram's girlfriend, Anita Claire, retrieves the film roll in a daring rescue, and the photo makes front-page news. A recuperating Ingram is approached by Betty Payton, a comrade of Anita's mother, who wants Ingram's help tracking down her friend Moses "Mose" Tolbert. Ingram follows the investigation down a rabbit hole of burglary rings, bank robberies, looted cash, and city-wide conspiracies--all while grappling with his newfound fame, which puts him in the sightlines of LAPD's intelligence division. Boiling over with wry humor, fascinating historical details, and intimate atmosphere, Ash Dark as Night is a nail-biting ride-along through midcentury Los Angeles with a crime fiction legend in the driver's seat."-- Provided by publisher.

The gathering : a novel / C.J. Tudor.
cover image"A detective investigating a grisly crime in rural Alaska finds herself caught up in the dark secrets and superstitions of a small town in this riveting novel from the acclaimed author of The Chalk Man. Deadhart, Alaska. Population: 673. Living. In a small Alaskan town, a boy is found with his throat ripped out and all the blood drained from his body. The inhabitants of Deadhart haven't seen a killing like this in twenty-five years. But they know who's responsible: a member of the Colony, an ostracized community of vampyrs living in an old mine settlement deep in the woods. Detective Barbara Atkins, a specialist in vampyr killings, is called in to officially determine if this is a Colony killing - and authorize a cull. Old suspicions die hard in a town like Deadhart, but Barbara isn't so sure. Determined to find the truth, she enlists the help of a former Deadhart sheriff, Jenson Tucker, whose investigation into the previous murder almost cost him his life. Since then, Tucker has become a recluse. But he knows the Colony better than anyone. As the pair delve into the town's history, they uncover secrets darker than they could have imagined. And then another body is found. While the snow thickens and the nights grow longer, a killer stalks Deadhart, and two disparate communities circle one another for blood. Time is running out for Atkins and Tucker to find the truth: Are they hunting a bloodthirsty monster . . . or a twisted psychopath? And which is more dangerous?"-- Provided by publisher.

Close to death : a novel / Anthony Horowitz.
cover image"Detective Hawthorne is once again called upon to solve an unsolvable case--a gruesome murder in an idyllic gated community in which suspects abound."

It had to be you / Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke.
cover imageYears after their parents' murder, identical twin brothers, determined to clear one name at the expense of the other, ask Laura Moran and her Under Suspicion crew to solve this brutal crime and as they get close to the truth, they find the danger from the past finding its way into the present.

Bye, baby : a novel / Carola Lovering.
cover image"Best friends don't always have the best intentions. On a brisk fall night in a New York apartment, 35-year-old Billie West hears terrified screams. It's her lifelong best friend Cassie Barnwell, one floor above, and she's just realized her infant daughter has gone missing. Billie is shaken as she looks down into her own arms to see the baby, remembering--with a jolt of fear--that she is responsible for the kidnapping that has instantly shattered Cassie's world. Once fiercely bonded by their secrets, Cassie and Billie have drifted apart in adulthood, no longer the inseparable pair they used to be in their small Hudson Valley hometown. Cassie is married to a wealthy man, has recently become a mother, and is building a following as a lifestyle influencer. She is desperate to leave her past behind - including Billie, who is single and childless, and no longer fits into her world. But Billie knows the worst thing Cassie has ever done, and she will do anything to restore their friendship... Told in alternating perspectives in Lovering's signature suspenseful style, Bye, Baby confronts the myriad ways friendships change and evolve over time, the lingering echoes of childhood trauma, and the impact of women's choices on their lifelong relationships"-- Provided by publisher.

The unquiet bones : a novel / Loreth Anne White.
cover image"When human bones are found beneath an old chapel in the woods, evidence suggests the remains could be linked to the decades-old case of missing teen Annalise Jansen. Homicide detective Jane Munro--pregnant and acutely attuned to the preciousness of life--hopes the grim discovery will finally bring closure to the girl's family. But for a group of Annalise's old friends, once dubbed the Shoreview Six by the media, it threatens to expose a terrible pledge made on an autumn night forty-seven years ago. The friends are now highly respected, affluent members of their communities, and none of them ever expected the dark chapter in their past to resurface. But as Jane and forensic anthropologist Dr. Ella Quinn peel back the layers of secrets, the group begins to fracture. Will one cave? Will they turn on each other? The investigation takes a sharp turn when Jane discovers a second body--that of the boy long blamed for Annalise's disappearance. As the bones tell their story, the group learns just how far each will go to guard their own truth." provided by publisher.

The silver bone : a novel / Andrey Kurkov ; translated by Boris Dralyuk.
cover imageA perplexing mystery introduces rookie detective Samson Kolechko in Kyiv as he is tackling his first case, set against real life details of the tumultuous early 20th century.

Finding Sophie : a novel / Imran Mahmood.
cover image"Two parents, desperate to find their missing daughter, stand accused of murder. How far will they go to find the truth? Someone is guilty. For the last seventeen years, everything Harry and Zara King have done has been for their crown jewel, Sophie, their one and only daughter. When she goes missing, Harry and Zara will stop at nothing to find her. Someone knows what happened. The police have no leads, and as the weeks pass there's little news. Harry and Zara's suspicion of a neighbor and his involvement in Sophie's disappearance quickly becomes an obsession-and they'll do anything to get the answers to their questions. Someone will pay. When the neighbor is found dead in his apartment, Harry and Zara are arrested and charged with murder. They deny everything. Meanwhile, their precious daughter is still missing.."-- Provided by publisher.

The bull of Mithros / Anne Zouroudi.
cover image"Drawn to the sun-drenched island of Mithros by the myth of its fabled bull, Hermes Diaktoros arrives on the day of a violent and troubling death. The mysterious circumstances surrounding it have echoes in Mithros's past, in a brutal unsolved crime from years ago which, it seems, is neither forgotten, nor forgiven. Hermes sets out to solve a complex puzzle where shadowy secrets and unspoken loyalties are intertwined. And before long it's clear that the fate of the mythical bull may be the last of the island's mysteries."--Page 4 of cover.

Return to New Items