Tag: Mystery
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“The Bewitching” by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
The latest novel by Silvia Moreno-Garcia is a dark, atmospheric horror/mystery, consisting of three clearly defined storylines. Minerva, a young Mexican woman, is a student at a New England college, writing her thesis. It’s 1998, and strange things happen. She often feels a sense of foreboding, as if she has been watched. At one point,…
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“Big Bad Wool” by Leonie Swann
It’s winter, and the flock of sheep from “Three Bags Full,” the first book in a series “The Sheep Detective Stories” by Leonie Swann, goes to France, together with their shepherdess Rebecca and her eccentric, tarot-reading mom. They stay on a snowy meadow, with Rebecca’s trailer close by and a majestic chateau in the distance.…
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“Against the Grain” by Peter Lovesey
Peter Diamond, a police detective in Bath, is contemplating – without much enthusiasm – a retirement. He agrees to go for a short vacation to test the waters of living in the small village community of Baskerville, where, as his partner Paloma suggests, he can relax and enjoy the slower pace. So Diamond, with Paloma…
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“Agnes Sharp and the Trip of a Lifetime” by Leonie Swann
I enjoyed reading the first book in the Agnes Sharp series and found the second one even better. The elderly residents of Sunset Hall – Agnes, Edwina, Bernadette, Charlie, Marshall, and Winston – go on vacation to a fancy, secluded Cornish hotel, partially because Edwina won a romantic gateway for two and everybody wants to…
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“The Dark Wives” by Ann Cleeves
The institution of privately owned care homes for troubled teens in England is controversial. Running them should be a noble mission, but without sufficient state control, it can evolve into a business like any other, subject to negligence. Additionally, for the residents of such houses, their temporary homes and proximity to other teens like themselves…
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“One Big Happy Family” by Jamie Day
The setting of ‘One Big Happy Family’ is a unique luxury hotel on the shores of Maine, a place that immediately brought to mind the iconic Burgh Island Hotel off the coasts of Devon – the setting of Agatha Christie’s renowned novels. “The Precipice” is family-owned, with themed rooms where the Bishop’s three sisters spend…
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“A Refiner’s Fire” by Donna Leon
In her 33rd installment of the series, Donna Leon once again transports us to the enchanting city of Venice, guiding us through the labyrinthine streets alongside Commissario Brunetti. While I may have missed a few of the series’ novels, my fondness for them remains steadfast, a testament to Leon’s captivating world. This time, the story…
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“Summers End” by Juneau Black
“Summers End” was an unusual, cozy mystery for me. All the characters are animals living in a world of animals—think modern-day Beatrice Potter creatures, Aesop’s fables, or the Hundred Acre Wood without Christopher Robin. I was curious about this mystery because my local bookstore mystery book club selected another one from the same series (A…
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“Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice” by Elle Cosimano
Two bodies in a hotel room, a lost Aston Martin, some bad guys, and Kevin Bacon, who is not who you think he is, make for one crazy ride. Once more, Finlay, a divorced mother of two young children, and Vero, Finlay’s children’s snarky nanny, get into trouble. This time, they take a road trip…
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“Everyone On This Train Is A Suspect” by Benjamin Stevenson
Train travels are romantic. Sure, there are overcrowded trains people board through the open window, as there is no way to fight the crowds of passengers trying to enter using the doorway, and those can hardly be called “romantic.” But there are other trains, seen in luxury travel ads, with people sipping champagne and contemplating…
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