Author: Jamie Canaves

Hello mystery fans! I’ve recently gotten my hands on some advanced copies for upcoming sequels, so I thought I’d talk a bit about the first books in the series so you can read them in time for the sequels. Yay more mysteries!

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Sponsored by the Verity Kent Mysteries by Anna Lee Huber

This stylish, atmospheric mystery is set in Britain just after WWI and stars Verity Kent, a brilliant and indomitable former Secret Service agent. Now in the shadow of The Great War, many look to the spirit world for answers, and Verity is convinced by a friend to attend a séance. When a medium channels the spirit of a woman Verity once worked with in the Secret Service, she must uncover the source of the spiritualist’s top secret revelation…With a compelling mystery and intriguing characters, fans of The Bletchley Circle, Grantchester and The Imitation Game won’t want to put this one down!

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August Snow by Stephen Mack Jones (Sorry, I don’t remember if there were trigger warnings.): This was a great mystery starring an ex-marine/ex-cop who won a gigantic wrongfully-dismissed lawsuit against the police department and returns to Mexicantown, Detroit, his hometown. In the first book, August Snow ends up taking a case he’d declined after the “client”–who wanted him to investigate her investment bank–ends up dead. What I especially liked about the book was the balance of real life characters and the ethnically diverse community with Hollywood style action movie shoot-’em-up scenes. The FBI/cyber crime scenes weren’t always plausible but who cares because fun action movie! The sequel, Lives Laid Away, puts Snow on a case again, except this time it’s the Coroner on the case, an old friend, who slips him the photo of the victim pulled from the Detroit River in hopes Snow will get someone in Mexicantown to identify her.

The Widows of Malabar Hill by Sujata Massey (TW domestic violence): If you still haven’t read this wonderful historical mystery you’re going to want to get on that so you can cheer excitedly with me for the sequel! The first follows a bit of a before and after timeline as Perveen Mistry works for her father’s law firm in 1921 Bombay, India. She’s one of the first female lawyers and ends up unable to let go of what seems like a simple case of three widows signing away their inheritance. But really why would widows do that? Perveen can’t let it go and soon is investigating… This was one of the best mysteries released in 2018 and I’m looking forward to the sequel, The Satapur Moonstone, being a best in 2019 as it introduces Satapur’s royal family. Only Perveen’s council can be called upon because the maharanis live in purdah and do not speak to men.

Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson: This was a delightful mystery set in an elite school, Ellingham Academy, that is modern but full of nods to classic mysteries. Stevie Bell is excited to start her first year since she’s determined to solve the 1930s case involving the school founder’s kidnapped wife and daughter. But Stevie is in for a shock when there’s a recent murder that also needs solving! I’m super glad the sequel, The Vanishing Stairs, will be releasing in January because the first book leaves you on a cliffhanger, and I had not been warned and was not thrilled I had to wait an entire year standing on that cliff!

Auntie Poldi and the Sicilian Lions by Mario Giordano, John Brownjohn (Translator) (Sorry, I don’t remember if there were trigger warnings.): This was utterly delightful for two reasons: the way the story is told and Poldi’s character. Poldi is a Bavarian widow living in Sicily and her nephew, an aspiring writer visiting, narrates the story. Poldi is telling him the story as it happens, giving it this fun element like The Princess Bride where the story is interrupted sometimes in a comical way so that the nephew can talk about his failed writing attempts and so he and Poldi can quibble. Poldi is a speaks-her-mind-drinks-too-much-if-you’re-in-her-way-move-quickly fantastic character who is determined to solve a murder in a place she doesn’t know that well and I absolutely adored her. The story works for cozy mystery fans as it was more that pace. I’m really looking forward to finding out what Poldi gets herself into in the March release of Auntie Poldi and the Vineyards of Etna.

Recent Releases

The Craftsman by Sharon Bolton (TBR: This looks like a dark thriller and perfect mood reading this month.)

Shell Game (V.I. Warshawski #19) by Sara Paretsky (TBR: My next procedural.)

And don’t forget to enter our giveaway for a custom book stamp for your personal library!

Browse all the books recommended in Unusual Suspects previous newsletters on this shelf. And here’s an Unusual Suspects Pinterest board.

Until next time, keep investigating! And in the meantime, come talk books with me on Twitter, Instagram, and Litsy–you can find me under Jamie Canaves.

If a mystery fan forwarded this newsletter to you and you’d like your very own you can sign up here.

Hello mystery fans! So Netflix has a new buddy cop type show starring Tony Danza and Josh Groban–yes, the popera singer. I’ve seen the first two episodes and they’re entertaining and didn’t have violence towards women. So if you need a break from dark crime check out the first two episodes of The Good Cop.

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Sponsored by Flatiron Books, publishers of Good Me Bad Me, now in paperback by Ali Land.

When your mother is a serial killer, how far does the apple really fall from the tree? Good Me Bad Me is a dark and compelling psychological thriller.

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From Book Riot and Around The Internet

A wonderful interview with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as he Dives Back Into Mystery with Mycroft And Sherlock

Came across this delightful podcast episode where a married couple discuss their mystery likes and dislikes and rec a bunch of books for fall reading: Mystery Recommendations for October, sassy lady detectives vs. macho man investigators 

How Does ‘Killing Eve’ The Book End? It’s A Lot Different To What You Saw On TV (Obviously spoilers!)

The 5 Best L.A. Crime Novels: Nonfiction

Highly Recommended: Pastry Murder Mysteries Inside best-selling author Joanne Fluke’s addictive book series, where food is the main character

Rincey makes the argument that mystery books should be less than 400 pages and girl, same!

Can you solve the mystery of the missing opera diva?

Giveaway: Remember to enter our giveaway for a custom book stamp for all your book stamping needs!

Adaptations And News

Here’s the trailer for AMC’s six-part miniseries of John le Carré’s The Little Drummer Girl. It premieres November 19th and stars Florence Pugh, Alexander Skarsgård, and Michael Shannon.

We’re getting a fourth Veronica Speedwell Mystery!

And now Armie Hammer has signed on to Agatha Christie’s Death on the Nile adaptation.

Kindle Deals

The Child by Fiona Barton is a very good book that is $1.99!! (Review) (TW rape)

From my TBR list the first in a series of funny, cozy historical mysteries is $1.99: A Quiet Life in the Country (A Lady Hardcastle Mystery #1) by T E Kinsey

And if you’re looking for an 80% character driven novel that focuses on the politics between police and media in Japan which ends with a twist you won’t see coming and like a thriller in the last 20%: Six Four by Hideo Yokoyama, Jonathan Lloyd-Davies (Translation) is $3.99!!

Browse all the books recommended in Unusual Suspects previous newsletters on this shelf. And here’s an Unusual Suspects Pinterest board.

Until next time, keep investigating! And in the meantime, come talk books with me on Twitter, Instagram, and Litsy–you can find me under Jamie Canaves.

If a mystery fan forwarded this newsletter to you and you’d like your very own you can sign up here.

Hi mystery fans! I have a character driven murder mystery, the new Tana French, and a psychological suspense perfect for fans of Gillian Flynn–or just dark mysteries.

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Sponsored by Vesuvian Books

Beau Devereaux is the only child of a powerful family. Handsome. Charming. Intelligent. The “prince” of St. Benedict is the ultimate catch. He is also a psychopath. A dirty family secret buried for years, Beau’s evil grows unchecked. In the shadows of the ruined St. Francis Abbey, he commits unspeakable acts. Senior year, Beau sets his sights on his girlfriend’s twin sister, Leslie. Everything he wants but cannot have, she will be his ultimate prize. As the victim toll mounts, it becomes clear someone must stop Beau Devereaux. And that someone will pay with their life.

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A Murder Mystery That Questions Where The Line Of Good Versus Bad Is

The Night in Question by Nic Joseph: Paula is struggling. Her husband was in an accident and while he has adjusted to his new normal Paula has not. The doctor has her convinced that they should try an experimental surgery in Europe. Keith has made it very clear that because they can’t even come close to affording the $200,000 bill it is not something on the table to discuss. But Paula can’t let it go. She thinks it will help but since she can’t possibly come up with that much money working as a waitress and a rideshare driver (think Uber) she finds herself blackmailing a recent passenger. But the further she gets into this, and the more desperate she feels, the more out of control everything gets. And then there’s a murder. And Paula thinks the man she blackmailed is the murderer, but how does she explain that to the police without implicating herself for blackmail? Joseph does a great job of spinning out a character who has convinced themselves that it’s all worth it because their intentions are good. I also really loved the detective, who gets a few interesting chapters between Paula’s, and hope to see her again in another book. If you’re a bit exhausted at the moment from the over-the-top unrealistic thrillers this is a great read.

*Muppet Arms* The New Tana French Is Finally Here! (TW suicide/ rape)

The Witch Elm by Tana French: To answer the first question that everyone keeps asking me: This is a standalone novel. It is not a part of the Dublin Murder squad series. The Witch Elm is a slowburn suspense that you will deeply sink into. It is perfect for book clubs because there is a lot to analyze and discuss–starting with French’s brilliant choice for the main character–but it is also readable for just the ride of the mystery. It starts with Toby, a young man who has a good life. Pretty much always has. But after a mistake at work, and an assault, his life dramatically changes and he decides to recover at his uncle’s home. The home he spent plenty of time at as a kid. The home where a skeleton is discovered… If you like character driven mysteries don’t miss this one. French is an absolutely excellent crime writer who creates incredibly real characters while plunging you deep into their lives and stories. You won’t even realize you’re on a hell of a ride until the drop is below you…

For Gillian Flynn Fans! (TW alcoholism/ pedophile/ animal cruelty)

When You Find Me by P. J. Vernon: Gray Godfrey may have taken her husbands name but she’ll always be socialite Gray King–especially, when visiting the family estate in South Carolina. Not only is she not thrilled about having her husband drag her back home for the holidays, he’s now monitoring her drinking and behavior. And there’s nothing she needs more at all times then a drink. When Gray wakes up alone with no memory of the previous night, she soon discovers that her husband is missing. And her mama is immediately controlling the situation as always. Making a difficult missing person’s case even more difficult is the assigned detective’s aunt being the housekeeper who took down Gray’s father’s election run years before. The Kings run everything in this town, Gray can’t stop drinking, her sister can only cover for her so much, and her mama seems to care more about appearances than finding Paul. Then a stranger leaves a message claiming to know where Paul is… A psychological suspense I inhaled in two sittings that left me looking forward to Vernon’s next work because that was a hell of a debut!

Recent Releases

Mycroft and Sherlock by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Anna Waterhouse

Wrecked (IQ #3) by Joe Ide (TBR: Awesome East Long Beach PI series)

The Lies We Told by Camilla Way (Liberty’s Book Of The Month pick)

99 Ways to Die (A Taipei Night Market #3) by Ed Lin (Mystery series starring Jing-nan that revolve around Taipei’s night market.)

Bird, Bath, and Beyond (An Agent to the Paws Mystery #2) by E.J. Copperman (TBR: Funny cozy mystery with a cover I’m in love with.)

The Clockmaker’s Daughter by Kate Morton (TBR: Historical mystery that plays out over generations.)

The Stranger by Melanie Raabe, Imogen Taylor (Translator) (TBR: Thriller about a missing husband and a stranger who pretends to be him seven years later, threatening the wife if she exposes him!)

Good Me Bad Me by Ali Land (Paperback) (Review) (TW date rape)

Sleep No More: Six Murderous Tales by P. D. James (Paperback)

And don’t forget to enter our giveaway for a custom book stamp for your personal library. Stamp all the books!

Browse all the books recommended in Unusual Suspects previous newsletters on this shelf. And here’s an Unusual Suspects Pinterest board.

Until next time, keep investigating! And in the meantime, come talk books with me on Twitter, Instagram, and Litsy–you can find me under Jamie Canaves.

If a mystery fan forwarded this newsletter to you and you’d like your very own you can sign up here.