Category: Unusual Suspects

I love translated crime novels, especially those that use a crime to explore society. An artist wakes up on his birthday to find his wife missing. In her place is an unpublished manuscript telling the story of an affair and the artist realizes it hits too close and could ruin him. Also in his past, a 19-year-old woman’s murder is still unsolved. We get different points of view of events to piece things together showing how memory is limited to perspective and muddled with fiction.

This is a crime novel with a serial killer about to be executed at the center of it but instead of focusing on his point of view, we get to know the women around him. His story is told through their eyes and their lives with their stories: his mother, Lavender; his sister-in-law, Hazel; the homicide detective tasked with his case, Saffy. I love a book that dives into the problematic obsession with real serial killers while examining our society and justice system.

A did-he-or-didn’t-he legal thriller! Just after receiving a humanitarian award, Vernon James is accused of murdering a woman in his hotel room. It turns out that the lawyer assigned his case, Terry Flynt, knows James from childhood and considers him a lifelong enemy! What could go wrong? Not only do you get a full case, but there’s plenty of twists and drama to keep you glued to the page. This gave me everything I love in a legal thriller.

(TW alcoholism/ attempted sexual assault scene, discusses S&M turned to assault, including partner abuse/ mentions death questioned as murder or suicide, detail/ past child and domestic abuse mentioned/ cancer/ discusses date rape drug during court case)

This had somehow slipped my radar until I saw the third in the series (Remain Silent) is releasing next year, so I immediately grabbed this one in audio. The son of a prominent New Jersey man has been murdered and Erin McCabe has been hired to represent the accused, Sharise. Sharise is a Black transgender woman being held in the male prison who says that while hired for sex work, she killed the John in self-defense. McCabe, who transitioned herself four years ago, knows the danger transgender women face but still feels like there is more to the case, which her and her ex-FBI partner are trying to figure out. That is if they can stay alive and keep Sharise safe as witnesses start dropping dead around them…

I love McCabe’s character, watching her navigate her personal life and professional life, and am looking forward to continuing with the series. If you enjoy lawyer lead series, definitely pick this one up.

(TW transphobia/ misgendering/ mentions groping, and sexual assault threats in prison/ child abuse scene/ murder made to look like suicide, detail/ brief mention past cancer death, not graphic)

Contemporary novel + wait for it crime.

The novel begins with “Aftermath”, a quick opening that gives the reader the impression that a crime is being committed, but remains vague on details. And that’s it, until the end…

Ronke, Boo, and Simi have been close friends for almost two decades, having initially bonded over being Anglo-Nigerian. They all have different personalities, but are also in very different places in their lives at the moment: Ronke thinks she’s finally found the right boyfriend but her friends aren’t so sure; Boo is unfulfilled and unhappy even though she has the “perfect” life; Simi is stressed at work and secretly on the pill even though her husband thinks they’re trying to conceive. Then Simi is reacquainted with a childhood friend who is equally disliked by some and loved by others, and the cracks in their personal lives begin to show.

Bonus: Natalie Simpson does a great audiobook narration.

(TW recounts partner abuse, including sexual, not graphic/ stalker/ mentions cancer diagnosis, not detailed/ brief moment partner possible attempted assault/ colorism/ fatphobia/ mentions past suicide, no detail/ mentions past suicide attempt, detail/ domestic abuse)

Murder mystery + sci-fi. This is a fun novel about humans living in space with aliens that pokes fun at the amateur sleuth who always comes across a murder to solve trope. Mallory Viridian is sick of having murders happen around her that she has to solve, and she hates that she keeps losing jobs and being looked at like there’s something wrong with her, since murder always follows her. So she moves to a sentient space station as one of the only humans. Of course, soon the station brings on board more human guests, so murders follow, and Mallory is right back where she started having to play amateur sleuth – only this time in space, surrounded by aliens, some people she knows from Earth, and with the job of letting aliens perform tests on her. What could go wrong?!

Bonus: I enjoyed Sarah Mollo-Christensen’s narration on the audiobook. She nailed the humor delivery.

(This will be possibly incomplete because I didn’t always have access to jot down notes while I was listening: TW child abuse/ mentions emotional domestic abuse with the assumption it will lead to violence/ cancer)

As soon as I see a new Hur book I grab it — I love that we get settings and time periods that I never see in the mystery genre. Set in the Joseon-era Korea, 1758, we follow Hyeon, a palace nurse, who has to solve a mystery in order to save her mentor, a fellow nurse, from torture and execution after the murder of a group of women. With her medical training and a new police inspector, she’s on the case, but she’s also putting herself in more and more danger the deeper she gets…

(TW torture, police brutality/ mentions of childbirth deaths, not graphic)

A great read any time of the year, but especially at the end of the year since it starts on New Year’s Eve, 1929. For the first time, Millie’s aunt has left her in charge of her speakeasy Cloak & Dagger. But things quickly take a turn towards danger when a group of socialites enters with one of them looking for Marion, the Cloak & Dagger’s drag performer. So when the socialite is found dead, Marion becomes the suspect, forcing Millie to go into sleuthing mode — along with breaking-and-entering and cop-fighting mode. Grab this one if you’re looking for a fun mystery, found family, and delightful characters.

(TW implied partner abuse/ homophobia)

I’m a big fan of JD Jackson as a narrator (A Little Devil in America; Reprieve; Pleasentville; They Can’t Take Your Name and many more) and the audio of this novel has the bonus of little bits of lovely music played between the sections.

This is a theft mystery told in past and present. In the present, Ray McMillian is practicing for the international Tchaikovsky Competition when his violin, a priceless Stradivarius, is stolen. In the past we watch how Ray came to become a musician, against many obstacles, and in possession of the priceless violin. Did I mention that he’s certain one of two families must be behind this theft, and one is his own family?! I really loved Ray’s character and if you like your books to have a lead you root for and the mystery not centered on murder, here you go.

(TW cancer death/ recounts cruel violence against enslaved people)

Inés del Castillo and Yareli Arizmendi do an excellent job of narrating the two women we follow, one mostly in the present and one mostly in the past.

Cassie Bowman has a true crime blog that isn’t really paying the bills so she decides she’s going to write a true crime book on a case from the ’80s. At the heart of that case is Lore Rivera, a woman who was secretly married to two men–one in Laredo, Texas and the other in Mexico City — until one shot the other dead. I especially loved sinking into Lore’s life and the exploration of the effects of economic crisis, motherhood, marriage, family, having a foot in two countries, and what we owe others. Also, I enjoyed how the book used the mystery and fictional true crime writer to explore the ethics of crime journalism.

(TW domestic abuse/ maternal mortality / mentions miscarriages, infertility/ ableism/ earthquake that killed many/ alcoholism)

This is a fantastic historical crime novel with such wonderful character voice, enhanced even more by the great audiobook narrators: Janina Edwards, Shayna Small, and Adam Lazarre-White.

Two Black sisters from Mississippi are separately on the run in 1964. Violet flees with her wealthy white boyfriend after being assaulted and killing her assaulter. But she quickly dumps her boyfriend in the form of stealing his wallet and going off on her own. His response? To hire a man in need of money to find her. Violet’s sister Marigold is already dealing with enough issues–pregnant by a man who left, in an abusive relationship, and working to secure Black residents the right to vote. When she realizes that the police search for Violet is a target on her back, too, she also flees. As each sister tries to outrun their past, neither knows someone has been hired to find Violet, because she may have accidentally taken more than just a wallet…

This is easily one of my favorite reads this year and I look forward to anything Wanda M. Morris writes next.

(TW sexual assault, not graphic/ mentions maternal mortality/ mentions child abuse/ domestic abuse/ miscarriage/ lesphobia)

This is a multi-cast narration that is a family drama, a missing person mystery, and a fictional true crime podcast, all brilliantly narrated to the point of making you forget you’re reading a book rather than a very real true crime podcast.

Ten years ago Violet Volk, a famous magician, disappeared. A podcast has decided for the ten year anniversary to focus on Violet, her disappearance, and all the speculation that has come since. Being part of the wild theory and speculations Violet’s sister Sasha wants nothing to do with the podcast, no matter how much the host hounds her. Through podcast transcripts, interviews, and Sasha’s current life, we get to know the sisters now and then.

Full cast: Brittany Pressley, Amy McFadden, Dan Bittner, Fred Berman, Hillary Huber, Johnny Heller, Katharine Chin, Ramon de Ocampo, Suzanne Toren, Alejandro Ruiz.

(TW mentions past teacher physical abuse of child/ briefly recounts groping assault/ brief mention of domestic abuse case/ brief mention of past suicide attempt, detail/ past mother with terminal illness, not graphic)

It’s so rare that I come across a puzzle book, something that I desperately want more of, so I’m always beyond delighted to stumble across one. We start with a middle-aged addict hiring a young thief to steal the gifts her dead billionaire father left for his five children. Her reason? Wanting to prove that her father did in fact leave clues behind for a treasure hunt.

This is a slasher film in book form! Days before its grand opening, the employees of a high-end resort are stressed and working hard to get everything completed. What they don’t know is that someone is killing them off one by one… If you’re a fan of yelling things like “Don’t go in there!” even though the characters can’t hear you, this one is a fun read.

For fans of cozies with a sprinkling of magic. Alexandra Daniels visits her mother’s family in a seaside North Carolina town with her loveable German Shepherd. After her mother passed away during her childhood, she lived in New York with her father and was banned from visiting North Carolina. Now she’s going to get to know her mother’s family while working in the family herbal apothecary and discover their mermaid roots. But first she’ll have to solve a murder when her aunt is arrested for poisoning a customer…

Here’s a mystery narrated by a dog! Chet may not have passed K-9 class but that doesn’t stop him from being the best dog detective to his human detective, Bernie. Bernie took on a case of a missing girl who reappeared with a story that doesn’t add up. So when she disappears again, Bernie and Chet dive into full investigation mode to figure out what is happening. Chet may not understand all of Bernie’s human problems and Bernie may not understand how Chet manages to find mischief so easily, but they make a great duo.

For fans of big fluffy white cats that can talk and are sassy! Mimi Lee is currently trying to make her new L.A. pet grooming business successful and constantly dealing with her mom trying to fix her up. But it’s a cozy mystery so soon there is a dead body (a murdered dog breeder) and she’s the suspect because she was heard yelling at him. Maybe Josh, her cute lawyer neighbor, can help her and her cat Marshmallow clear her name!

For fans of magical bookshops and tuxedo cats! Violet’s grandmother tricks her into returning to her hometown of Cascade Springs, New York from her current life in Chicago because she wants her to run the family’s bookstore. Violet has no plans to stay until a dead body makes her grandmother a suspect. Hopefully with the help of all the books in their store, and a cat named Emerson, she’ll be able to solve this case!

This is for fans of dark crime novels, including a look at humanity at its worst. Conjoined twins, Fire and Water, are bathing near a barrel that turns out to be filled with blood so naturally a desperate-to-solve-a-case detective swears they must be murderers. This is how a doctor specializing in sociopathy, Sunli, gets tasked with proving they are sociopaths. Except he does not believe they are…

(I don’t remember TWs, but this was dark so just assume many.)

Here’s a crime novel if you’re looking for an exploration of loneliness, regret, forgiveness, and whether we can make ourselves small enough to avoid the world, and our past, from hurting us again. After being left by her girlfriend, Amy has donated her time to offering communion to elderly patients at their homes in her Brooklyn neighborhood. That’s how she discovers that Mrs. Epifanio thinks her caretaker’s son murdered his mom. Amy decides to look into those claims which leads her to witness a crime and land herself in danger.

(I don’t remember TWs, sorry.)