Category: Unusual Suspects

Hello mystery fans! I’m back, this time with things I’ve seen and read around these here internets and thought you might be interested in reading too. Plus, I got your Kindle deals and a tiny bit of my week in reading–I’d never show you the whole thing it would melt your brains with too many books.

From Book Riot And Around The Internet

Liberty talked about Steph Cha’s Your House Will Pay on All The Books!

And she joined Katie this week on Read Or Dead to talk creepy mysteries, news, and new releases.

Who and What Done it? Sleuth out the Culprit based on Your Favorite YA Books

A Drew for Every Mood: Which Nancy Drew PC Game Is For You?

Eat, Drink And Be Wary: Ex-CIA Agent Reveals How Eateries Are Key To Spycraft

A cute post of Hillary Clinton reuniting with her childhood copy of The Hidden Window Mystery.

Viral Story of Edmund Kemper’s Audiobook Narration Tells Bigger Story

Tinker, Tailor, Writer, Spy: John le Carré takes aim at Brexit and Boris Johnson in his new novel, “Agent Running in the Field.”

The Near-Mythic Inevitability of Olga Tokarczuk’s Novels: The Polish author, known for her fragmentary, far-ranging novels, tightens her focus in the mystical detective novel Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead (And she just won the Nobel prize in literature)

The ‘Dublin Murders’ Book Ending Caused A Huge Divide In The Literary World (#TeamLikedIt)

Kindle Deals

I’m really enjoying Ovidia Yu’s new historical mystery series and the first 2 are ridiculously priced right now: The Frangipani Tree Mystery is $3.99 (Review)(TW suicide); The Betel Nut Tree Mystery is $3.99.

Caleb Roehrig’s White Rabbit is $2.99 and perfect if you want a mystery with slasher movie body count! (Review) (TW rape)

If Sherlock meets Fantastic Beasts sounds good (it is!) Jackaby by William Ritter is $1.99 and the sequel Beastly Bones is $3.69! (Review)

A Bit Of My Week In Reading

I’m currently reading and really enjoying The Athena Protocol by Shamim Sarif which is about an elite group of vigilante justice spies with the “never kill” rule when one does just that. I love you all and don’t take this the wrong way but it’s so good I rather be reading it right now than writing about it. Did I say that out loud?

I just got my hands on a galley for Goldie Vance: The Hotel Whodunit by Lilliam Rivera, which is the upcoming middle grade series inspired by the Goldie Vance comics. And Ottessa Moshfegh’s suspense Death In Her Hands–I don’t want to know anything about it yet I just want to inhale it.

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 Canavés.

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

Hi mystery fans! This time around I have for you one of the year’s best crime novels, a did-he-or-didn’t-he mystery, and an interesting historical nonfiction.

One Of The Year’s Best Crime Novels

Your House Will Pay by Steph Cha: I want to start by saying that if you’re a fan of crime novels, I recommend picking this one up without knowing anything about it as I really love the way Cha unfolds everything–basically you’ll get maximum impact. For those going, “Nope, I’m gonna need to hear more,” here you go: Cha’s novel is not only built upon the turmoil and unrest from the 1992 Los Angeles riots but also based on a real case many have probably never heard of. Following a Korean-American family (mostly through Grace, the youngest dutiful daughter) and a Black family (mostly through Shawn, helping out his cousin’s family) the novel explores family, racism, the injustice system, violence, revenge, culture, forgiveness and the inability to, with excellent characters and nuance. Your House Will Pay is a truly important and great historical fiction novel that also keeps Cha’s noir writing and influences alive. It’s been a month since I read it and I still randomly find myself wondering about the characters in the novel and thinking about a lot of hard questions.

History + Murder (TW brief mention of attempted suicide with detail)

Blood & Ivy: The 1849 Murder That Scandalized Harvard by Paul Collins: This takes a look at the vanishing of the wealthy Dr. George Parkman who was last seen visiting Harvard Medical School on November 23,1849, the man accused of his murder, the infamous trial, along with some Boston and Harvard history. This is one of those nonfiction books that works well if you’re into history, seeing the justice system in different time periods along with journalism, and playing the are-they-guilty-or-not game (if you don’t already know the story). Also, there’s some bits in here that are for fans of the “body farm” and um, well, how they basically used to study what happens to dead bodies. I went with the audiobook because you know I like being told these kinds of stories, and Kevin Kenerly has a really nice voice and speaking rhythm.

Is Her Ex A Serial Killer Or Not?! (TW panic attack on page/ stalking on page)

The Liar’s Girl by Catherine Ryan Howard: This was a really good did-he-or-didn’t-he mystery perfect for fans of past and present, fictional serial killers, and Irish crime novels. Alison Smith did not get the college experience she’d wanted since her freshman year ended with her best friend being the Canal Killer’s last victim and the serial killer being her boyfriend. I know! But now, ten years later, a woman is found murdered and questions arise whether the right killer is behind bars or if he had an accomplice all along? He’ll only speak to help the police if he gets to see Smith and now she’s forced to face the past herself… Told in alternating chapters between Smith’s college days and current life, we also get a few chapters of a killer…

Recent Releases

The Art of Theft (Lady Sherlock #4) by Sherry Thomas (My favorite Sherlock is back in another fun adventure, this time with a crew of people to help! I’ll do a full review soon but if you’re a fan of this series go forth and read for more of what you already love.)

The Black Ghost #2 by Monica Gallagher, Alex Segura, Greg Lockard, Greg Smallwood, George Kambadais, Ellie Wright (2nd issue in a new comic series that blends noir and superhero as a journalist searches to unmask a vigilante!)

Dead Girls by Abigail Tarttelin (I just started reading this one about an 11-year-old whose best friend is murdered and thinks she has to solve the crime.)

The Man That Got Away (Constable Twitten #2) by Lynne Truss (A huorous historical mystery series for fans of British humor.)

Curious Toys by Elizabeth Hand (I’m really intrigued by the premise of this dark historical fiction: 1915 carnival setting where a young girl, teamed with an adult, is after a serial killer.)

Owl Be Home for Christmas: A Meg Langslow Mystery(Meg Langslow #26) by Donna Andrews (If you’re looking for cozy and holiday!)

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 Canavés.

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

Hi mystery fans! Another week bites the dust and that means it’s time for clicking all the links, Kindle deals, and I found you some great audiobooks on Hoopla!

From Book Riot And Around The Internet

After Sacred Games, 5 other books on organised crime that would make for great shows

Attica Locke Left Hollywood To Write Novels Now She’s Found Success In Both Worlds

Start Reading ‘One Of Us Is Next’ By Karen M. McManus Right Now

3 Comics Recommendations for Mystery Readers

The Perfect Ghostly Lover: PW Talks with Tess Gerritsen

A new episode of Recommended with Kristen Lepionka and Kekla Magoon!

Romancing the Holmes What inspired Sherry Thomas to turn Sherlock into Charlotte?

Cover Reveal and Excerpt: YOU’RE NEXT By Kylie Schachte

Swamp and Circumstance: 11 Books Like WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING

The Ten Best Scooby-Doo Monsters

Adaptations And News

Tom Ryan’s Novel ‘Keep This To Yourself’ Optioned for Television

David Oyelowo to Star in ‘President Is Missing’ Pilot From Bill Clinton, James Patterson at Showtime

Nancy Drew and the Mystery of Her Enduring Relevance

These are the Nancy Drew books to reread before the CW show

Kindle Deals

Pamela Samuels Young’s In Firm Pursuit is $4.99! (The sequel to Every Reasonable Doubt, a great legal mystery which is $0–not a typo, seriously the first in the series is FREE and I really recommend it–Review)

One of my FAVORITE procedurals and detective is $1.99–ruuuuun to The Dime by Kathleen Kent! (Review) (I don’t remember TWs, sorry.)

And I just bought Gretchen McNeil’s Ten for $1.99 because it’s a YA horror novel based on Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None!

Audiobooks On Hoopla (If you don’t know about Hoopla)

One of my favorite crime novels: Sadie by Courtney Summers (Review) (TW child abuse/ pedophile/ attempted suicide mentioned)

My next listen: Three-Fifths by John Vercher, which is from a brand new crime imprint which I’m loving.

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 Canavés.

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

Hello mystery fans! This week I have for you a character driven psychological mystery, and two fun, totally different, mysteries: an elderly sleuth, and a locked-room YA mystery based on the Clue board game.

Character Driven Psychological Mystery (TW alcoholism/ social anxiety, panic attacks, agoraphobia, PTSD, on page/ past suicide mentioned)

Remember by Patricia Smith: This starts with a mystery where something horrible has clearly happened but the character, Portia Willows, doesn’t know what it is. We’re then taken back to her as a teenager with social anxiety and agoraphobia and get to know her family. The family she partially loses in an accident. Now she lives with her father, both drinking the day away and barely able to care for themselves and each other. Until a young man moves in across the street, forcing Portia to step outside of her comfort zone in hopes of her first romantic relationship. But we keep getting “now” chapters of Portia trying to figure out where she is, what happened, and where her father is… In a genre that too often grossly uses mental illness as the boogie monster this was a welcome change, and new voice.

Fun!

Auntie Poldi and the Vineyards of Etna (Tante Poldi #2) by Mario Giordano, John Brownjohn (Translation): Elderly Bavarian, Poldi, has retired to a Sicilian village and finds herself once again solving crimes. Auntie Poldi loves to drink, loves men, being independent, voicing her opinion, and is hilarious. Of course I love her! The way the series is written made me think a bit of The Princess Bride in that Poldi isn’t telling us the story but rather her visiting nephew, a struggling writer as she tells him her adventures. So we get all of Poldi’s escapades, crime solving–this time she’s trying to solve the poisoning of a dog and murder of a fortune-teller–along with the family bickering, Poldi criticizing her nephew’s writing attempts included. If you like the bigger-than-life characters who will not be told what to do, will-they-or-won’t-they relationships, and beautiful settings this is a super fun, and entertaining series that always makes me laugh.

Hello, Clue Fans! (TW discussions of suicide)

In the Hall with the Knife (Clue Mystery #1) by Diana Peterfreund: This is the start to a trilogy based on the Clue board game, that has fun references to the film. We get all the names we know so well, from Mr. Boddy (the Blackbrook Academy headmaster) to Mrs. White (in charge of the girl’s dormitory). And in between is all the students (Scarlet Mistry, Orchid McKee, Beth “Peacock” Picach, Vaughn Green, Samuel “Mustard” Maestor, and Finn Plum) who create the stereotypical overachiever, sports star, townie etc we come to expect. And of course they’ve all got secrets! And they all end up snowed in together in the girl’s dormitory. And someone is murdered…I enjoyed that this felt familiar while also new, thanks to the teenage perspective and the added twists to the story–not going to tell you! It’s the start of a trilogy so of course we’re left hanging at the end but what I especially liked was the end, and the door it opened for what is to come!

Recent Releases

The Athena Protocol by Shamim Sarif (Currently reading: I should not have started this before bed because 1. I want to play just-one-more-chapter! 2. It starts with an intense scene–women “snipers” rescuing kidnapped girls when things don’t go as instructed…) (TW child rape, not detailed)

The Furies by Katie Lowe (Currently listening to audio: Slow burn. Private school. Missing girl. Witchy history. The Craft vibes. Girl rage. <–If those are your things, this one is for you!) (TW date rape, on page/ past suicides, discussions/ animal cruelty/ child abuse, not on page)

Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts by Kate Racculia (The author of Bellweather Rhapsody wrote a novel about a billionaire creating an Edgar Allan Poe inspired treasure hunt through the city of Boston and this sounds perfect for fans of The Westing Game and puzzle mysteries and it’s next on my list!)

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 Canavés.

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

Hello mystery fans! Are you ready for spooky October reading? I may have walked into a very real spiderweb immediately after putting up fake Halloween decorations because the universe will never not have a sense of humor apparently. Anyhoo, get your clicking fingers ready–I got interesting links and Kindle deals for you.

From Book Riot And Around The Internet

50 Must-Read Crime Novels for Fall and Winter 2019

Rincey and Katie talk mystery news and give readalikes for popular crime authors on the latest Read or Dead.

20 of the Top Mystery Books According to Goodreads Users

15 Creepy Scandinavian Novels By Women To Read This Spooky Season

Adaptations And News

Awesome Media Options Caroline Mitchell Novel ‘Truth And Lies’ In Bid To Create Female ‘Luther’(The book is a $4.99 Kindle deal)

Fox & Kenneth Branagh’s All-Star Agatha Christie Movie ‘Death On The Nile’ Begins Production In UK

Filming to begin on crime thriller based on true story of London estate agent

The ‘Stumptown’ Novels Are Worthy Source Material For The New ABC Series

‘Dublin Murders’: BBC Sets Premiere Date For Crime Drama Picked Up By Starz (It’s almost here!!!)

(The next two aren’t adaptations but something mystery readers who watch crime shows would probably want to know about.)

‘Claws’ Renewed For Fourth And Final Season At TNT

Exclusive: Get the First Look at the Newest Hallmark Mystery Series Starring Danica McKellar (Winnie Cooper!)

True Crime

Chanel Miller On What Happened After Her Victim Statement Went Viral

An Author Confronts Her Rapist In ‘Things We Didn’t Talk About When I Was A Girl’

You can hear Liberty and Rebecca discuss the two books above in the latest All The Books! podcast.

‘In Hoffa’s Shadow’ Uncovers An Author’s Family Ties To A Mafia Mystery

Two true crime books (Furious Hours and Say Nothing) made the longlist for the ninth annual Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction!

Kindle Deals

The Perfect Nanny by Leïla Slimani, Sam Taylor (Translator) is $1.99 if a French literary suspense inspired by a true crime is your thing! (Review) (TW: child death/ suicide)

A Curious Beginning (A Veronica Speedwell Mystery 1) by Deanna Raybourn is $2.99 and perfect for fans of funny heroines, mysteries, will-or-won’t-they, and historical fiction. I love this series!

And I leave you with a little October reading:

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 Canavés.

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

Hello mystery fans! I have two nonfiction books for you this week–a must-read true crime memoir, a bananapants nonfic about truffles–and a mystery with a dysfunctional found family.

True Crime Memoir (TW rape/ gaslighting/ discussions of past suicides, with detail/ discussion of mass shooters, event details/ misogyny)

Know My Name by Chanel Miller: Until now, Chanel Miller was only referred to as Brock Turner’s victim, Emily Doe, The Stanford Rape Case and defined by the media, rape apologists, her rapist, and her victim impact statement posted on BuzzFeed. Refusing to be reduced to a violent act done to her Miller decided to come forward with her name and story in order to show that she, like all victims, are whole, layered people. I hate that it is under these circumstance the world will discover what a fantastic writer Miller is–and it feels weird considering the subject matter saying how fantastic this book is, but it is. From her introspection to her observations on rape culture, this is a must-read memoir that not only takes you through the entire case but also lets you get to know Miller (who fiercely loves her sister and does standup!) and her family. Miller is a *beautiful and brave person whose added voice to dismantling rape culture will resonate, light a fire, and give hope to many. I went with the audiobook, which Miller narrates, and I 100% recommend that format if you listen to audiobooks. *She does not need to be any of those things to be believed and listened to.

Fascinating And Bananapants (TW animal abuse)

The Truffle Underground: A Tale of Mystery, Mayhem, and Manipulation in the Shadowy Market of the World’s Most Expensive Fungus by Ryan Jacobs: This is another one that I’d mostly put in the nonviolent true crime category (there’s a brief murder and dog poisonings) that works really well for fans of books like The Feather Thief. Once again you may think you have zero interest in the subject matter–fungus!–but let me tell you this is a ride! From how and where truffles grow, to food and region “snobs”, to how truffles became a delicacy and how that led to thieving, a task force, dog training, and of course fraud. And by fraud I mean are you sure you’re eating what you think you’re eating?! If you’re a fan of microhistory books and nonviolent nonfiction, this is a fascinating read basically on how humans can ruin anything. I went with the audiobook for the enhanced feeling of being told a wild story.

Dysfunctional Websleuthing Found Family (TW homophobia, including internalized/ panic attacks on page/ suicide/ pedophile)

Missing Person by Sarah Lotz: This is a past mystery that centers on a whydunnit and will they get caught but what I loved about this book was the dysfunctional found family element that centers around an online group of sleuths in the U.S. who work to solve cases with unidentified missing people. There’s the moderator and creator of the site who prefers to be a recluse. The cheery stay-at-home mom that only finds satisfaction in life when working on a case. The Irish young man who learns a family secret and sets out to find out what really happened to his uncle. And the professed killer who is pretending to be an ex-cop on the website “solving” the case he knows the answers to. While this deals with dark subject matter, the novel itself never felt like it sunk into darkness and really focused on the lives of these websleuths–and why they were obsessed with solving these cases. I really wanted to keep reading more about them!

Recent Releases

The Shape of Night by Tess Gerritsen (TBR: Rizzoli & Isles‘ author wrote a “sexy psychological thriller!”)

The Lying Room by Nicci French (Just started: Murder mystery where a married woman finds her lover murdered and clears any trace of herself from the scene…)

Now Entering Addamsville by Francesca Zappia (Currently reading: Zora is automatically suspect in a fire that killed the school’s janitor and decides to prove she didn’t do it. Loving this so far, especially Zora’s character and voice.)

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 Canavés.

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’m back with all the links for you to click. But first, if you’re a fan of procedurals and character studies, Netflix has a new crime show with four different versions: Criminal UK (TW pedophile–so far), Criminal Spain, Criminal France, and Criminal Germany–so many criminals! I’ve been watching, and enjoying, Spain and UK which are 40-minute episodes that take place entirely in an interrogation room and the hallway/room looking in as the clock is ticking for the police to get a confession. Did they or didn’t they?! And now back to the previously scheduled book talk!

From Book Riot And Around The Internet

Win the Best Mystery/Thrillers of the Year So Far!

Contest challenges readers to solve a murder mystery by putting 100 jumbled pages of a vintage crime book in the right order – and only two people have done it correctly since 1934

What’s in a Page: What Attica Locke’s Heaven, My Home has in common with ‘Old Town Road’

10 Essential Literary Thrillers

50+ New Thrillers That Should Be on Your Radar This Year

15 Of The Best Books Like SHARP OBJECTS

News And Adaptations

Andrew Scott to Play ‘Talented Mr. Ripley’ in Showtime Series

Katrine Engberg Brings Danish Noir to Scout Press

Alyssa Cole tweeted she has an upcoming thriller!

Megan Abbott & Sarah St. Vincent are the recipients of the 2019 Pinckley Prizes for Crime Fiction

Jennifer Morrison to Direct ‘One of Us Is Lying’ Pilot for Peacock

True Crime

Chanel Miller Says ‘Know My Name’ As She Reflects On Her Assault By Brock Turner

Here’s How to Find the Creepy True-Crime Thing That Happened on Your Birthday

The girl in the box: the mysterious crime that shocked Germany

Has the Mystery of Skyjacker D.B. Cooper Finally Been Solved? A TV Newsman’s Obsessive Quest

How Dateline correspondent Keith Morrison became—and stayed—the granddaddy of true crime.

Kindle Deals

If you’re looking for a procedural told backwards that has a great puzzle mystery: The Borrowed by Chan Ho-Kei, Jeremy Tiang (Translator) is $1.99! (Review) (TW rape/ suicide) And if you enjoy it as much as I did, you can look forward to a new translated novel in February 2020: Second Sister.

If you want a genre-bending procedural great for October reading: Lauren Beukes’ Broken Monsters is $7.99! (I don’t remember TW)

The Liar’s Girl by Catherine Ryan Howard is a 2019 Edgar Award nominee and $0.99 so I snagged it real quick!

A Bit Of My Week In Reading

Got my hands on: The second issue of Black Ghost by Monica Gallagher, Alex Segura, George Kambadais, which I’m saving as a treat read. And I got a galley of Foul Is Fair by Hannah Capin which is a “bloody revenge fantasy” novel so all the yes!

Read: Marilou is Everywhere by Sarah Elaine Smith, which is the kind of book that gets labeled “literary mystery” because it’s character driven, follows a crime, has a mystery, and is A+ writing. It’s one of my favorite books this year, and if you love Lauren Groff and novels like The Life and Death of Sophie Stark I highly recommend it.

Win the Best Mystery/Thrillers of the Year So Far!

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 Canavés.

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

Hi mystery fans! This week I have for you a great mystery + coming-of-age, an awesome heist thriller, and an Irish procedural series because I know mystery readers are always looking for a new procedural.

Mystery + Coming-Of-Age (TW addiction/ discussions of sex trafficking/ past rape, not detailed)

Patron Saints of Nothing by Randy Ribay: I loved this book. It’s equally about a teen boy trying to solve the mystery of how his cousin died but also a book about identity, culture, and finding your way and place when your roots can feel conflicting to your current life. During his senior year of high school Jay Reguero finds out that his cousin Jun, who lives in the Philippines, died. Not only does he feel guilty that he recently stopped responding to his cousin’s letters but he doesn’t understand how he was killed due to the country’s current war on drugs. So he convinces his parents to let him spend his spring break visiting his family in the Philippines while really planning on using the trip to find out exactly what his cousin was doing before his death, who really killed him, and why. This book is equally heartbreaking and uplifting as it explores current political issues, diaspora, Eastern world vs Western world, racism, addiction, family…all while keeping the mystery thread taut throughout. It felt really well rounded, carefully written, and I absolutely adored the characters. This has been an exceptional year for crime books with new voices exploring really important topics and you can add this one to the collection. Bonus, I really enjoyed the audiobook which was narrated by Ramón de Ocampo, the same narrator for Red, White & Royal Blue and This Is Where I Leave You–wildly different books but if you pick up audiobooks based on narrators you like those are also great listens.

Hello, Awesome Heist Book! (TW torture/ child murder/ assisted suicide/ addiction)

Ghostman (Jack White #1) by Roger Hobbs: Fellow Rioter Liberty put this book in my hands and I’m super glad since it ended up being one of those books I read way past my bedtime because just-one-more-chapter! You have the Ghostman, literally a dude that just disappears, who is called in to find one of the men from a botched heist and retrieve the money bag before the dye packets go boom. Except he’s only taking on this job to pay off a debt for a past job that went very wrong. So you get two heists in one as you follow the Ghostman in present time–48-hour clock ticking down!–trying to find the money bag, and past chapters where you learn how he was trained and how his last heist changed everything. You get the ins-and-outs of everything in this book in a way that may make you feel ready to go pull off a huge heist, and I loved that the two storylines were equally intense so the pacing of the book remained consistent throughout.

Irish Procedural! (TW attempted murder suicide off page, suicide discussions/ domestic abuse)

The Scholar (Cormac Reilly #2) by Dervla McTiernan: This is one of those solidly good from beginning to end procedurals. While it stars Detective Cormac Reilly, who was on desk duty cold cases for a while, it also takes you into the lives of other characters in a way that feels like a great addition rather than a distraction. This case also hits close to home for Reilly as his girlfriend is the one who finds the body of the case he ends up on. A case about a murdered woman on a university campus and mistaken identity that will test loyalty, relationships, and job security. If you’ve been looking for a new series you can sink into that does a good balance of focusing on the cases and the characters, procedural fans will be satisfied with both entries so far in the series. And bonus for good audiobook narration!

Recent Releases

The Last Séance: Tales of the Supernatural by Agatha Christie (Currently Reading: I’ve been dipping in and out of these Christie short stories that make a good October read since some are spooky-ish and a bit supernatural. Also, a good gift for Christie fans who like short story collections!)

A Bitter Feast (Duncan Kincaid & Gemma James #18) by Deborah Crombie (TBR: Scotland Yard procedural.)

 

You Beneath Your Skin by Damyanti Biswas (TBR: This is a crime thriller set in New Delhi that I’m hoping to get my hands on soon.)

The Shape of the Ruins by Juan Gabriel Vásquez, Anne McLean (Translator) (Paperback)

Win the Best Mystery/Thrillers of the Year So Far!

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 Canavés.

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

Hello mystery fans! Time to play here’s-what-I’ve-collected-for-you-this-week, plus Kindle deals and my week in reading. And if you’ve been meaning to watch the Shirley Jackson adaption of We Have Always Lived in the Castle it’s now on Netflix.

From Book Riot And Around The Internet

Dear Gillian Flynn: I Will Beta Read the Sh*t Out of Your New Book for You

Whodunnit On The Tour De France and More Favorite Mystery and Thrillers!

Liberty talked about Elevator Pitch on this week’s All The Books.

Speaking of Liberty, she joined Rincey for this week’s Read or Dead where they talked adaptations, news, WWI mysteries, and books they’re reading.

Blind, Andrea Camilleri dictated this delightful mystery novel before his death at 93

Walt Longmire back in Wyoming for new mystery novel

Attica Locke’s New Mystery Novel Unearths East Texas Secrets

Win the Best Mystery/Thrillers of the Year So Far!

Adaptations And News

This 88-Year-Old Grandmother Was an International Jewel Thief: Her life is now the subject of an upcoming film starring Tessa Thompson, and a new book

Toni Collette Joins Bradley Cooper in Guillermo del Toro’s ‘Nightmare Alley’

The Nancy Drew TV Show Is Going To Be Way More Paranormal Than The Book Series

‘Psych: The Movie 2’ Pushed To 2020, Moves To NBCU Streamer, Gets Title

Kindle Deals

For $0.99 you can read about an Indian PI–and his baby elephant!!–as he solves crimes: Bad Day at the Vulture Club (Baby Ganesh Agency #5) by Vaseem Khan

If you’re looking for an October read that’s a thriller with horror vibes: Perfect Days by Raphael Montes is $6.99 and I still shudder thinking about one scene. (Review) (I don’t remember the trigger warnings but dude kidnaps woman he likes to force her to like him.)

A Bit Of My Week In Reading

Currently reading: The Furies by Katie Lowe which feels like a perfect choice with October a blink away since witchcraft and vengeance seem to be a main focus. Now Entering Addamsville by Francesca Zappia is one I’m pretty sure I’ll be inhaling this weekend since the voice is amazing from the first page. And Chilling Effect by Valerie Valdes is my mystery break and it’s a fantastic novel about a space crew whose captain’s sister gets kidnapped. There’s naughty psychic kittens, Spanglish, and the main character swears like a sailor–I love it so much.

Finished reading: Remember by Patricia Shane Smith starts with a mystery of a character that doesn’t remember nor know where she is and takes you back to the lead up and into her life as a woman living with panic disorder and agoraphobia, grieving the death of her mother and sister. This was a page-turner for me that did not make mental illness the boogieman the way the crime genre unfortunately does a lot. (TW alcoholism/ social anxiety and panic attacks on page, agoraphobia/ PTSD/ past suicide mentioned)

Acquired and excited: The Ninja Daughter by Tori Eldridge and all I needed to be excited for this is the title and knowing that it’s the third to be published by Agora Books. And Darling Rose Gold by Stephanie Wrobel landed on my doorstep with the blurb “Sharp Objects meets Misery” and yes, please, thank you, more.

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 Canavés.

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

Hi mystery fans! Attica Locke’s sequel to Bluebird, Bluebird is finally here! Plus, I have one of my favorite historical mysteries of the year, a fun thriller, and new releases for you.

Amazing Series! (TW past suicide mentioned)

Heaven, My Home (Highway 59 #2) by Attica Locke: The second I got my hands on a galley I dropped everything and read it and have been dying for everyone else to get to read it too. And now you can! This is the sequel to Bluebird, Bluebird (Review) which introduced us to Darren Mathews, a Black Texas Ranger who was at the time, technically, on suspension but still found himself working on solving who murdered a white woman and Black man in a small Texas town. The sequel picks up where the first left off, leaving Mathews to deal with all the decisions he’s made, and hasn’t made–it’s a sequel so I’m being vague because spoilers! Anyhoo, he’s now on desk duty in Houston keeping peace in his marriage, but it’s a mystery book and he’s the lead character so you know he’s going to get mixed up in a case. This time, it’s a missing boy. And not just any boy, he’s the son of a captain of the Aryan Brotherhood who is sitting in prison…Once again Locke brings the Texas setting to life with the same importance as the characters while also exploring the (in)justice system and history. Add in twists, a great mystery, fallible characters, and excellent writing and you have one of the best crime series currently being written. Now I desperately need the next in the series! Also, whoever is working on the FX series adaptation please hurry up, I wants it now!

Delightful New Historical Mystery Series! (TW domestic violence/ addiction/ alludes to past statutory rape)

The Vanished Bride (Brontë Sisters Mystery #1) by Bella Ellis: Ellis has brilliantly reimagined the Brontë sisters as detectors and everything in this novel worked for me. It has a great mystery–a missing woman–and you follow the old school and amateur sleuth way of solving the case. It’s a delight to follow sisters Charlotte, Emily, and Anne, who all have different personalities and bicker but also love and support each other. There is context for how and why these three women were raised to be more independent than their time allowed. The historical bits are interesting without taking away from the focus of the mystery. I can’t recommend this enough for fans of historical mysteries and I love that it works well for Brontë and classic fans–and equally works well if you don’t really care for either because the mystery and characters are so great. It’s just delightful and I’m excited for more to come!

Fun Thriller! (TW panic attacks on page/ mentions past eating disorder and self-harm)

Elevator Pitch by Linwood Barclay: NY, a vertical city, finds itself with a problem–elevator accidents are killing people. It’s a problem for both the mayor and a pair of detectives. The mayor is also dealing with two other problems: working with his son with whom he has a seriously rocky relationship, and he also has a journalist constantly trying to find dirt on him. The detectives not only have this case, but also a dead man proving difficult to identify, and one of them is suffering from panic attacks after a traumatic incident. Told from multiple perspectives including that of the mayor, journalist, their children, and the detectives, you also get a front row seat to elevators that may or may not make their intended destination–sorry readers who are scared of elevators! If you’re looking to relax with a fun social thriller with some bonus scenes for action film fans this is your book.

Recent Releases

A Death in Harlem by Karla Holloway (TBR: Historical mystery set in 1920s Harlem.)

The Black Ghost #1 by Monica Gallagher, Alex Segura, George Kambadais, Ellie Wright  (Great start to a comic series that melds superhero and detective noir starring a reporter.)

Kopp Sisters On The March (Kopp Sisters #5) by Amy Stewart  (Great historical crime series based on the real woman who was one of America’s first female deputy sheriffs.)

The Stranger Inside by Lisa Unger (TBR: Revenge thriller.)

And: Win the Best Mystery/Thrillers of the Year So Far!

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 Canavés.

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