I love mysteries. It’s one of my favourite genres, so I’m always excited to come across a book or a series that looks to be a good read. Here are five mystery books I’m reading over the summer:
1. The Nature of the Beast by Louise Penny
This is the 11th book in the Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series, currently set to be released August 25th. It is my absolute favourite current mystery series and I’m really looking forward to seeing what this new book has in store.
“Hardly a day goes by when nine-year-old Laurent Lepage doesn’t cry wolf. From alien invasions to walking trees, to winged beasts in the woods, to dinosaurs spotted in the village of Three Pines, his tales are so extraordinary no one can possibly believe him. But when the boy disappears, the villagers are faced with the possibility that one of his tall tales might have been true. And so begins a frantic search for the boy and the truth. What they uncover deep in the forest sets off a sequence of events that leads to murder, leads to an old crime, leads to an old betrayal. A monster once visited Three Pines. And put down deep roots. And now, it is back.”
2. The Novel Habits of Happiness by Alexander McCall Smith
This is the 10th book in the Isabel Dalhousie series that was released earlier this year. I am not familiar with this series and have not read any of the previous books, however the title and description caught my attention. It looks like something I would enjoy, so I definitely look forward to checking it out.
“From a small town outside Edinburgh comes the news that a young boy has been recounting vivid recollections of a past life: a perfect description of an island off the coast of Scotland which he couldn’t possibly know, and a house there, where he claims to have spent his former life. When the boy’s mother asks Isabel to investigate his claims, she feels she must–of course!–help them learn the truth, and she and Jamie set off for the island. But finding the house the boy described only leads to more complicated questions. And when they learn the tragic story of the family who lived there, Isabel is suddenly faced with a situation of extraordinary delicacy that will require all of her skills both as sleuth and philosopher.”
3. The Thousand Dollar Tan Line by Rob Thomas and Jennifer Graham
Wait a second… there is a Veronica Mars book series? Good to know. I was a big fan of the TV series, mostly the first season. This is the first VM book, the second one having just been released this year titled Mr. Kiss and Tell. Both books have great reviews and look to be a fun read.
“Ten years after graduating from high school in Neptune, California, Veronica Mars is back in the land of sun, sand, crime, and corruption. She’s traded in her law degree for her old private investigating license, struggling to keep Mars Investigations afloat on the scant cash earned by catching cheating spouses until she can score her first big case. Now it’s spring break, and college students descend on Neptune, transforming the beaches and boardwalks into a frenzied, week-long rave. When a girl disappears from a party, Veronica is called in to investigate. But this is not a simple missing person’s case. The house the girl vanished from belongs to a man with serious criminal ties, and soon Veronica is plunged into a dangerous underworld of drugs and organized crime. And when a major break in the investigation has a shocking connection to Veronica’s past, the case hits closer to home than she ever imagined.”
4. A Pitying of Doves by Steve Burrows
A mystery series starring an accomplished detective who would rather spend his time watching birds. Interesting, unique, and I need to read it.
“Why would a killer ignore expensive jewellery and take a pair of turtledoves as the only bounty? This is only one of the questions that piques Chief Inspector Domenic Jejeune’s interest after a senior attaché with the Mexican Consulate is found murdered alongside the director of a local bird sanctuary. The fact that the director’s death has opened up a full-time research position studying birds hasn’t eluded Jejeune either. Could this be the escape from policing that the celebrated detective has been seeking? Even if it is, Jejeune knows he owes it to the victims to solve the case first. But a trail that weaves from embittered aviary owners to suspicious bird sculptors only seems to be leading him farther from the truth. Meanwhile, Jejeune is discovering that diplomatic co-operation and diplomatic pressure go hand in hand.”
5. Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll
Originally I was really attracted to the description of this book and couldn’t wait to read it. Since then I’ve seen such mixed reviews that I’m not sure what to expect. It seems like I will either hate it or love it, either way I gotta read it to find out.
“As a teenager at the prestigious Bradley School, Ani
FaNelli endured a shocking, public humiliation that left her desperate to reinvent herself. Now, with a glamorous job, expensive wardrobe, and handsome blue blood fiancé, she’s this close to living the perfect life she’s worked so hard to achieve.
But Ani has a secret.
There’s something else buried in her past that still haunts her, something private and painful that threatens to bubble to the surface and destroy everything.”
Happy reading!
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