While series mysteries are some of the most popular items on a library shelf, there are still many standalone novels that come out every month. Series books may be big best sellers for many authors, but standalones also break through and become bestsellers. There are famous authors known for their series, but most of them also write a standalone on occasion. Sometimes it seems that we only remember series books because of movies such as all the Sherlock Holmes movies, Hercule Poirot (Agatha Christie), Rex Stout’s Nero Wolf, and so on. However, lots of new suspense thriller movies start out as standalone novels such as “The Girl on a Train” by Paula Hawkins and “Gone Girl” by Gillian Flynn. So here are a few more standalone novels for September and some may be destined for future greatness.

                                                     

Reading right now:

Rachel Howzell Hall’s “These Toxic Things” follows Mickie Lambert’s attempt to honor a dead client by putting together a “digital scrapbook” for the deceased. Unfortunately for Mickie, someone else has a vested interest in the information and starts threatening Mickie and telling him that he needs to leave the information alone. The threats just peak Mickie’s interest and his curiosity makes him cross paths with a killer.

On hold right now:

Christopher Swann’s “A Fire in the Night” follows Nick Anthony’s attempt to help his niece after her parents are killed in a fire. The fire was set purposely and the killers were supposed to take out the whole family. When they find out they missed the niece, they follow her to Nick’s and he finds himself defending both their lives.

“Friends Like These” by Kimberly McCreight is about a group of college friends who will do anything for each other including staging an intervention in the Catskills. Unfortunately, the secrets held by some members of the group will take them places that they never expected to go.

Iris Johansen’s latest is “High Stakes” which is a standalone that follows a professional gambler’s life until his past catches up with him when he tries to get Lara Balkon out of the hands of a Russian mafia boss. Gambler Logan Tanner is offered information that he needs in payment for the extraction. Getting her out of Russian proves not to be nearly as hard as getting her out of the hands of a killer who is waiting for them in Las Vegas.

Other Mysterious Things:

If you love old movies, you might just want to explore some of the book origins of some of our most well-known and beloved movies and TV shows. I always look up a movie and see if it was based on a book I missed. Agatha Christie’s novel “And Then There Were None” (aka “Ten Little Indians”) was a standalone novel.  There are many mysteries that came out years ago that are still worth reading and exploring. One of Dashiell Hammett’s standalone novels that you might consider is “The Glass Key.” A more recent but fascinating standalone mystery is Catherine Steadman’s “Something in the Water.” If you missed Blake Crouch’s mystery books you might want to try “Snowbound.” As usual, lots to read and explore. Have fun.

We love to read mysteries that introduce us to other cultures and explore intrigues from around the world. Authors such as Volker Kutscher (Germany), Charles Cumming (Scotland), Joe Nesbo (Norway), Carlos Ruiz Zafon (Spain), Val McDermid (Scotland), Louise Penny (Canada) and so many others have expanded our world view and given use unforgettable mysteries that have entertained and enlightened us. The following new books fall under this umbrella. Two of the following authors are American authors, but one writes about Americans in Paris and the other about World War II.

Reading right now:

Emilia Bernhard’s third book in the Death in Paris Mystery series is “Designs on the Dead.” This series centers around two American private detectives Rachel Levis and Magda Stevens who now live in Paris. In this third book in the series, they get involved in the world of high fashion when fashion designer Roland Guipure is found dead outside his birthday party. This series is considered a cozy series so be ready for a lighter mystery read.

On hold right now:

Swedish journalist Tove Alsterdal’s latest “We Know You Remember” is the first in a new series. Police Detective Eira Sjodin finds herself investigating the death of a local man whose son was convicted of raping a local girl when Sjodin was only nine. Sjodin remembers the fear she went through at the time and how the person convicted of the rape was only 14 and was sent to a youth home. Now he is out and when he returns home he finds his Father dead in the bathroom shower. As Sjodin investigates the new death, she is haunted by the past and wonders if the two crimes are connected.

Ronald H. Balson’s “Defending Britta Stein” is the sixth book in the Catherine Lockhart and Liam Taggart series.  This series of legal thrillers involves a crack investigative team and has an historical aspect as well. This time around Lockhart and Taggart takes on the task of defending a 90-year-old Britta Stein who is accused of defacing the property of a popular restauranteur Ole Henryks. Their investigation takes them back to Nazi-occupied Denmark to prove that Henryks may not be the man people think he is.

“Road of Bones” is the sixteenth book in James R. Benn’s Billy Boyle World War II mystery series. This time around Boyle is sent to the USSR to solve a double-murder. Lots of interesting historical information about WWII in these books as well as a great mystery series.

Canadian writer Gail Bowen’s 20^th book in the Joanne Kilbourn series is “An Image in the Lake.” Many of Bowen’s Kilbourn books involve political issues which gives an interesting twist to her books. In this latest book, Joanne and her husband are involved in the political campaign of Ali Janvier and also in a new series for TV that Joanne co-wrote and that their daughter has an interest in because of a romantic relationship with one of the actors. Unfortunately, the couple’s relationship is threatened and Joanne steps in to solve the problem.

Other Mysterious Things:

Several mystery authors from England also have new books coming out this month: Lisa Jewell’s “The Night She Disappeared,” Ann Cleeves’ second in a series “The Heron’s Cry,” Alice Feeney’s “Rock, Paper, Scissors,” and the always reliable Anne Perry’s third book in her Elena Standish series “A Darker Reality.”

These are mostly stand-alone psychological mystery/thrillers. Only Joanna Schaffhausen’s is an exception since it is the first in a new series. The great thing about stand-alone novels is you don’t have to try to remember what came before. These are all interesting authors with a good track record. Joy Fielding has been writing since 1972 and always writes stand-alone novels. Mark Billingham is a terrific writer from the UK and is well known for his Tom Thorne series. To top it off, the latest from Andrea Bartz is the book club pick in the Reese Witherspoon Book Club.

Reading right now:

Joanna Schaffhausen’s new book (“Gone for Good”) is the first in a new series featuring Detective Annalisa Vega. Detective Vega finds herself reinvestigating a serial killer who starts murdering women again after twenty years of silence. Vega remembers the case well from her childhood since at that time her father was investigating the murders and one of the victims was a neighbor. The clues she follows leads her to some heartbreaking conclusions and the decisions she makes will affect everyone she loves. I had a harder time getting into this book than I did some of her others, but the ending has kept me thinking about choices in life.

On hold right now:

“56 Days” by Catherine Ryan Howard is a stand-alone about a couple who meet in a supermarket in Dublin and start dating at the beginning of the pandemic. They decide to move in together instead of missing the opportunity of a growing relationship because of the lockdown. Unfortunately, 56 days later there is a decomposing body in their apartment and a mystery regarding what happened in those lost weeks.

Joy Fielding’s “Cul-De-Sac” is her latest stand-alone. When someone is shoot to death on their cul-de-sac, the secrets of all the families who live there come to light. Secrets are a prime subject of mystery novels and in this new novel everyone has something to hid so figuring out who would kill to keep their secrets isn’t so easy.

“We Were Never Here” by Andrea Bartz is the latest book club pick in the Reese Witherspoon Book Club. If you were on a trip with your best friend and she kills someone would you help her cover it up?

Mark Billingham’s latest is “Rabbit Hole” a stand-alone thriller. After a murder is committed in a psychiatric ward, police officer Alice Armitage determines to find out who the killer is. Unfortunately, Armitage is currently a patient in that psychiatric ward so even if she solves the case will anyone listen to her?