Reading right now:

            “Cop Town” by Karin Slaughter. While Slaughter has been writing since she was a child growing up in Georgia, “Cop Town” is her first stand-along novel. Before this she has written two very successful series (Grant County series and the Will Trent series). For “Cop Town” she turns back the clock to 1974 in Atlanta when it was unusual for a woman to be on the force, but rookie Kate Murphy is determined to make it despite the pressure. After the brutal murder of a fellow cop, Murphy is teamed with Maggie Lawson. They both bring pain, fury, pride, and a determination to risk everything to bring in the man who killed another cop.

On hold right now:

            “Last to Know” by Elizabeth Adler. Detective Harry Jordan lives in a small town in Massachusetts, but works on the busy streets of Boston. Going home has always been a respite until he is out walking one evening and sees a house blow. A woman dies and Jordan gets involved in bringing in the murderer.

Other Mysterious Things:

            Here are five amazing new mysteries which you should read this summer. They are all either standalone or first in a new series.

            “The Case of the Black Pearl” by Lin Anderson is the first in a new series starring Patrick de Courvoisier. This Scottish author is famous for her series about forensic scientist Rhona Macleod. This new series revolves around Englishman Patrick de Courvoisier (a “Fixer”) who is asked to simply track down a missing movie star only to find the job much more complicated than he ever imagined.

            “Life Drawing” by Robin Black is a psychological thriller more than a pure mystery. It is just the kind of emotionally complex novel that makes for a good book club pick. When Owen and Augusta move to the country, they find their life and work interrupted by a new neighbor and the neighbor’s daughter. The neighbor’s daughter falls for Owen bringing tension and opening old wounds. The novel delves into the complexity of relationships and the pain of betrayal.

            “The White Magic Five and Dime” is a new paranormal mystery from Steve Hockensmith and Lisa Flaco. After her Mother dies, Alanis McLachlan inherits a new-age shop and her Mother’s clients from her tarot readings. Alanis finds she has a talent with the cards and with solving her Mother’s murder.

“All the Things You Are” by Declan Hughes. Irish writer Declan Hughes turns away from his Ed Loy series to write this standalone novel about Clare Taylor who comes home from a weekend away in Chicago to find her husband, her kids, and her furniture all gone. What’s left is the dead body of their dog and her husband’s childhood friend. Screenwriter Dwayne Alexander Smith’s new “Forty Acres” is his first book. In this provocative new book, attorney Martin Grey is asked to join a powerful group of wealthy black men when he discovers a deadly secret. These men are a secret society which wants to bring back slavery—with a twist for this time black men will be called “Master.” 

Have you joined your local library's Summer Reading Program yet? Lots of libraries have Summer Reading for adults as well as children.