It is important to point out that there are many new historical mystery novels coming out which should not be missed. Even if you don’t usually like historical mysteries, there is surely something here for you.

Reading right now:

“Portrait of Peril” is Laura Joh Rowland’s fifth book in the Sarah Bain series. This is a fantastic historical mystery series set in 1890 London which opens with Sarah Bain finally getting married to Detective Sergeant Barrett. Unfortunately, murder follows them right into the church and takes them on a journey into the world of spiritualism. The murder victim was a photographer who was trying to photograph ghosts in the church because many believe it to be haunted. While trying to solve one complicated mystery, Sarah is also dragged back into her family’s dark past which forced her father into hiding from a murder charge. All of Sarah’s fascinating friends are back while they all try to cope with how their lives are changing especially with Sarah now married.

On hold right now:

“A Sinister Service” is the sixth book in the Lady and Lady’s Maid series by Alyssa Maxwell.  This series takes place in post-World War I England where a young Lady Phoebe Renshaw and her lady’s maid seem to always be ready to solve a mystery. Even trying to commission a gift for her grandparents’ wedding anniversary puts her in a position to find a dead body and try to discover who the killer is.

Bill Pronzini’s ninth book in the Quincannon & Carpenter book is “The Paradise Affair.” This historical series takes place in 1890s San Francisco where this time former Pinkerton operative Sabina Carpenter and her detective partner, ex-Secret Service agent John Quincannon, go in pursuit of two con men who have stolen from their employer and left for Hawaii.

“Death Comes to the Rectory” is the eighth book in the Kurland St. Mary series by Catherine Lloyd. After one of their guests for their daughter’s christening is found dead with a note in his hand, Lady Lucy and her husband Major Sir Robert Kurland both jump in to solve the murder. Sir Robert because it is his job and Lady Lucy because her father is implicated in the murder.

“City of Schemes” is the fourth book in the Counterfeit Lady series by Victoria Thompson. World War I is over and Elizabeth Miles is planning her wedding to Gideon Bates. Unfortunately, one of their friends, recently discharged from the army, receives a letter from a woman in France that he fell in love with and she now needs help. Elizabeth is convinced the letter is a con job, but how can she prove that it isn’t real?

Other Mysterious Things:

There were several historical mysteries that came out in December that are must reads. “The Mystery of Mrs. Christie” by Marie Benedict is an exciting take on why Agatha Christie disappeared for 11 days in 1926. Alys Clare’s second novel in the World’s End Bureau Victorian Mystery series is out and is called “The Outcast Girls.” Clare’s series is definitely one not to miss. “Marion Lane and the Midnight Murder” is T.A. Willberg’s first book which takes place in London in 1958. Harald Gilbers’ first book is also the first in a new series. Called “Germania” it takes place in Berlin in 1944 where Jewish detective Richard Oppenheimer hunts for a serial killer in war-torn Nazi Berlin.

Happy New Year!

Here are some hot new releases to look for over the next three months:

Patricia Cornwell’s second book in the Captain Chase series “Spin.”

Faye Kellerman’s 26^th book in the Peter Decker and Rina Lazarus series is “The Lost Boys.”

Lincoln Child and Douglas Preston presents the second book in the Nora Kelly series “The Scorpion’s Tail.”

Gregg Hurwitz adds the sixth book to his Orphan X series “Prodigal Son.”

Rachel Hawkins’ latest standalone “The Wife Upstairs.”

Janet Evanovich and Steve Hamilton’s seventh book in the Fox & O’Hare series “The Bounty.”

Harlan Coben’s latest standalone is “Win.”

C. J. Box presents the 21^st book in his Joe Pickett series “Dark Sky.”

Iris Johansen and Roy Johansen’s latest in the Kendra Michaels series which is the 8^th book in the series “Blink of an Eye.”

Jonathan Kellerman’s 36^th book in his Alex Delaware series is “Serpentine.”

Linda Castillo adds a short story collection to her Kate Burkholder series “A Simple Murder.”

Walter Mosley’s 15^th book in his Easy Rawlins series is “Blood Grove.”

While it is almost the end of the year, here are a few more December arrivals not to miss. 

Reading right now:

“My Darling” by Amanda Robson is a domestic thriller about the couple next door. That couple that moves in and you think you are going to be best friends, until everything goes wrong and you find out that perhaps at least one of the new neighbors is completely crazy.

On hold right now:

Rookie detective Natalie Lockhart tackles her second big case (as in the second in the series) in “The Wicked Hour” by Alice Blanchard. Halloween gets out of hand in Burning Lake, New York, and Detective Lockhart must investigate the body of the unknown woman found in the dumpster the next morning. Her investigation leads her to the belief that the body is just the latest in a series of disappearances of women.

Peter Moreira’s “Hitman on Haight” is the second in his Haight Crime series which takes place in San Francisco in the 1960s. San Francisco Detective Jimmy Spracklin must find who killed and dismembered a hippie who happens to be the daughter of a rich industrialist.

Harriet Tyce’s second book is “The Lies You Told” which finds a recently divorced attorney moving to London with her daughter. At first, they have a hard time settling into their new life but soon friendships develop and they start to settle into their new environment. Unfortunately, those new friends may actually be enemies.

Other Mysterious Things:

Other books of interest coming out this month include Victoria Gilbert’s latest “A Deadly Edition” which is the fifth in the Blue Ridge Library mystery series. Molly MacRae’s fourth book in the Highland Bookshop mystery series is "Heather and Homicide.” Sam Carrington’s unusual “The Open House” centers around Nick and Amber Miller who hold an open house to try to sell their house only to have thirteen people enter their house and have only twelve leave.

 

Let’s Stay Home and Read a Book!

 

It is usually the most wonderful time of the year, but right now it’s pretty dangerous out there. The best thing to do right now is stay home and read a book. Here are some of my suggestions. If you haven’t read these yet, you really should. Stay safe, stay home, and have a wonderful Holiday Season in a whole new way.

You might want to start with any Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. If you are a mystery lover and haven’t read these – you must! And if you have teens or even pre-teens introduce them to Sherlock and see what happens. If you want to go back in time but not as far as Sherlock Holmes take a look at the early Ed McBain and John D. MacDonald mysteries. “The Beast Must Die” by Nicholas Blake is part of a series written in the 1930s that you may have missed. Go back and revisit the classics. They never disappoint and can become old friends that you visit over and over again when you need them.

If you want a good laugh, you must try Carl Hiaasen’s mystery novels. If you get English humor try the 2020 humorous “The Thursday Murder Club” by Richard Osman. Other funny mystery authors include Jana DeLeon, Lilian Jackson Braun, Kinky Friedman, Chris Grabenstein, Kellye Garrett, and Tim Dorsey. Humor is something really needed right now so definitely try one of these and you can always fall back on Janet Evanovich.

We live in a time when there are so many amazing books to read that you just cannot get around to them all and 2020 has not disappointed in this area. All of the following are must read mysteries that came out this year. For a dark, creepy domestic thriller do not miss “Magpie Lane” by Lucy Atkins.  Helen Fields “Perfect Kill” is the sixth book in Helen Fields’ DI Callanach series (the first was “Perfect Remains).  “Good Girl, Bad Girl” was the first in a new series by Michael Robotham and he followed it up this year with “When She was Good.” This legal thriller series started off with “Summary Justice” and now the third in the series is“Forced Confessions” by John Fairfax.  Walter Mosley has had a long career with many awards and many amazing books. He newest is “Trouble is What I Do” which is the first book in a series that started with “The Long Fall.” Lisa Jewel’s most recent stand-alone is “Invisible Girl," Simone St. James’ latest is a bit of a horror book which is alright with me because it is amazing and you can always go back and read the rest of her mystery books (“The Sun Down Motel”). “The Night Swim” by Megan Goldin is another great mystery from this timely author. Austrian author Christian White has written two amazing mysteries with the latest being “The Wife and the Widow.”

All of these mysteries will make your hours at home go by quickly and make them much more fun.

 

If you have extra time to read this Christmas, there are lots of new mysteries that take place or revolve around Christmas available to help you fill up that time.

Reading right now:

Wes Markin’s sixth book in his DCI Michael Yorke series is “Christmas with the Conduit.” This book starts out on Christmas day and is a standard police procedural whereas most of the books mentioned here are cozies.

On hold right now:

Ava Zuma’s fifth book in the Sunshine Cove Cozy mystery series is “Christmas Carols and Lipstick Perils.”

Donna Muse has a novella series called Mrs. Pomolo Investigates and her 15^th and 16^th books in the series are “Merry Christmas & Murder” and “Christmas Trees & Trickery.”

“A Corpse for Christmas” is the fifth book in the Izzy Palmer mystery series by Benedict Brown. This is a pretty funny series and Izzy is a Private Investigator.

Jenna St. James presents the eighth book in her Sullivan Sisters mystery series called “Christmas Alley Murder.”

Vicki Delany is bringing her Year Round Christmas mystery series to an end with her fifth and final book in the series called “Dying in a Winter Wonderland.”

The 26^th book in Joanne Fluke’s Hannah Swensen series is the “Christmas Cupcake Murder.”

Anne Perry adds “A Christmas Resolution” to her Christmas series. This is the 18^th book in this historical series.

Carlene O’Connor’s sixth book in the Irish Village mystery series is “Murder at an Irish Christmas.”

Amy Boyles “Witcher Upper Christmas” is her fourth book in the Magical Renovation Mystery. This book is a paranormal mystery where getting ready for Christmas involves solving a murder.

Other Mysterious Things:

There are any number of omnibus collections of Christmas mysteries and/or short story collections available this year. Addison Moore and Bellamy Bloom have “A Christmas to Dismember” which is an omnibus collection of Country Cottage mysteries. Another omnibus collection is “Christmas Crackers” by Christine Bernard, et al. “Christmas Cookie Cozies” is a collection of mysteries by Gretchen Allen, et al. Peggy Ehrhart, et al presents a Christmas omnibus called “Christmas Card Murder.” “Afraid of the Christmas Lights” is a new collection by Mark Billingham, Sophie Hannah and Val McDermid.

Others:

 

Plenty of hot new releases are coming out in December and here are some new additions to some well-known mystery series to add to your list of must reads.

Reading right now:

Jeff Lindsay’s “Fool Me Twice” is the second in the Riley Wolfe series. Once upon a time Lindsay wrote the Dexter series and probably could have retired after the television deals, but instead he is writing a new series about another bad guy who is a master thief. Wolfe is a modern day Robin Hood who gets kidnapped by an arms dealer who wants a fresco stolen from the Vatican. His message to Riley is “do it or die.” Unfortunately, another arms deader wants a double cross or he will kill the woman Riley loves.

On hold right now:

Tami Hoag’s third book in the Broussard and Fourcade series is “Bad Liar.” In their latest case, Broussard and Fourcade find that the disappearance of a successful business man with a loving family is no simple hunting accident. Instead his life was full of secrets that start to unravel as the detectives looks closely at his life.

“Leave No Trace” is the fifth book in the FBI K-9 series by Sara Driscoll. FBI handler Meg Jennings and her K-9 partner head to George to investigate the death of two different victims of an arrow through the heart. While investigating the deaths, more victims are being killed and the motive seems to lie a past that needs to be uncovered.

J.D. Kirk’s ninth book in the DCI Logan series is “A Snowball’s Chance in Hell.” After DCI Jack Logan discovers that a young man who was found on a snowy street frozen to death was actually tortured and killed, he finds that the killer is “The Iceman” who has embarked on a second wave of vigilante justice.

“Wrong Alibi” is the first in a new series by Christina Dodd. The series actually opened with a novella called “Right Motive” which came out last month. Set in Rockin, Alaska the book introduced new police officer Gabriella Donatti. In “Wrong Alibi” Evelyn Jones gets hired by Donald White and when he disappears she is accused and convicted for his murder. She escapes and goes into hiding under an alias until one day Donald White returns and Evelyn becomes a hunter.

Other Mysterious Things:

No one wants to miss the latest addition to a series that they love so I don’t want to forget to mention the following books. Thomas Perry’s latest is his fourth book in the Butcher’s Boy series which is called “Eddie’s Boy.” Nick Oldham adds the 27^th book to his Henry Christie series called “Bad Timing.” “Under the Alaskan Ice” by Karen Harper is the second book in her Alaska Wild series.