Mystery Picks of the Week

It’s been a couple of weeks since I’ve done a Mystery Picks update, so I have a few books to add to the list – at this point, my Kindle overfloweth. We’re going to forego a jaunt to the movies this week, and stick with a hearty round of Book Love. Here are my recommendations.

BOOKS

Dead by Midnight & Dead by Morning, by Beverly Barton. The first two books in a trilogy of suspense thrillers by recently deceased author Beverly Barton; the third in the trilogy will be released at the end of November, 2011. Be prepared for a jaw-dropping cliffhanger at the end of Dead by Morning. If you can hold out a couple of months until the final installment in the series is released, however, these books are a thrilling read that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Love You More, by Lisa Gardner. Gardner is one of my favorite writers when it comes to romantic suspense and the mystery genre in general, and that mastery of the craft really comes through in this novel – the fifth in her Detective D.D. Warren series. “Compelling and unexpected, this tale of mystery and maternal devotion shows Gardner at her very best.” – Booklist Review

Started Early, Took My Dog, by Kate Atkinson. Quasi-retired detective Jackson Brodie, northern England, Emily Dickinson, and a wayward rescued dog… What’s not to love about this book?  This is the fourth book in the Jackson Brodie series. Atkinson tells her stories with wit, compassion, and insight, and this latest addition to the series promises to be no exception. “For its singular melding of radiant humor and dark deeds, this is must-reading for literary crime-fiction fans.” – Booklist Review.

The Onion Field, by Joseph Wambaugh. I started this because it’s the pick for this month’s True Crime read in my GoodReads Mystery, Crime and Thriller Group, but quickly became so absorbed that there was no way I could have put it down. “…the frighteningly true story of two young cops and two young robbers whose separate destinies fatally cross one March night in a bizarre execution in a deserted Los Angeles field.” Brilliant and mesmerizing.

Kindle $.99 Picks

If you are a Kindle reader but don’t make regular stops to Kindle Nation Daily, you’re really missing out – they have a great selection of $.99 Kindle reads that they recommend each week, both indie and traditionally published. And the good news for my fellow cheapskate readers out there is that many quality writers with a backlist of titles they now have the rights to, have caught onto the wisdom of publishing those titles on Kindle and offering them on the cheap to hook new readers. I typically pick up at least a couple of books through Kindle Nation Daily recs each week. Here are two that I can personally recommend from their list of Quality 99-Centers.

Sink or Swim, by Stacy Juba. Another super-fun summer read by Juba, who makes romantic mystery/suspense deliciously fun – this time, by taking on reality TV with a sinister twist (I know – isn’t reality TV sinister enough? But Juba makes it even more so). The perfect beach read, this is a $.99 deal fans of the romance/suspense genre shouldn’t miss.

The Four Last Things, by Timothy Hallinan. Former English professor-turned-PI Simeon Grist, in a novel of action, suspense, and humor. I know I recommended this one last time, but it bears repeating – Hallinan does the hardboiled PI in the classic tradition, in a fun and thoroughly enjoyable way. Highly recommended.

Classic Pick of the Week

The Secret History, by Donna Tartt. While it may not be a classic in the sense of Arthur Conan Doyle or Raymond Chandler, The Secret History is a fabulously witty, literary mystery that I couldn’t put down when I first read it in grad school, and have enjoyed it just as much on my fourth and fifth readings. A twisting (and admittedly improbable) plot play second fiddle to compelling characters, rich setting, and dialogue that can’t be beaten. A must-read for anyone who believes character and prose must be on an equal par with plot to make a truly great mystery.