Women Sleuths

Alexander McCall Smith’s New Mystery Romp in No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency Series

In the Time of Five Pumpkins is the 26th book in the No.1 Ladies Detective Agency series, which began in 1998. Sir Alexander McCall Smith has mentioned in filmed talks and emailed letters to his legion of faithful readers that he typically revisits these dear friends in Botswana in mid-January.…

Linda HitchcockNovember 7, 2025

Fiction

Loveable Mrs. Plansky at it Again in Whirlwind Coastal Mystery

Spencer Quinn, pseudonym for the always entertaining and clever author Peter Abrahams, has kept readers anxiously waiting for two years for Mrs. Plansky Goes Rogue. Fans will not be disappointed with the return of the delightful amateur sleuth Loretta Plansky, who debuted in 2023 with the memorable Mrs. Plansky’s Revenge.…

Linda HitchcockSeptember 11, 2025

Fiction

Romance, Research and a Riveting Murder: The Start of an Addictive New Series

History Lessons is real-life tenured college professor Zoe B. Wallbrook’s debut novel, heralding a new series. In nearly equal parts humor, romance and murder mystery, it features captivating young heroine Daphne Ouverture, who will be an instant fan favorite. Daphne has the bragging rights of a freshly minted doctorate, which…

Linda HitchcockAugust 20, 2025

Fiction

Money, Mistrust, and the Cost of Survival in El Dorado Drive

Megan Abbott strikes gold again with El Dorado Drive, a wicked new mystery novel set during the early days of the Great Recession of 2008, where the Bishop sisters — Pam, Debra and Harper — are each contending with their financial burdens. The fascinating plot deepens as a lifeline is…

Philip ZozzaroJune 26, 2025

Fiction

Sweet Treats and Sharp Twists: A Deliciously Deadly Mystery

When you look up the definition for cozy reads in the dictionary (or rather search for the definition on Google), you will see the cover of Icing On The Murder by Valerie Burns, the fourth installment of her Baker Street Mystery series. Set in New Bison, Michigan (a fictional town),…

Deirdre PippinsJuly 31, 2025

Thrillers

Holly Jackson Delivers Fierce Countdown in Woman’s Quest to Solve Her Own Murder

What would you do if you found out you only have seven days to live? In this page-turning mystery thriller, Jet Mason chooses to spend her final week on earth solving her own murder. Not Quite Dead Yet is the latest novel by the #1 New York Times bestselling author of…

Natalia KavaleJuly 24, 2025

Thrillers

A New Cozy Classic: Detective Aunty Serves Wit, Wisdom and Justice

Uzma Jalaluddin, a second-generation Canadian of Indian immigrant parents, intimately knows the Toronto South Asian community and is a devotee of Jane Austen, both of which serve as inspiration for her carefully crafted works of fiction. She is a proven talent with success in several fields, including as a high…

Linda HitchcockJune 26, 2025

Fiction

Widow’s Long-Awaited European Vacation Becomes Murderous, Madcap Romp

In bestselling author Laura Lippman’s Murder Takes a Vacation, Muriel Blossom, a long-widowed woman in her late 60s, has lived her life for others — her deceased husband Horace, her daughter and her grandchildren. After dedicating 10 years to helping raise her daughter’s family in Arizona, they have moved to…

Jodé MillmanJune 17, 2025

Fiction Thrillers

Battle Rugged Terrain and Violent Poachers in Roaring Good Thriller

Alice Henderson — wildlife researcher, eco-warrior and author of heart-in-your-throat suspense-filled thrillers — has just published The Vanishing Kind, the fourth in her Alex Carter series. Protagonist Alex must be like the proverbial cat with nine lives with several already spent from narrow escapes at the hands of serial killers…

Linda HitchcockMarch 25, 2025

Thrillers

Fans of “Rebecca” Will Love This Mysterious Gothic Horror

B.R. Myers won the coveted Mary Higgins Clark Award in 2023 for her best-selling novel A Dreadful Splendor, reviewed here in 2022. She has written several School Library Journal selected “top picks” YA novels. Her contemporary romance novels have been published under her pseudonym Daphne Dubois. Prior to becoming a…

Linda HitchcockSeptember 30, 2024

Thrillers

Step Into the World of Comic Books in Alex Segura’s “Alter Ego”

Alex Segura is a creative force. The award-winning and bestselling author has captured the respect of those who love comic books and adventurous novels filled with immersive storytelling, with fans who eagerly wait for his next project. He has written a selection of books featuring well-known superheroes, as well as…

Aurora DominguezDecember 17, 2024

Fiction

New Elly Griffiths Collection Filled With Bite-Sized Spooky Holiday Stories

Trick or treat, who needs candy or sugary popcorn balls when Elly Griffiths’ latest book The Man in Black: And Other Stories is now available in the USA? It is well suited for holiday gift-giving as several stories are comprised of somewhat spooky Christmas tales. This award-winning, best-selling author has…

Linda HitchcockNovember 4, 2024

Fiction

Time is Ticking for Agatha Raisin to Solve Another Murder in “Killing Time”

In MC Beaton’s Killing Time (Minotaur), Agatha Raisin again proves that no one can outsmart her; not her friend and former lover Sir Charles Fraithe, her assistant Toni, her BFF Roy Silver, or the many criminals trying to best her in her 35th mystery. When, at a friendly dinner, Sir…

Jodé MillmanOctober 11, 2024

Fiction

Latest in Mystery Series Tackles Human Rights and Deadly Crimes

The Whitewashed Tombs is the fourth book featuring Private Investigator Emma Djan in this “sunshine noir” mystery series so named for its basis in coastal equatorial Ghana by Ghanaian American author, Howard University College of Medicine graduate, and retired physician Kwei Quartey. For 20 years during his successful career in…

Linda HitchcockSeptember 19, 2024

Thrillers

Dead Body and Runaway Teen Stump DCI Vera Stanhope in Ann Cleeves’ Latest

In Ann Cleeves’ latest mystery, The Dark Wives, DCI Vera Stanhope is never far from her past in the North Umberland patch she serves and calls home. When the precinct notifies Vera about a dead body found outside the Rosebank care home for troubled teens, it brings back disturbing memories…

Jodé MillmanAugust 26, 2024

Fiction Podcasts

Books & Looks Podcast: Hanging With Hugo: Crafting a Killer Mystery Novel with Katherine Bolger Hyde

Books & Looks: Real Books for Real Readers was started as a podcast to supplement Blaine Desantis’ website, ViewsOnBooks.com, and expand into audio and video interviews with authors. With Books & Looks, Blaine’s goal is to focus on real books that real people will read. At least half of the books he reviews…

Blaine DesantisApril 10, 2024

Books & Looks Podcast: Hanging With Hugo: Crafting a Killer Mystery Novel with Katherine Bolger Hyde

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