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Harpman's slim novel poses a mysterious situation without promising concrete explanations. My friend Amy suggested that I read this one, and Harpman's slim novel is mysterious, eerie, and strange

It's nominally a mystery, but it's mainly a heartwarming story about determination and honoring old loyalties We track back in time to her youth as pieces of the mystery are revealed. The story is nominally a mystery, but more so a tale of a pony who is thwarted at nearly all of its headstrong

This romance-laced mystery centered around a podcast and its host's disappearance includes some far-fetched-feeling novel keeps up the pacing and kept me interested throughout, including the renegade justice that's served been highly involved in the management of the podcast (and Benny and Joy's finances), go missing under mysterious When the full extent of the secrets and lies at the heart of the mystery are revealed, some of them feel Another mystery that invoves a podcaster is the great novel Listen for the Lie .

I was taken with the premise of conflicts and mystery in a post-colonial West African city, but I didn't In Tochi Onyebuchi's fantasy mystery, main protagonist Boubacar is a war veteran and a private investigator But when a young woman shows up bleeding at his home, then mysteriously disappears, he is shocked into Harmattan Season  is a dark, broody, mysterious fantasy story that takes place in an unnamed city in As Bouba explores recent mysterious events, he realizes that the upcoming election is corrupt and has

The author of the fantastic Wrong Place, Wrong Time is back with a smart, twisty mystery that's wonderfully Famous Last Words  is another smart, twisty mystery from Gillian McAllister. I loved this smart mystery that relies heavily on character development and mental agility for our narrator

The premise of Missing Sam was a slam dunk for me, and I appreciated the couple's strengthened bonds after unimaginable trauma. But the story jumped around and told more than it showed, and I didn't feel an emotional connection. After married couple Sam and Ali have a silly jealousy-spawned fight after a party, Sam wakes up for a solo morning run instead of inviting along Ali, as she normally would. One unlucky circumstance leads to another for Sam, and when Ali wakes up, Sam is missing. As Sam's disappearance stretches on, Ali, a gay culturally Muslim woman, is excoriated in the press for perceptions about her lack of sorrow, her failed attempts to locate her wife, and her sexuality, religion, and culture. While she reels emotionally, her interior design clients drop her due to the attention of the press, and she desperately reconnects with her estranged father for support. Meanwhile, Sam is in her own personal hell, with dwindling hopes of ever being reunited with her love. Most of the book's initial page time is spent with Ali, and I was surprised by how many outings and out-of-house distractions Ali took part in while Sam was missing. It might not be compelling for a character to spend extended page time obsessing over where her partner may have vanished to and what horrors may be taking place, or in anguish about whether Sam is even still alive. Yet I found it jarring that we weren't subjected to what I would expect to be more anguish andAli's temporary nightmare of existence, which seemed likely to include a wild drama of worrying, excruciating periods of waiting, and irrational searches and spiritual bargains, or other illustrations of her desperation for Sam's safe return. Ali wasn't coming to terms with a divorce or even a death, leaning on friends and getting out of the house to move on with her life. Ali's going to the movies and to see fireworks just didn't ring true to me. I kept panicking over Ali's lack of panic, wondering: BUT WHAT IS HAPPENING AND WHERE IS SAM? When the story turns to Sam and her captivity, we are entrenched in a ghastly scene of horrified anticipation and delusion, abuse and violence. This section of the story was difficult to read, as felt appropriate, and this aspect took up relatively little page time. The aftermath of the kidnaping and abuse is fraught with what feel like Sam's realistic trauma, nightmares, hesitance toward intimacy, and outsized reactions to everyday events. But Missing Sam  often perplexed me with its structure and focus. Much of the novel feels told instead of shown, which left me without emotional connection to aspects like Ali's temporary dip into Islam; Sam's inexplicable mentoring of a mentally ill grad student who appropriates her trauma and exploits it; and the couple's rejuvenated closeness and commitment. The heart of the story is not, after all, Sam's sensational disappearance, Sam and Ali's unspeakable terror, and Sam's victorious return home. Much of the energy of the story centers around the women's reconciliation with each of their estranged parents, and, eventually, their cleaving to each other within their marriage in a way that they hadn't before Sam's abduction. The story felt jumpy, moving from topic to topic without fully diving in. Umrigar touches on but doesn't dig deeply into heavy issues such as religious discrimination, hateful attitudes toward members of the LGBTQ community, and the looming doom of Covid-19. The resolution of identifying Sam's abductor and abuser was satisfying, yet the key to pinpointing the monster was the result of heavily laid detail groundwork earlier in the story; it felt inevitable that that particular element would turn out to be essential. I received an electronic edition of this title courtesy of Algonquin Books and NetGalley. More Missing Persons Stories Thrity Umrigar is also the author of Honor . For Bossy reviews of other stories that involve missing persons, please click here .

Count me in for Irish-set novels--and for suspenseful, mysterious-past stories that hint at darkness, When she was old enough, Sarah ran from an emotionally cold childhood in Michigan and mysterious circumstances I also love a story involving a character's mysterious past, and I love a suspenseful story that I'm I liked coming full circle with the key storyline threads, yet t he very ending of the book felt a little

The third in the Cal Hooper series is a slow-burn mystery in which Tana French serves up deep character When I Bossily reviewed the first book in this series, The Searcher , I started my review this way: What I continue to stand by all of this appreciation for French and for this series. In this third novel in French's series, the community reels over the disappearance and death of a local While I don't think you must read the other books in the series before this one, I do think readers would

The first book in Marske's duology is full of Edwardian England detail, gay love, mystery, magic, wonderful Robin and Edwin's love is romantic and sweet and heartbreaking and sexy; the mystery at the heart of

got these books going at the moment: recently published fantasy-historical fiction, the second in a mystery series set in Maine, a novel about an unconventional family in late 20th century Manhattan, Victorian-England-set

A mystery surrounds a deadly moment, and the book ends with a hopeful, imperfect, heartbreaking way forward story of young love blossoming, then shriveling under the first pressures of the outside world; it's a mystery

Cosimano's mystery has a wonderfully quirky setup and campy tone, and Finlay's missteps add to the darkly The woman mistakenly interprets what's happening and leaves Finlay with a mysterious note implying that Cosimano's mystery has a wonderfully quirky setup and campy tone. Cosimano perfectly sets the scene for the next book in the series. Cosimano is also the author of the young adult mystery series Nearly Gone, the young adult fantasy series

Brown's dual-timeline debut novel concerns 16th-century prophecies and a modern-day murder mystery, linked An illiterate serving girl, Elizabeth initially has a true vision: she accurately predicts the death

a mystery that hooks you with its twists and turns? Robin and Edwin's love is romantic and sweet and heartbreaking and sexy; the mystery at the heart of in Johnson's Truly Devious series delivers more smart, creative sleuthing from Stevie Bell and the gang This allows for the cooperative problem-solving that I adore in the rest of the series. I was so happy to realize this is the first in a planned series. Sign me up for every bit of this!

This second book in Raybourn's historical fiction mystery series, set in Victorian London, hooked me loved listening to A Curious Beginning, the first book in Deanna Raybourn's sassy Veronica Speedwell series of historical fiction mysteries. I'm already listening to the audiobook of the next in this series, A Treacherous Curse. Deanna Raybourn is the author of A Curious Beginning and the rest of the Veronica Speedwell series, as

Angie Kim's sophomore novel is a mystery, but Happiness Falls is primarily an exploration of a complicated Kim's missing-person novel is a mystery and is structured around the discovery and exploration of what I was totally hooked on the mystery aspect and the delving into Eugene's potential communication.

The mystery bookends feel largely unimportant to the story, the cast of characters sometimes feels endless overlap, and their challenges intersect when a young boy is taken from the community, culminating in a mysterious Chona is one link between the two groups, serving as the key nonjudgmental middle-woman in the story. The mystery that bookends the story is not essential to the novel. By the time the story ended, I had forgotten about the mystery's brief introduction at the beginning

Nick is an appealing character, I adored the detailed setting, and the mystery's resolution makes sense I'm eagerly awaiting the third book in the series. I hoped this was going to be the perfect cozy book for reading over a long weekend: an Elizabethan mystery This is the second in Wolfe's Elizabethan Spy Mystery series; the first was A Murder by Any Name. Greedy Reading List Six Historical Fiction Mysteries to Intrigue You.

In what's possibly my favorite book yet of the seven in the Cormoran Strike series, we see some emotional I listened to The Running Grave, the newest in the mystery series by Robert Galbraith (J. K. In the newest doorstop of a book (960 pages; the audiobook is 34 hours and 14 minutes) in the series,

series about a special FBI unit solving complex mysteries; and I'm listening to memoirist Jennette McCurdy's Inside Man (Head Cases #2) by John McMahon The initial installment of John McMahon's police procedural series In the second book in the Head Cases series, Camden is back on the job--with two enormous, strange, urgent killer, and missing women with something mysterious in common. I heard about this series in a roundup of mystery novels recommended by national security agents. 03

. 03 A Curious Beginning ​ This fantastic book is the first in Deanna Raybourn's Veronica Speedwell series I’m glad the circumstances of what led to the mystery—yikes! I thought this was lovely. 05 Jackaby ​ Jackaby is the first in a young adult supernatural mystery series The story is dark, mysterious, and feels Gothic, yet there's humor too. What are your favorite historical fiction mysteries?

I didn't feel drawn into this novel of the horrifying serial killing of children of color in a small community and the emotionally closed-off former FBI agent and current police chief trying to solve the mystery Titus Crown, former FBI agent, has returned to his hometown in Charon County, Virginia, to serve as the The crimes at hand here are horrifying, truly the stuff nightmares are made of: serial killing and graphic Titus's past is alluded to, but this is shared in a drunken moment and not delved into very deeply.

The Final Act of Juliette Willoughby is a historical fiction art-focused mystery told in two timelines wife writing team of Collette Lyons and Paul Vlitos) offers a gorgeously wrought historical fiction mystery The mysterious appearance of what seems to be a Juliette Willoughby original, followed by a tragic death You can click here for lists of more historical fiction novels and historical fiction mysteries I've

When his sister tries to solve the mystery of his death, she and her own unlikely companion unravel secrets up in quite neat fashion at the close of the story, but I didn't mind because of the justice being served and the mysteries' resolution.

This is a great, character-driven sequel to McManus’s young adult mystery One of Us Is Lying. Last year, in McManus's great young adult mystery One of Us Is Lying, the Bayview Four cut through the destructive gossip app taking down reputations and revealing secrets, and they managed to trace a mysterious Bronwyn, and Knox from book one--along with other old favorites and new faces--in a set of intertwined, mysterious

She's been cobbling together enough to get by, but when a mysterious draw to the spooky Starling House tell Arthur that she's been dreaming of the decrepit, rambling house for years, and that she has some eerie well-meaning and ineffectual passersby; and dreams of darkness, belonging, and taking up the mantle of an eerie

Book Made Me Think of You by Libby Page; I'm reading the third in Tana French's Irish-set Cal Hooper mystery series, The Keeper ; and I'm reading a mystery built around a fictitious podcast, This Story Might Save She receives a mysterious message from the owner of a local London bookshop and learns that Joe had made In this third novel in French's series, the community reels over the disappearance of a local young woman Another mystery that invoves a podcaster is the great novel Listen for the Lie .

ICYMI: The second in Johnson's young adult mystery series offers growing friendships, determined sleuthing This is the second in Maureen Johnson's Truly Devious series (the first is Truly Devious). Stevie Bell solved one mystery last year--the mystery of her murdered classmate. Maureen Johnson is also the author of Truly Devious, The Hand on the Wall, and the fourth book in the series Johnson also wrote the young adult Shades of London series, which is based on Jack the Ripper's crimes

a growing lack of connection to the characters as the tales melded into another: young friendship, serial killer, outlaw search, small-town intrigue, and longtime mysteries revealed. A kidnaper and serial killer intrudes on the quiet community and directly impacts Patch and Saint. And I was intrigued by the disparate-seeming story that soon emerges, beginning with the premise of a serial There are deep betrayals, long-term mysteries, and, finally, many revealed truths (some of which you

Janice Hallett's The Twyford Code explores a mysterious potential connection between a teacher's disappearance But he's got a hunch that the mystery of the code in deceased author Edith Twyford's largely condemned You can find reviews of mysteries I've read and enjoyed here.

ICYMI: Morton offers a strong historical fiction mystery, with assumed identities, dual timelines, twists A hundred and fifty years later, a young archivist, Elodie Winslow, is drawn to the mystery. I’m glad the circumstances of what led to the mystery—yikes! I mentioned this book in the Greedy Reading List Six Historical Fiction Mysteries Sure to Intrigue You

two timelines, a decades-old tragedy, and a modern-day descendant's discovery of her family's link to mysterious reporter in London who is summoned to Sydney to care for her beloved grandmother Nora, who has sustained a serious There are two mysteries surrounding the Turner Tragedy: the whodunit aspect and the unexplained disappearance This is a long (it's almost 550 pages), winding story with complicated connections and mysterious motivations Morton's story explores secrets, loyalties, mysteries, and the complicated matter of family--those you

The gothic story King Nyx offers haunting imagery, sinister mysteries, unreliable memories, resurfacing imagery of King Nyx is striking, with (oddly specific and elaborate) automatons, gas masks, looming, mysterious until she realizes that all of the events on the island seem to be the mastermind of an unhinged puppet master Meanwhile mysteries from Anna's experiences in the Fort household seem held together by crucial gaps

Nell has left her a book of dark fairy tales by the reclusive Victorian author Eliza Makepeace, who mysteriously Morton is masterful at weaving together several timelines, rich family history, intriguing discoveries , an overarching mystery, and a female protagonist who discovers she's made of stronger stuff than she felt like a Secret Garden (a book I was obsessed with as a child) for grown-ups, with intertwined, mysterious

This is another whodunit winner from Wendy Walker: a character-driven mystery with a neurodivergent main But it becomes clear that Clay was in deep with some seedy characters, and key elements of the mystery Charlie is whip-smart intelligent in her evaluation of the facts of the complicated series of events. wonderful, character-driven suspense that keeps me hooked as she guides the reader through a twisty mystery

the main players at one point or another and couldn't wait for the big reveal for this young adult mystery , the first in a series. In this first book in the One of Us Is Lying series, McManus takes us through each of the suspects' experiences One of Us Is Next is the second book in the series, published last year. Jackson, which is part of an in-progress series.

comes into a financial windfall, she dispenses with it in an unorthodox, secret, wonderful fashion that serves

In this first book of Kevin Hearne's new (published last week) Ink & Sigil series, patterns and inks This title was recently listed in the Greedy Reading List Three Offbeat Series I Just Started and Love #mystery, #fantasyscifi, #series, #LGBTQ, #fourstarbookreview

The Books I'm Reading Now I'm listening to The Running Grave, the newest in the mystery series by Robert Grave (Cormoran Strike #7) by Robert Galbraith I'm listening to The Running Grave, the newest in the mystery series by Robert Galbraith (J. In the newest doorstop of a book in the series, Cormoran Strike is cursorily on a health kick, he and

Taylor Brown offers up a suspenseful, adventure-filled story in Wolvers. Trace is an angry young man who sets out on an ill-advised, illegal revenge journey, but he's not the only wolf tracker in the New Mexico forest. He's starting to rethink his mission and be headed toward a fresh start--if he can survive that long. Trace Temple is a disillusioned, angry young man whose family lost its ranch after hard times. Then Trace, a gifted tracker who knows the woods better than almost anyone around, is hired by a shadowy, powerful militia group to take out One-Eleven, the female leader of the most famous wolf pack in New Mexico, the Dark Canyons. But One-Eleven is uncannily gifted in eluding human pursuit, and Trace is far from the only outdoorsman in these woods. And the longer Trace tracks One-Eleven, the more he begins to second-guess everything about his life. This is an outdoor adventure story that explores tensions between the preservation of nature and development, and between power and vulnerability. But it’s also layered with elements of redemption, love, unlikely loyalties, and character growth. I was surprised by Trace's slow, powerful transformation and by the arc of this beautiful story. I loved this book. The wilderness setting and suspenseful story reminded me of Peter Heller’s books like The River, The Last Ranger, and The Guide. I received a prepublication version of this title courtesy of NetGalley and St. Martin's Press. Taylor Brown Bossy Adoration I'm a huge Taylor Brown fan. Check out my Bossy reviews of his novels Rednecks, Wingwalkers, The Gods of Howl Mountain, and Fallen Land, a title I loved and included in the Greedy Reading List Six Great Historical Fiction Stories about the Civil War.

I was delighted by the poignancy, humor, and layers in the first installment of this series of stories The fifth book in the series is about to be published--and now there's a movie based upon the first book In this first installment in Osman's mystery series, the story begins in medias res , as the reader witnesses More Aging Amateur Detectives Deanna Raybourn's Killers of a Certain Age is another series about capable And you can find Bossy reviews of many other mysteries here .

and warring kingdoms; Fugitive Telemetry, the newest book in Martha Wells's science fiction Murderbot series Meanwhile she's desperate to solve the mystery of her fellow soldiers and friends who keep disappearing Was it when I reviewed books 1 through 3 of the series? In Fugitive Telemetry, Murderbot attempts to solve the mystery of a murder--while generally annoyed and

I'm all in for the Cormoran Strike series. In the fifth installment of the mystery series by Robert Galbraith (J.K. A woman recognizes him and impulsively spills the story of her mother Margot Bamborough's mysterious I'm all in for this series. For my reviews of books one through four, check out Review of the Cormoran Strike Series books 1-4.

determined) stepmother, Lady Tremaine ; and I'm reading the newest title in Steve Cavanagh's Eddie Flynn mystery series, Two Kinds of Stranger . Then she becomes friends with his far-more-serious best friend, Chris, a pharmacist who is kind, thoughtful But the stranger's intention was always to draw Elly into a mysterious plan, and now Elly is having trouble Cavanagh is also the author of Kill for Me, Kill for You as well as eight other titles in the Eddie Flynn series

AI, starships, and revenge, Ancillary Justice ; and I'm listening to Maureen Johnson's young adult mystery Justice of Toren, the AI running an enormous starship with the ability to connect thousands of soldiers serving 03 Nine Liars (Truly Devious #5) by Maureen Johnson In the fifth in Maureen Johnson's Truly Devious series But everything is upended when a decades-old mystery seems to be the cause of a new friend's aunt's disappearance Maureen Johnson is the author of the six-book Truly Devious young adult mystery series: Truly Devious

The mystery of what happened to the man is a subplot that winds through the story.

, the Victorian-England-set historical fiction The Fraud ; and I'm reading Richard Osman's charming mystery considerable talent for bringing history to life by tackling the McCarthy era--in what feels like a very In the first installment in Osman's mystery series, four septuagenarians meet each week to discuss unsolved Deanna Raybourn's Killers of a Certain Age is another series about older protagonists who use their wits

Royalty, Intrigue, and Magically Wonderful Stories It's tough to fall in love with the first book in a series What other series that have to do with court, queens, and royalty would you include on this list? Saga series, has cover art that to me evokes fantasy, but the series is actually captivating historical the first in LaFevers's five-book His Fair Assassin series. If you haven't read this series yet, consider me envious.

fiction novel The Secret Book Society , and I'm listening to the first in John McMahon's FBI-focused mystery series, Head Cases . #1) by John McMahon I'm not sure where I heard about this book, but I believe it was in a roundup of mystery A murder victim's DNA matches a long-dead serial killer, and a string of bodies hold clues that seem

justice, Heart, Be at Peace ; I'm listening to the 31-hour audiobook of the latest Cormoran Strike mystery Rowling (Robert Galbraith is her pen name for the Cormoran Strike series). I'm reading the newest in the Cormoran Strike mystery series, in which a dismembered body and Freemason