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Category Archives: mystery

Touch by Olaf Olafsson

19 Friday May 2023

Posted by Weston Public Library Staff in Fiction, mystery

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COVID-19 (Disease)|, Iceland, Japan, man-woman relationships, memory, older men, pandemics, restaurateurs, Reykjavík, women

Kristofer is forced to close his successful restaurant in Iceland due to Covid and suddenly decides to go to Japan after receiving a message from a woman he hadn’t heard from since the 60’s.  Both a gut-wrenching love story and a mystery, I was riveted to the last page.

“The gratifying ending is hopeful. [Touch] adds up to an affecting story about the sway one’s past can hold on the present.” — Publishers Weekly

“Olafsson’s treatment of the vast cultural chasm between Icelander Kristófer, and Miko…brings suspense and heartache to the reader.” — Library Journal

“Delicate, absorbing…Touch is weighted with questions about love, memory, and intergenerational trauma–reaching a denouement as satisfying as it is moving.” — Vogue

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Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson

28 Friday Apr 2023

Posted by Weston Public Library Staff in detective, Fiction, murder, murder and investigation, mystery

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Australia, detective and murder mystery, dusfunctional families, family reunions, family secrets, murder and investigation, murderer, ski resorts

Quirky and silly – at times a little convoluted – but still great fun! Felt like an Australian “Knives Out”.

“I absolutely LOVED it. It’s so engaging, entertaining and charming. I don’t think I’ve ever read anything like it. It was SUCH a fun read.”  — Marian Keyes

“Exceptionally clever and amusing. … Stevenson carries off this tour de force with all the aplomb of a master magician who conducts his tricks in plain view.”? — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Exceedingly clever… Read it once for fun and then again to see how it was done.” — CriminalElement.com

“I absolutely loved it. Utterly original, hugely entertaining, and a must-read for every fan of the mystery genre. What an exceptionally fresh, smart, funny book—I’ve never read anything like this before.” — Jane Harper

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The Late Show by Michael Connelly

01 Wednesday Mar 2023

Posted by Weston Public Library Staff in action, crimes against, detective, Fiction, murder, murder and investigation, mystery, suspense, United States

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California, crimes against women, detective and mystery, Hollywood, Los Angeles, murder and investigation, policewomen, prostitutes, sexual harrassment in law enforcement, suspense, women detectives

This was my first time reading the prolific Michael Connelly, and I loved this mystery that introduces us to Renee Ballard, a detective in LA working the overnight shift. Ballard is a great character and the cases she tries to solve in this first story are compelling.

The Late Show introduces a terrific female character: Detective Renee Ballard…The pacing of Ballard’s debut story is breathless…Ballard is complicated and driven enough to sustain the series Connelly doubtless has in mind for her.– “New York Times”

A hard-hitting police procedural that captures the imagination from page one.– “RT Book Reviews (4 stars)”

The most intriguing mystery in The Late Show, though, is Ballard herself. Connelly is too skillful to hand us her resume in one document dump; instead, he fills out her portrait with a subtle hand over the course of the novel, a little background here, a glimpse of her temperament there, the revelation of her unusual living conditions sketched in between.– “Tampa Bay Times”

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Two Nights in Lisbon by Chris Pavone

25 Wednesday Jan 2023

Posted by Weston Public Library Staff in action, adventure, detective, Fiction, mystery, suspense, thriller

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detective and mystery, kidnapping, Lisbon (Portugal), married people, missing persons, Secrecy, suspense

“An elegantly twisting, lyrical, rocket-paced international thriller of the first order. With sterling prose, layered characters, searing insights, and gripping suspense, Chris Pavone writes with a deep knowledge of the world we live in―its many injustices, flaws, and the bending, dangerous road we sometimes must take to justice.”―Lisa Unger, author of Last Girl Ghosted

“There’s no such thing as a book you can’t put down, but this one was close.”―Stephen King

“I absolutely loved Chris Pavone’s Two Nights in Lisbon, an unputdownable thriller that’s his best novel yet. It stars a strong and savvy heroine who wakes up one morning to find her husband missing, and the action never lets up. This is a masterly, sleek, and sophisticated novel about love, marriage, and truth. Read it!”―Lisa Scottoline, author of Eternal

“I defy anyone to read the first twenty pages of this breakneck novel, then try to put it down for five minutes. It can’t be done. The plot is too devious, the pace is too gripping, and the characters are seldom who they are supposed to be. This is smart suspense at its very best.”―John Grisham, author of A Time for Mercy

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Sometimes People Die by Simon Stephenson

04 Wednesday Jan 2023

Posted by Weston Public Library Staff in detective, England, Fiction, murder, murder and investigation, mystery, suspense, thriller, Uncategorized

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death, London (England), medical fiction, murder, opioid abuse, patients, physicians, serial murderers, thriller

Returning to practice after a suspension for stealing opioids, a young doctor takes the only job he can find: a post as a physician at the struggling St. Luke’s Hospital in east London…. Drawing on his experiences as a physician, Simon Stephenson takes readers into the dark heart of life as a hospitalist to ask the question: Who are the people we gift the power of life and death, and what does it do to them? (Amazon)

“This timely novel has it all: it’s a chilling literary thriller, an emotional dive into the joys and stresses of our health care workers, and a genre-bending story with a perfect dose of gallows humor. I loved this book.. and never want to visit a hospital again!”—Matthew Sullivan, author of Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore

 “Enjoyable…the novel’s tone shifts from dread to suspense as the narrator turns amateur sleuth when the facts don’t seem to add up.”—Publishers Weekly 

“The witty writing, quirky protagonist, and anecdotal descriptions of real-life medical villains combine to make Sometimes People Die a delightful read. I loved it.”—Kathy Reichs 

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Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt  

05 Wednesday Oct 2022

Posted by Weston Public Library Staff in detective, Fiction, mystery, nature, Uncategorized

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detective, human-animal relationships, investigation, missing persons, mother and sons, mystery, octupuses, widows

This uplifting story features a recently widowed woman working at an aquarium, a young man trying to find his father, and in an unusual choice of narrators, a smart and mischievous octopus. I loved this small seaside town and its residents, each dealing with their own issues, and the book’s humor and heart.

“Shelby Van Pelt has done the impossible. She’s created a perfect story with imperfect characters, that is so heartwarming, so mysterious, and so completely absorbing, you won’t be able to put it down because when you’re not reading this book you’ll be hugging it.”— Jamie Ford, author of The Many Daughters of Afong Moy and The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

“Infused with heartfelt humor, Van Pelt’s elegant portrait of a widowed woman who finds understanding and connection with a clever octopus is refreshingly, if surprisingly, relatable. Despite the unorthodox relationship at its core, the debut novel offers a wholly original meditation on grief and the bonds that keep us afloat.” — Elle

“As Van Pelt’s zippy, fun-to-follow prose engages at every turn, readers will find themselves rooting for the many characters, hoping that they’ll find whatever it is they seek. Each character is profoundly human, with flaws and eccentricities crafted with care. But what makes Van Pelt’s novel most charming and joyful is the tender friendship between species, and the ways Tova and Marcellus make each other ever more remarkable and bright.” — BookPage

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The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill

21 Wednesday Sep 2022

Posted by Weston Public Library Staff in Fiction, murder and investigation, mystery, Uncategorized

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Boston (Mass), Boston Public Library, friendship, libraries, murder and investigation, women authors

This is a fun mystery full of twists, following a writer who is caught up in a series of murders while working on her latest book. The story takes place in Boston and features lots of local places. The book is told as a story within a story, and I’m not sure I completely understood all of it, but I enjoyed the journey! 

“[The Woman in the Library] is a mystery-within-a-mystery, with the clues in Freddie’s story becoming more intriguing as Leo’s advice becomes more sinister. The two story lines work together beautifully, amping up the suspense before reaching a surprising conclusion.” ― Booklist

“With each new chapter, Gentill opens the door to new histories. More murders…more clues…The Woman in the Library is a page-turner from beginning to end. As Gentill’s characters grow, the desire to know more about each ensnares us, and the only way out is to read to the end.” ― New York Journal of Books

“The Woman in the Library is a sophisticated mystery with more layers than an onion, created by a master hand. Clever plot twists in Gentill’s signature refined style will make you feel smarter just by reading. Sulari Gentill has done it again.” ― Ellie Marney, New York Times bestselling author

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Don’t Look Back (Inspector Sejer Mysteries Book 2) by Karin Fossum: translated from the Norwegian by Felicity David

05 Tuesday Jul 2022

Posted by Weston Public Library Staff in detective, Fiction, homicide investigation, murder, murder and investigation, mystery, suspense, thriller

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murder, murder investigation, Norway

Selection for the Weston Mystery Book Discussion Group 2022

Readers in search of absorbing literary mysteries will want to track down titles in the Inspector Sejer series by noted Norwegian writer Karin Fossum. Don’t Look Back can be read as a standalone though it is the second title in the series. 

“Psychologically astute, subtly horrifying.”—New York Times Book Review

“Sejer belongs alongside the likes of Adam Dalgliesh and Inspector Morse—a gifted detective and troubled man.”—Boston Globe

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The Coroner’s Lunch  (A Dr. Siri Paiboun Mystery Book 1) by Colin Cotterell

15 Friday Apr 2022

Posted by Weston Public Library Staff in detective, Fiction, Historical Fiction, murder and investigation, mystery

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coroners, detective and murder mystery, Laos, older people, physicians

Readers of literary mysteries will want to seek out a copy of The Coroner’s Lunch, the first of a series set in the country of Laos in the throes of its communist takeover during the 1970s. These engaging stories feature a strong sense of place and a sympathetic protagonist, one Siri Paiboun, a 72-year-old physician and lonely widower. Dr. Siri, who hopes to retire quietly is instead conscripted as the country’s sole medical examiner and finds his work draws him into ever more suspicious and dangerous entanglements. 

”The sights, smells, and colors of Laos practically jump of the pages of this inspired, often wryly witty first novel.” —Denver Post

”In Siri, Cotterill has created a detective as distinctive as Maigret or Poirot.” —Orlando Sentinel

”This series kickoff is an embarrassment of riches: Holmesian sleuthing, political satire, and [a] droll comic study of a prickly late bloomer.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

”A wonderfully fresh and exotic mystery . . . If Cotterill . . . had done nothing more than treat us to Siri’s views on the dramatic, even comic crises that mark periods of government upheaval, his debut mystery would still be fascinating. But the multiple cases spread out on Siri’s examining table . . . are not cozy entertainments but substantial crimes that take us into the thick of political intrigue.” —New York Times Book Review

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Lady Sunshine by Amy Mason Doan

28 Monday Feb 2022

Posted by Weston Public Library Staff in 20th century, detective, Fiction, mystery

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betrayal, families, missing persons, mystery, Secrecy

The author does a great job of creating the atmosphere of the 1970’s – it felt nostalgic and like a trip back to a simpler time.

“Amy Mason Doan creates a whole world and mood with her exquisitely crafted novel, Lady Sunshine. It’s replete with late-’70s nostalgia, and Doan masterfully renders the lives of musicians and those who are drawn to them, no matter the price. A delicious daydream of a book.”
—Elin Hilderbrand, New York Times bestselling author of 28 Summers

“With a winning combination of lyrical writing and a page-turning plot, Amy Mason Doan chronicles the evolution and mysterious demise of the friendship between two young women at the California estate-cum-commune of a renowned musician. A tone-perfect evocation of the free-spirited late 1970s and a riveting coming-of-age story, Lady Sunshine captures the highs of artistic creation, the dangers of hero worship, and the costs of trying to outrun your past. This sun-dappled book has it all: heart, smarts, and an irresistible musical beat.”—Karen Dukess, author of The Last Book Party

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