Category: Mystery

Midnight in the House of Commons by Charles Finch

Number 16 in the Charles Lennox mystery series. I haven’t read them all, but I loved this one! Got me straight through a long and uncomfortable flight.

1881 in London — in addition to the mysteries (the murder of a member of Parliament in the House of Commons, a mysteriously vanished fiancé, and a surprising heartbreak), we are treated to numerous and intriguing contextual details about the era: suffragettes, the Travelers Club for Gentlemen (you have to have traveled at least 500 miles from London in a straight line), the origin of and immediate enthusiasm for toilet tissue, 19th century chemistry, and the machinations and odd traditions of the lords and commoners in Parliament. Our Lennox — with his Holmesian observational skills, aristocratic bearing, and calm demeanor — is on the case. While it’s a cozy (IMHO) with some filler — I found the filler infinitely more interesting than the typical food related fluff.

Quite fun!

Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. The book will be published on November 3rd, 2026.

The Dying Light by Ann Cleeves (Mystery)

Two dead girls found outside the posh North Devon holiday home of a British MP the morning after a local music festival. DI Matthew Venn, a gay police detective replete with his own insecurities due to his evangelical based cult upbringing, is on the case exploring local tensions, difficult personalities, and long held secrets.

Ann Cleeves is a great mystery writer — I’ve loved reading (and viewing) all three of her series: Vera, Shetland, and this newer new Matthew Venn (this is number 3). The stories grip from page one and never really let up — plenty of tension and evolving character insights, never so much tension that my anxiety gets raised (I’m not a lover of thrillers). I enjoyed the constant shifting perspectives as characters (especially Venn) have to constantly examine the prejudices and biases that shape their judgements, leading to mistakes of attention where they can least be afforded.

Clean writing, never a dull moment, and a killer (no pun intended) finish.

Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. The book will be published on September 29th, 2026.

Crown City by Naomi Hirahara (Historical Mystery)

Writing: 5/5 Characters: 4/5 Plot: 3.5/5

It’s 1903 and 18-year old Ryunosuke Wada — a novice carpenter — has made his way from Yokohama, Japan to Pasadena, CA alone after the sudden death of his Master Carpenter father. While there, a number of mysteries come his way — a missing painting, a dead body, a possible attempted murder, some anti-Japanese threats — that he tackles with his older Japanese roommate, “Jack.” These are resolved successfully and in a satisfyingly complex way, but for me the novel is really the story of the very observant and continually reflective “Ryui” as he becomes both an adult and an “American.”

The author’s prose is precise, contemplative, and acutely descriptive, exploring cultural practices and clashes, historical settings, and routine practices of living and working at the time. The lovingly detailed rendering of the Master Carpenter’s process for hand crafting beautiful objects and buildings, spanning architectural thought to wood selection to the final transformations was beautifully done — drawing me in despite my initial lack of interest in the subject. The characters had depth and conflicts were clarified from multiple perspectives. I felt as though I gained some real understanding of the time and place in which the story occurred.

I listened to the audio book and thought the narrator did an excellent job of imbuing the story with a relatable voice. This is a new author for me and she is going right onto my list. Crown City is “book 3” of the “Japantown Mysteries.” I have no idea how this volume fits into the first two, but if they are written with the same level of character and cultural insight, I’ll be happy to find out!

Last One Out by Jane Harper (Literary Mystery)

Writing: 5/5 Plot: 3.5/5 Characters: 4/5

A small rural community in New South Wales. A long-term, tight knit community slowly dwindling with the expansions of a mining company installed at its borders. Noise, dust, and buyouts gutting it out from within. Those who choose to leave coming up against those who choose to stay. Five years ago, Sam went missing on his 21st birthday and there is still no trace. This year, on the anniversary of his disappearance, his now separated parents and the remnants of a once vibrant town, get together for a now annual memorial. Guilt, anguish, anger, and regret tug at them all, and none of them want to talk about it.

Harper is a master at bringing a place and the psychic energy of those who inhabit it to life. While this book does have a central mystery, and the mystery is — eventually — solved, the emphasis is far more on the grief and personal reflection associated with the tragedy and the simultaneous unwinding of a community. I found it illuminating, but also quite depressing. However, expertly done.

Thank you to Flatiron Books: Pine & Cedar and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. The book will be published on April 14th, 2026.

City of Promises by Victoria Thompson with Ellen Thompson (Historical Mystery)

This latest Thompson book is a crossover novel bringing together the characters from her two mystery series for the first time: the Gaslight Mysteries and the Counterfeit Lady Mysteries. New York City circa 1900 —when the adopted (and highly successful) daughter of Frank Malloy and his wife Sarah (Gaslight Mysteries) becomes enamored with a handsome man who is urging a quick wedding, their worried suspicions take them to the lawyer Gideon Bates whose wife, once a con-woman extraordinaire (Counterfeit Lady Mysteries), helps conceive a plot to unmask the interloper without raising the ire of the bride to be. It’s fun, full of period bits (I love the fact that the ringing of the newly installed telephone terrifies its upper class owner as it is jarring and assumed to be a harbinger of ill!), and the integration of the two character sets done so smoothly it’s difficult to remember that they began fictional life in two distinct series.

It is with great sadness that I report that Victoria Thompson passed away in late 2024. This book, conceived and partially written by Victoria, was completed by her daughter Ellen. I am happy (and surprised) to say that I couldn’t tell the difference — very unusual in my experience. I am looking forward to future installments!

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. The book will be published on July 28th, 2026.

My Grandfather, the Master Detective by Masateru Konishi (Literary Mystery)

<Translated from Japanese by Louise Heal Kawai>

I loved this book — It was gentle, dispassionate, intellectually engaging, and full of human insight depicted through understated, yet beautiful prose.

Kaede is a young, somewhat reserved, woman who shares a love of mysteries and puzzles with her aging grandfather. While the grandfather is suffering from Lewy Body Dementia, he manages to maintain aspects of his intellect and personality amid the confusions and hallucinations of the disease. In fact, one of the things I enjoyed the most about the book was the way he could train his still sharp wits and experimental approach on his own internal thinking apparatus to discern reality from hallucination.

Kaede is slow to connect with others, but she begins to bond with a colleague and his friend over stories, particularly in the Mystery genre. There are four “puzzles” her companions discuss, and these she takes to her grandfather who happily solves them quickly and with a crisp elucidation of his analytic steps. And then there is the biggest — and most impactful — puzzle of all. One that affects Kaede directly.

There was so much that I loved about reading this book — the portrayal of everyday culture in Japan with the small practices of cooking, commuting, fashion, and politeinteraction; the interactions with a beloved but in many ways failing elderly relative; and the broad range of “classic” mystery stories ranging from the well-known (e.g. Agatha Christie, Ellery Queen) to those I hadn’t heard of (e.g. John Dickson Carr, Takeshi Setogawa) to more contemporary series I hadn’t thought of in ages (e.g. Harry Kemmelman). The reader becomes, along with the characters themselves, a connoisseur of the genre in the most delightful and absorbing way.

The book is an ode to storytelling, friendship, and self understanding — the writing (and translation) is detailed, deep, but never loud. I’m always so impressed with an author that can make me feel deeply without hitting me over the head with overly dramatic, world-ending crises. Most of life is filled with the personal — deeply felt, deeply meaningful, but not necessarily attention grabbing calamities.

Thank you to G. P. Putnam’s Sons and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. The book will be published on March 17th, 2026.

A Deadly Episode by Anthony Horowitz (Mystery)

The sixth in The Hawthorne and Horowitz series (for newbies, the two main characters are the fictional Detective Hawthorne and the author himself. It can get kind of twisted in a brain that holds too firmly to reality). In this episode, the duo are involved in supporting a production company in making a movie out of the first book — The Word is Murder — when the actor playing Hawthorne is found stabbed in his trailer part way through filming.

A set of irritating and suspicious characters who all had ample reason to want the (thoroughly unpleasant) actor dead, a fair amount of hero worship for Hawthorne alongside a dismissive disinterest in poor Anthony (our real life author co-starring with his fictional detective), and a deeply rooted and surprisingly related mystery of Hawthorne’s past all give this story plenty of spice.

Horowitz’s books are always engaging and well-written with excellent pacing. This one adds some interesting inside scoops on movie making (which Horowitz knows about deeply through his work on Foyle’s War and Midsomer Murders). Good read.

Thank you to Harper and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. The book will be published on April 28th, 2026.

The Confession Artist by Christine Carbo (Thriller)

A tense thriller with an intriguing premise — a killer posts sketches of potential victims on social media with the message “You have 6 days to confess or die.” Two people have already died; a third comes up with a full confession and survives. Enter Crosbie Mitchell — a newly minted PI trying to drum up business. The latest sketch looks remarkably like her — and it’s not like the message mystifies her. In her mind, she has plenty to atone for, though she isn’t thrilled at the idea of going public. Struggling with an internal storm of guilt, fear, denial, and confusion, she has to figure out what to do. Should she confess? Hide? Or try to somehow stop the “Confession Artist” in their tracks.

I was hooked within the first few pages — Carbo’s impassioned style mixes convoluted plot, nuanced characters, complex questions of morality, and intense introspection into a stew of shifting emotions. She does a remarkable job of depicting how a single individual can feel like a perpetrator, a victim, and a defender all at once. The description of that inner turmoil was deftly executed. The demands for confession spanned sins entangled with eco-concerns, drug abuse, rape and sexual abuse, native American abuses, and the greed of the already wealthy. I was happy that all of the “sinners” were individuals rather than implied representatives of whole groups (i.e. not all men were abusers, not all rich people were greedy, etc.) There were some interesting explorations of moral equivalencies — is there a distinction between doing something bad, actively enabling someone else to do something bad, and being aware of something bad happening and not doing anything about it? How does your answer change if the victim is an innocent vs a objectively bad actor? I came to my own conclusions which were not necessarily shared by the author or her characters, but the story definitely made me think! The final resolution was surprising, satisfying, and actually believable.

A great read at multiple levels!

Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. The book will be published on June 1st, 2026.

The Ending Writes Itself by Evelyn Clarke (Mystery)

A fun and quite twisted mystery set in the familiar “guests on an island” mystery trope. In this case, the “guests” are a set of mid-list writers (meaning that their work is good but never given the necessary marketing support by their publishers). The book is FULL of funny and probably all-too-true pointed jabs at the publishing industry which is apparently not for the weak of heart. Our cast is summoned to the private island and extravagant castle of the fabulously successful writer Arthur Fletch. But — Arthur is dead and the last book of his highly popular series is only 90% completed. This visit is an opportunity to complete the book and earn a million dollars and a lucrative future publishing contract. They have 72 hours. And just as we start to get to know our characters a bit, and get excited by the way each of them is approaching the problem — bodies begin to appear.

Very twisty plot, relatable characters with personality and depth, and plenty of insight, humor, and varying takes on the writing and publishing process. I enjoyed many of the detailed asides about individual author experiences, approaches, and (many) irritations. Also learned some new (to me) writing principles such as Chekhov’s Gun — a “narrative principle emphasizing that every element in a story be necessary, while irrelevant elements should be removed.”

This book is on several of the 2026 “must-read” lists and is a (very successful!) collaboration between popular authors V.E. Schwab and Cat Clarke.

Thank you to Harper and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. The book will be published on April 7th, 2026.

When the Bough Breaks by Jonathan Kellerman (Mystery — Audio book)

I’ve been reading Kellerman’s Alex Delaware series (up to 41 books!) which teams a psychologist (Delaware) with the hard boiled, gay LAPD detective with a high enough homicide case solve rate to “encourage” his superiors to overlook his unorthodox approaches (Milo Sturgis). I started with random audio books towards the end of the series, numbering 30 and above and now have gone back to read this one — the first.

I like this series a lot (obviously), though I do prefer the later ones. The characters — Delaware and Sturgis, their domestic partners, supporting LAPD members and even the perps, victims, and witnesses, are all pretty relatable and interesting. The writing is easy — full of interesting factoids but clean, clear, and never wandering through tangential detail. No long descriptions of nature or furniture or clothing, unless relevant to the case. I tend to read mysteries written by women and I am enjoying reading this series which is written by a man — there is a pointed distinction between reading strong men from a man’s perspective versus from a woman’s. I like it and have fun noticing how it might have been different had a woman written it (obviously not all men or all women write the same way — what I noticed was subtle but I found it fun).

This first book had a few too many scenes where Alex Delaware manages to get himself out of very dangerous situations through some clever hero machinations — that kind of thing just bores me as I prefer the brain stuff. But as the series evolves, Milo takes on more of the work and their partnership replaces the lone hero psychologist nicely.

Great series!