Wrap It Up...Chapter Three...Sleuths & Such

Books Full Of Mystery, Thrills & Chills…

My Christmas wish for you is this, let books be the gift you choose to give. To others, and to yourself.

May they provide an escape, a door into a world of wonder, a glimpse at an everyday hero’s inspirational tale, a reminder that laughter is indeed the best medicine, and that words and stories are sustenance for the soul, and in our darkest moments, a soft place to land.

Find a cozy spot, crack open a book and have a wonderful, joyous, and peaceful holiday season.

WE SOLVE MURDERS – RICHARD OSMAN

Osman hits it out of the park with this book, the first in a new series. A savvy departure from the shenanigans of his Thursday Murder Club, sacrificing none of the crisp plotting, razor sharp wit and intimate character portraits that infuse every page of his books. The plot in a nutshell; Amy, a bodyguard assigned to protect a Jackie Collins-esque novelist being threatened by a Russian oligarch who took offense at a character in one of her books, finds out that her past clients are dropping like flies. And someone seems to be framing her the grisly killings. She reaches out to the only person she trusts, her father-in-law (not her husband, but that’s a question for another day). And they are off, trying to outrun a killer, find a nefarious adversary intent on Amy paying for their crimes, and maybe finding new friends and new purpose along the way.

INK RIBBON RED – ALEX PAVESI

A group of friends are gathered for a birthday party. As the entertainment for the evening, they are each asked to pull a name from two jars and then write a story, where one of the group kills another. Then they will read them, and all will vote for the best of the bunch. But writers always start from a place of truth, the write what you know philosophy. We, the reader, will be hard pressed to tell the truth from the fiction. This author is a master at misdirection and clever plotting. Be warned, this author demands that your head is in the game!

STRANGE BEASTS – SUSAN J. MORRIS

At the dawn of the twentieth century in Paris, Samantha Harker, daughter of Dracula’s killer, works as a researcher for the Royal Society for the Study of Abnormal Phenomena. But no one realizes how abnormal she is. Sam is a channel into the minds of monsters: a power that could help her solve the gruesome deaths plaguing Paris or have her thrown into an asylum. Sam finds herself assigned to a case with Dr. Helena Moriarty, daughter of the criminal mastermind and famed nemesis of Sherlock Holmes and a notorious detective whom no one wants to work with on account of her previous partners’ mysterious murders. Ranging from the elite clubs of Paris to the dark underbelly of the catacombs, their investigation sweeps them into a race to stop a Beast from its killing rampage. A propulsive and terrifying supernatural delight!

And a few more…

Treasure Hunters Club – Tom Ryan

*For decades, tourists have ventured to Maple Bay in search of legendary lost pirates’ treasures. As the paths of three strangers converge on the idyllic town, the truth is about to be blown wide open. Peter, fortyish and divorced, receives a mysterious invitation to return to his estranged family home. Dandy, a lonely teen mourning the death of her grandfather comes across a clue to the mystery he chased his entire life. Cass, who has given up her dream of being a writer and taken a housesitting gig. Who doesn’t love hidden treasure?!

Clean – Alia Trabucco Zeran

*A captivating narrator declares from the first paragraph that she is locked in a room with no immediate explanation as to why. Over the course of the book, she delivers a monologue to an unknown audience of the other side of the wall. For the past several years she has worked as a maid, cook and nanny to a well to do couple. And now their child has been found dead and they realize that this domestic worker has been a near silent presence in their family. And now that she’s finally talking, they may not like what they hear.

I’m Starting To Worry About This Black Box Of Doom – Jason Pargin

*A driver pulls up to find a young woman sitting on a large black box. She offers him $200,000 cash to transport her and her box across the country. But there are rules: he cannot look inside the box, he cannot ask questions, he cannot tell anyone, and they must leave immediately, no trackable devices allowed. What could possibly go wrong. Tag along with these eccentric misfits and find out for yourself.