1. “A High Mortality of Doves” -- Kate Ellis
This book takes place in Derbyshire, England. It’s the aftermath of World War I, and Inspector Albert Lincoln is sent to the small town of Weinfeld to investigate 3 identical murders of World War I nurses who were found stabbed with their mouths slit to hold a dead dove. This seems like a thriller that will keep me on my toes and keep those toes warm in the coming months.
2. “Forever, Again” -- Victoria Laurie
This young adult book has a modern setting and revolves around Lily Bennet’s junior year of high school. She moves to a new town and meets a boy named Cole who leads to an interest in a murder that occurred 30 years prior to the book. The murder split their small town in two, and like others, Lily believes that there is more to the story than meets the eye. I love Victoria Laurie, so I am very excited to read this book. This will be a nice relaxing read once the semester ends.
3. “Christmas Bells” -- Jennifer Chiaverini
Of course, I have to add a Christmas book to this list, and to boot, this book is perfect for anyone who loves Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. The book takes place partly in modern day Boston where a schoolteacher named Sophia is worried about impending budget cuts to the music program at her school. To try to feel better, she chooses a song version of a poem by Longfellow called “Christmas Bells” for the children’s choir to sing at her church. The book also follows the Longfellow family after a tragedy in 1863. This seems like a good Christmas story about loss trying to enjoy the holiday despite any tragedy that might happen.
4. “Chasing Shadows” -- Karen Harper
This book is written about a forensic psychologist named Claire Britten who has spent a lifetime battling a neurological disorder. She teams up with a lawyer named Nick Markwood after her expert testimony throws his case out. The pair investigate a murder in St. Augustine, Florida that put them on edge. This book is the first in a new series by Karen Harper and it should prove to be an entertaining thriller for this winter.
5. “Sifting for Suspects” -- Cindy Bell
This is a simpler cozy mystery and the first in a new series about Lucy Grant, a baker at a shop called “Marvelous Macarons.” In this book, her ex-boyfriend is murdered, so she has to solve the murder. This series has good food and loveable pets, and this book has a recipe for chocolate hazelnut macarons that I will make for my boyfriend.
6. “Plaid and Plagiarism” -- Molly MacRae
Another simple cozy mystery, and the one I want to read the most, is “Plaid and Plagiarism.” This book centers around four women who have opened their own book shop called Yon Bonnie Books in the highlands of Scotland. One of the women, Janet, comes home to find her house vandalised and her prime suspect is a reporter named Una. When Una is found dead, Janet and her friends have to solve the murder while trying to get Yon Bonnie Books off the ground.
