As we try to keep our cool during the hottest days of summer, consider lounging by the AC or fan with a good mystery or suspense novel.
How do we distinguish mysteries from other types of fiction? “Mystery is a genre of literature whose stories focus on a puzzling crime, situation, or circumstance that needs to be solved” (https://literaryterms.net/mystery/). Fictional mysteries most often tell the story with a detective, private investigator, or amateur sleuth to solve the mystery. By providing clues along the way, they also invite the reader to use the information gleaned from the story to try to solve the mystery themselves. Not sure what type of mystery is right for you? You can try books from any of the subcategories of the genre, which include suspense, cozy mysteries, historical mysteries, romantic suspense, legal thrillers, and police procedurals.
-- written by Amanda Diggs, Production Manager
First, gear up for Dolly Parton’s August 14th arrival in Kansas with her suspense novel, written with James Patterson:
DB107053 Run, Rose, Run, by Dolly Parton
AnnieLee Keyes is hitchhiking her way to Nashville, determined to make it in the music industry. But she's fleeing her past, and her rise as a country music star is dogged by the dark secrets trying to destroy her. Violence and strong language. Commercial audiobook. 2022.
Then, chill out with mysteries, suspense, and legal thrillers from the list below:
DBC27285 Don’t Say a Word, by Andrew Klavan
A psychiatrist confronts paranoia and murderous insanity when his family is watched and followed, and later brutalized, by a criminal with a twisted mind. Commercial audiobook. Adult. Unrated.
DB106298 The Maid, by Nita Prose
Twenty-five-year-old Molly Gray doesn't interact well with the world and misses her gran who codified it for her. She has gotten a job as a hotel maid and revels in her orderly duties. When she discovers a dead body in a room, Molly must unravel the real killer's identity. Commercial audiobook. Bestseller. 2022.
DB107563 Portrait of a Thief, by Grace D. Li
Will Chen is the seemingly perfect senior at Harvard. But when a mysterious Chinese benefactor reaches out with an impossible--and illegal--job offer, Will can't resist the temptation to lead a crew to steal back five priceless sculptures looted from Beijing five hundred years ago. He and his crew all have their own reasons for participating. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2022.
DB 28174 A Morbid Taste for Bones, by Ellis Peters
Detective Brother Cadfael, in charge of the herb gardens in the Benedictine monastery of Shrewsbury, has to deal with his superiors when they become obsessed with the notion of acquiring the bones of an obscure saint from a Welsh village.
DB 94236 The Widows of Malabar Hill, by Sujata Massey
Bombay, 1921. Perveen Mistry joins her father's law firm as one of India's first female lawyers. While executing the will of a wealthy Muslim mill owner who left three widows behind, Perveen is alarmed that all three have signed over their full inheritance to a charity. Contains some descriptions of sex. Commercial audiobook. 2018.
DBC05021 Sprinkle with Murder, by Jenn McKinlay
Melanie Cooper and Angie DeLaura have just opened their own shop, Fairy Tale Cupcakes, in Old Town Scottsdale. However, all is not happily ever after when Mel discovers her friend Tate's high maintenance fiancé dead with a cupcake in her hand. Includes recipes.
DB107814 The Recovery Agent, by Janet Evanovich
Recovery agent Gabriela Rose is used to working for bamboozled billionaires. But her latest job is to help save her family. She's headed to the jungles of Peru in pursuit of the Ring of Solomon and the lost treasure of Lima. Her main problem is that the man with the map is her ex-husband, Rafer. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. Bestseller. 2022.
DB106590 The Girl in the Mist, by Kristen Ashley
Renowned author Delphine Larue needs a haven when a crazed fan has gone over the deep end. Her security team has suggested a house by a lake in a beautiful area of the Northwest,
close to the sleepy town of Misted Pines. It's perfect, until she sees the girl in the mist. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2022.
DB107591 Death of the Black Widow, by James Patterson
On his first night with the Detroit Police Department, Officer Walter O'Brien is called to a murder scene. A terrified twenty-year-old has bludgeoned her kidnapper with suspicious skill. She later disappears. When Walter is promoted to detective, he tries to track her down, but finds he's not the only one searching for her. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2022.
DB 49570 The Trials of Nikki Hill, by Christopher A. Darden
Prosecutor Nikki Hill is thrilled to be assigned to the murder case of television show host Maddie Gray. But she has doubts about the suspect, who was stealing a ring off of the corpse. Nikki and the LAPD soon discover the deceased had many enemies. Violence, strong language, and some explicit descriptions of sex.
DB110627 The Boys from Biloxi, by John Grisham
"For most of the last hundred years, Biloxi was known for its beaches, resorts, and seafood industry. But it had a darker side. It was also notorious for corruption and vice, everything from gambling, prostitution, bootleg liquor, and drugs to contract killings. The vice was controlled by small cabal of mobsters, many of them rumored to be members of the Dixie Mafia. Keith Rudy and Hugh Malco grew up in Biloxi in the sixties and were childhood friends, as well as Little League all-stars. But as teenagers, their lives took them in different directions. Keith's father became a legendary prosecutor, determined to "clean up
the Coast." Hugh's father became the "Boss" of Biloxi's criminal underground. Keith went to law school and followed in his father's footsteps. Hugh preferred the nightlife and worked in his father's clubs. The two families were headed for a showdown, one that would happen in a courtroom. Life itself hangs in the balance in The Boys from Biloxi, a sweeping saga rich with history and with a large cast of unforgettable characters." -- Provided by publisher. -- Unrated. Commercial audiobook.
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