I seem to have read lots of mysteries last month, even though I was going for horror. Oh well, I still read a lot of great books.
The Foundling, by Georgette Heyer
Reread, of course. This one has very little romance and is more of an adventure story about the very coddled, young Duke of Sale learning to rely on his own merits. Darling.
The Body Keeps the Score, by Bessel van der Kolk
This is an informative, eye-opening book about how a traumatic experience can affect a person’s long-term health. It was fascinating and also hard. Some of the trauma, and the aftermath, this psychologist relates is hard to stomach. Overall, though, I learned a lot from this book—how my own small traumas still affect me and how the much larger traumas experienced by loved ones has likely informed their lives. Worthwhile to read, but know that there are a lot of triggers.
Shutter, by Ramona Emerson
I listened to this debut mystery about a young crime scene photographer of Navajo ancestry who can see the spirits of the dead. One particularly gruesome death leads her to an investigation into crooked cops and drug cartels. Really good. I already have the second book in the series.
Paladin's Grace, by T. Kingfisher
This was a book club selection and I’m always up for any T. Kingfisher. I hadn’t read any of her romantasy before and found that I like her kids books and horror better. But. I will read any of her books because her main characters are always so normal…even when they are blessed by gods and are technically alchemists. This is the first of The Saint of Steel series and I will definitely read more. Especially, as they are being reissued with pretty new covers.
Graveyard Shift, by M.L. Rio
This book was touted as horror, but the only horror element was a very benign graveyard. As a novella, it was a short listen. The characters were well drawn and the mystery sort of interesting. Overall, though, it was kind of nothingburger.
The Djinn Waits a Hundred Years, by Shubnum Khan
After a slow start, this wound up being a lovely read that I can’t wait to pass on to my friend. It follows Indian-muslim teenager, Sana, after she and her father move to a dilapidated mansion outside of Durban, South Africa. The house has been carved up into apartments and she gets to know all of the odd old people there. In a bedroom that has been locked for 80 years, she finds clues to the mansion’s tragic past. In a secondary narrative, we learn about the original inhabitants of the house and the tragedy that left it abandoned. It has twists that are shocking, but that also make sense with a bittersweet ending.
The Hills of Estrella Roja, by Ashley Robin Franklin
A fun, creepy graphic novel that follows a college podcaster, Kat, as she spends her spring break following rumors of strange sightings in a remote Texas town. The locals do not want her there, but she persists after meeting Mari, who has returned to town for her grandmother’s funeral. The two girls navigate the town’s mysteries while falling for each other. This was well-paced and didn’t spoon feed the plot to speed things up. Art was nice too.
The Red Tree, by Caitlín R. Kiernan
This was a perfect Halloween month read—spooky, folkloric, and just the right amount of crazy. Novelist Sarah has taken refuge in remote Rhode Island trying to escape the grief of the recent death of her girlfriend. In the centuries-old farmhouse, she finds a manuscript from the previous tenant who killed himself. He was a folklorist and was working on a book about the rumors and stories around a giant oak tree that is 75-yards from the farmhouse. Told in journal form with bits of the manuscript inserted, this was gothic at its best.
Death at Morning House, by Maureen Johnson
As a fan of Johnson’s Stevie Bell novels, I was excited to read this new standalone mystery. I wasn’t disappointed. While it has similar plot points to Truly Devious, it worked well on its own. After starting her summer by burning down a house, Marlowe accepts a job as a tour guide for an old manor house in upstate New York. Working with her are five old friends who have secrets, lots of them. If you don’t want to get started on a whole series, jump into this one. You’ll love it.
Thistlewood Manor: Murder at the Hedgerow, by Fiona Grace
I listened to this one. It was an OK story. The mystery wasn’t much of a mystery, despite the number of red herrings. Proto-feminist Eliza is called back to her family estate after living on her own in London for a few years. She finds once she’s home that her parents plan on marrying her off to a rich Lord. When he winds up dead later that night, the police suspect her, so she is determined to find the killer herself.
The Foundling, by Georgette Heyer
Reread, of course. This one has very little romance and is more of an adventure story about the very coddled, young Duke of Sale learning to rely on his own merits. Darling.
The Body Keeps the Score, by Bessel van der Kolk
This is an informative, eye-opening book about how a traumatic experience can affect a person’s long-term health. It was fascinating and also hard. Some of the trauma, and the aftermath, this psychologist relates is hard to stomach. Overall, though, I learned a lot from this book—how my own small traumas still affect me and how the much larger traumas experienced by loved ones has likely informed their lives. Worthwhile to read, but know that there are a lot of triggers.
Shutter, by Ramona Emerson
I listened to this debut mystery about a young crime scene photographer of Navajo ancestry who can see the spirits of the dead. One particularly gruesome death leads her to an investigation into crooked cops and drug cartels. Really good. I already have the second book in the series.
Paladin's Grace, by T. Kingfisher
This was a book club selection and I’m always up for any T. Kingfisher. I hadn’t read any of her romantasy before and found that I like her kids books and horror better. But. I will read any of her books because her main characters are always so normal…even when they are blessed by gods and are technically alchemists. This is the first of The Saint of Steel series and I will definitely read more. Especially, as they are being reissued with pretty new covers.
Graveyard Shift, by M.L. Rio
This book was touted as horror, but the only horror element was a very benign graveyard. As a novella, it was a short listen. The characters were well drawn and the mystery sort of interesting. Overall, though, it was kind of nothingburger.
The Djinn Waits a Hundred Years, by Shubnum Khan
After a slow start, this wound up being a lovely read that I can’t wait to pass on to my friend. It follows Indian-muslim teenager, Sana, after she and her father move to a dilapidated mansion outside of Durban, South Africa. The house has been carved up into apartments and she gets to know all of the odd old people there. In a bedroom that has been locked for 80 years, she finds clues to the mansion’s tragic past. In a secondary narrative, we learn about the original inhabitants of the house and the tragedy that left it abandoned. It has twists that are shocking, but that also make sense with a bittersweet ending.
The Hills of Estrella Roja, by Ashley Robin Franklin
A fun, creepy graphic novel that follows a college podcaster, Kat, as she spends her spring break following rumors of strange sightings in a remote Texas town. The locals do not want her there, but she persists after meeting Mari, who has returned to town for her grandmother’s funeral. The two girls navigate the town’s mysteries while falling for each other. This was well-paced and didn’t spoon feed the plot to speed things up. Art was nice too.
The Red Tree, by Caitlín R. Kiernan
This was a perfect Halloween month read—spooky, folkloric, and just the right amount of crazy. Novelist Sarah has taken refuge in remote Rhode Island trying to escape the grief of the recent death of her girlfriend. In the centuries-old farmhouse, she finds a manuscript from the previous tenant who killed himself. He was a folklorist and was working on a book about the rumors and stories around a giant oak tree that is 75-yards from the farmhouse. Told in journal form with bits of the manuscript inserted, this was gothic at its best.
Death at Morning House, by Maureen Johnson
As a fan of Johnson’s Stevie Bell novels, I was excited to read this new standalone mystery. I wasn’t disappointed. While it has similar plot points to Truly Devious, it worked well on its own. After starting her summer by burning down a house, Marlowe accepts a job as a tour guide for an old manor house in upstate New York. Working with her are five old friends who have secrets, lots of them. If you don’t want to get started on a whole series, jump into this one. You’ll love it.
Thistlewood Manor: Murder at the Hedgerow, by Fiona Grace
I listened to this one. It was an OK story. The mystery wasn’t much of a mystery, despite the number of red herrings. Proto-feminist Eliza is called back to her family estate after living on her own in London for a few years. She finds once she’s home that her parents plan on marrying her off to a rich Lord. When he winds up dead later that night, the police suspect her, so she is determined to find the killer herself.
