October MysteryKit: Let’s Discover A New-to-You Author!

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This month we are off on an adventure to find a new-to-you mystery** author and whether you are thinking in terms of a new mystery series or simply a stand-alone story, this is the time to sample an author you haven’t read before. From best-sellers to lesser known books, from brand new to vintage – as long as you haven’t read the author before, it will fit this theme.

I am looking forward to seeing what everyone is going to be reading so let us know here which authors you are going to be discovering and please don’t forget to update the MysteryKit Wiki - https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/MysteryKIT_2020#2020_MysteryKIT

**Please note that by “mystery” I mean all types of mysteries – from cozies to thrillers, police procedurals to detective stories, noir to hard boiled.

I am going to be reading The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino.

I'm going to read The Coroner's Lunch by Colin Cotterill, the first in the Dr. Siri series.

>3 clue: Oh, I think you will enjoy Dr. Siri, it's a fun series.

I just got a used copy of a The Perplexing Theft of the Jewel in the Crown: a Baby Ganesh novel by Vaseem Khan, so I think I will read that one.

I've had An Unsafe Pair of Hands by Chris Dolley and Doubt by C E Tobisman sitting on my shelves for a while, so maybe now is their chance to shine.

I am not a big mystery reader, but wouldn't mind trying a new author.

I've read Sayers, Christie, Doyle, Dick Francis, Braun ("Cat Who...") to name a few. I really enjoy books by Laurie R King, Spencer Quinn, Stuart Kaminsky, and Ellis Peters.

Suggestions?

I have a few options. Oh, but a couple of them have large hold lists at the library, so I'm down to two, I think:

What the Dead Leave Behind / Rosemary Simpson (I tried to get to this in the genre mashup month, but it didn't happen)
Cover of Snow / Jenny Milchman (it looks like I can get the audio pretty easily, so I'm going probably get through the one I'm currently listening to, then hopefully one more, then this one)

>7 fuzzi: I loved Spencer Quinn's Chet and Bernie books so I'm going to try another doggy series by David Rosenfelt starting with Open and Shut.

If you liked Dick Francis you will enjoy John Francome. And Christie fans will like Margery Allingham.

>7 fuzzi: Hmm, your mystery tastes are pretty eclectic . . . If you liked Laurie King's Mary Russell mysteries, you might like Anthony Horowitz, who has written a couple of Sherlockian mysteries, including The House of Silk. I liked his The Magpie Murders too (not Sherlockian).

One historical mystery author I really liked was Margaret Frazer. Her Sister Frevisse mysteries seemed much less anachronistic than many such series.

I'm a big fan of both Marcia Muller and her husband Bill Pronzini. They each have a long-running series character private detective based in San Francisco; the characters meet up in books once in a while.

Speaking of partnerships, S. J. Rozan has a series featuring Lydia Chin and Bill Smith, NYC private eyes. The emphasis shifts in each book to one of the two, then back in the next.

>7 fuzzi: You've already got some great recommendations but I would also add that Kerry Greenwood has a fun mystery series featuring lady P.I. Phryne Fisher and is set in 1920s Australia, the opening book is called Cocaine Blues. Also Rhys Bowen has a number of fun mystery series such as Her Royal Spyness that also stars a female P.I., this one with a connection to the Royal Family and is set in the late 1930s. A little more series but still excellent series are Deborah Crombie's police procedurals that feature Duncan Kincaid and Gemma Jones, the first one is called A Share in Death. The Wesley Peterson series by Kate Ellis is another good one, this one always has a side plot involving archeology. The first one in this series is called The Merchant's House. I hope you find something that you will enjoy.

Wow, thanks for all the suggestions!

I think I'll read The Widows of Malabar Hill for this challenge

Fortunately (but also sadly?), I have several mysteries on my shelves by authors I haven't tried yet! So I'm spoiled for choice...will just have to narrow it down somehow!

>14 christina_reads: That is my problem, too!

>7 fuzzi:
>9 VivienneR:

Thanks for reminding me of Dog on it by Spencer Quinn. I've been meaning to read it for a while.
That will be my first pick for new author.

>7 fuzzi: If you like Ellis Peters, I'd suggest Peter Tremayne who wrote the Sister Fidelma series. She's a Irish nun, member of the ruling family and lawyer. It makes for a great mixture and learning opportunity, 6th century Ireland not being something I could say I knew a great deal about.

>16 nrmay: I really, REALLY enjoyed Dog on It. It's a fun read from the dog's perspective without being too cutesy.

>17 Helenliz: thank you very much. I've gotten so many recommendations here, whew!

Just finished Death by Dumpling by Vivien Chien - the first a cute cozy mystery series. Not sure I’ll run out and read the rest immediately but it was a nice way to spend a few hours.

I ended up reading A Puzzle for Fools by Patrick Quentin, which is the first in his Peter Duluth series. A good read, and I'll happily read more by this author!

I guess it is a mystery (but not much), horror, paranormal, new to me author, Grady Hendrix and The Southern Book Club Guide to Slaying Vampires. Not sure that I will read any other books. It was okay.

Following a recommendation in a different thread, Have just finished 'The Walker On The Cape' by Mike Martin.

Fairly lightweight but enjoyable nonetheless; enjoyable enough to try the next in the series.

Best Wishes,
David

The Transatlantic Ghost introduced author Dorothy Gardiner to me. Gardiner was active in the Mystery Writers of America and also published historical novels and histories of the western US.

I picked up Im Schatten der Pineta by Marco Malvaldi, first in a series about a bar owner in a small Tuscan town whose regular patrons are a bunch of cranky old men, including his own grandfather. Just what I needed right now: short, fluffy, funny.

I finished Deadly Appearances by Gail Bowen, the first in her Joanna Kilbourne series set primarily in Saskatchewan, Canada. Well done but because it is set in the world of politics, of which I have enough in real life at the moment, I only gave it 3.5*...

>25 leslie.98: I read the first 7 of the Joanne Kilbourn series and really liked them. As I recall they touch on a variety of topics, not just politics. Recently, I was able to pick up a copy of number 8, The Glass Coffin, which I'm looking forward to.

>25 leslie.98: I grew up in Saskatchewan, so I need to take a look at this series. :-)

>27 LibraryCin: Have you read Anthony Bidulka's Russell Quant series based in Saskatchewan but with lots of travel?

>28 Robertgreaves: Oh, I have not! I will take a look at that one, as well! Thank you!

>26 NinieB: Good info, thanks! I liked it enough that I plan to pick up the next book in the series anyway but knowing that they aren't all political means I will do so sooner.

>27 LibraryCin: Glad to bring it to your notice! I am doing the Read It/Track It group challenge which this year involves trying to read books from the provinces & states of the U.S, Canada, U.K. & Ireland so I was looking for mysteries set in Canada & came across this series in a list of 10 best mysteries written by Canadian authors.

>30 leslie.98: And thank you! I have added both this one, and >28 Robertgreaves:'s suggestion, as well, to my tbr.

Cover of Snow / Jenny Milchman
2.25 stars

When Nora wakes up one morning, she discovers her cop husband, Brandon, has killed himself. Nora had no idea this was coming, and she must find out what led to it. While doing so, she uncovers not only personal secrets her husband kept from her, but also some disturbing things covered up by the small local police force.

I listened to the audio, and sadly, the narrator had a very monotone voice that did not keep me interested at all, though it sounds like something that should be interesting. I did hear some of the secrets that were uncovered at the end... maybe they were meant to be exciting twists and turns, but I missed so much in between that it just wasn’t all that interesting. It started interesting -- and even having now finished it – I do wonder what led Brandon to kill himself...? I’d kind of like to just find a summary with all the spoilers.

Starting Doubt by an author new to me, C. E. Tobisman

COMPLETED Doubt by C. E. Tobisman

My review:
Exciting well-paced legal thriller as a first-year associate tracks down missing evidence and a missing witness in a suit against a GMO company whose main product seems to be causing kidney disease.

Elsässer Erbschaften is written by a German author masquerading under a French pseudonym. Set in Alsace and not very good or even interesting.

I ended up reading Thread and Dead which is the second in the Apron Shop series, but the first one I have read in this series. This was a fun read and the story was well written. I liked the characters, who reminded me of some characters in other series that I enjoy.

>35 MissWatson: I also finished the second in the series, Elsässer Sünden, because Ibought it and I hate to part with books unread. I'm sure it will find a new home.

A new to me author is Ali Brandon. I am reading one of her first Black Cat bookshop mystery Double Booked for Death.

Read Staging is Murder by Grace Topping - the first in a cozy series featuring Laura Bishop, a home decorator/stager. I met the author last year at Bouchercon at the new author breakfast, she was lovely to chat with and I'm glad I finally had a chance to read her book.

I have completed my read of The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino. It definitely was clever but I'm not intrigued enough to go looking for more of this mystery series.

I have also finished Beat the reaper by Josh Bazell which was unusual in its theme and protagonist, a doctor who used to be a hitman for the Mafia...

Currently reading The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton, who is new to me (well everybody really since I gather this is his first and so far only book)

Just finished The Little Shop of Found Things which was sweet and a bit too romance-y for me, but enjoyable nonetheless.

>43 majkia: LOL -- "sweet and too romance-y" seems like something I might enjoy, so thanks for the BB!

>44 christina_reads: LOL Hope you enjoy it!

The Dark Heart: A True Story of Greed, Murder, and an Unlikely Investigator / Joakim Palmkvist
4 stars

This is true crime in Sweden, a translation. In 2012, a man, Goran, disappears. His oldest daughter (in her 20s), Sara, is set to inherit her father’s forestry business. Goran was very well off (though stingy with what he spent). Goran had had a feud with his neighbour for a long time, and he had been upset with Sara for dating the neighbour’s son. It was longer than one would expect before Sara even reported her father missing. In the meantime, a woman named Therese had recently set up “Missing Persons”, a volunteer group who help police with searches.

The book gave a lot of info about police procedure -- what the police need to do and how they need to do it while investigating -- which I found quite interesting. I did think Therese took a few too many chances, though! Yikes! Overall, I found this really interesting and quite enjoyed reading it.

The Woman Outside My Door / Rachel Ryan
4 stars

When 7-year old Cody comes out of the bushes in the park and tells his mom his “new granny” gave him sweets, Georgina panics. The only grandmother Cody ever knew, Georgina’s mother, died 6 months earlier. At home, Cody gets phone calls; if Georgina answers the phone, the person on the other end doesn’t speak. Other odd things start happening. Georgina feels that someone is stalking her little boy. However, Georgina is still dealing with the loss of her mother, plus there are things going wrong in her marriage.

I thought this was really good. You can’t tell if she is a reliable narrator. I was annoyed by Georgina’s husband, Bren, who kept dismissing her fears. I felt like he changed his mind a bit too quickly, though, when he started believing Georgina’s fears. He shouldn’t have dismissed them so quickly to start with, but he also seemed to come around too fast, in comparison with how he’d originally reacted. Even still, it kept me reading. It’s a fast read and kept me wanting to find out what was going on.

Yesterday I read Chasing Starlight by Teri Bailey Black, a very enjoyable YA mystery set during the golden age of Hollywood.

Read a couple more mysteries/thrillers that I enjoyed by authors I've never read before:

A Study in Scarlet Women by Sherry Thomas which turns the Sherlock Holmes story on its head.

The Blinds by Adam Sternbergh - a thriller set in west Texas.

Staging is Murder by Grace Topping - a nice cozy mystery involving the staging of houses before going on the market.

>25 leslie.98: Thanks for the mention of the Joanna Kilbourne series by Gail Bowen. I read Verdict in blood for October's Alpha Kit.

I read Girl Waits with Gun by new to me Amy Stewart. Evidently there is some question as to whether this qualifies as a mystery. It is historical fiction and definitely a crime novel so I will count it here. I thoroughly enjoyed this and will continue with this series for sure.

>51 beebeereads: I think it counts! (I received it as a gift last Christmas.)

>51 beebeereads: I would definitely say that Girl Waits With Gun fits in here. I have it on my TBR and I am looking forward to getting to it one of these days.

>52 LadyoftheLodge: >53 DeltaQueen50: Thanks! I thought so, but I'm not a mystery guru so good to know you agree.

I finished Jo Walton's Farthing, which actually doesn't fit neatly into any genre -- but "murder mystery" is definitely one of the potential genres, because the first 2/3 is a rather traditional English country house mystery. Real mystery fans, though, I think, tend to get annoyed, because the point of the book actually isn't entertaining the reader with the cleverness of the murderer/investigator.

I finished The Coroner's Lunch by Colin Cotterill, the first in a mystery series that takes place in Laos.

I'm afraid I bailed on The Widows of Malabar Hill. Nicely written but too slow to keep my interest.