What are you reading in 2026?

TalkCrime, Thriller & Mystery

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What are you reading in 2026?

1skid0612
Jan 2, 10:00 am

Share the titles you are finishing up, just starting, excited to read.

2rocketjk
Jan 4, 12:04 am

I've started the new year reading The Doorman by Chris Pavone. I'm about 60 pages in and still waiting for things to get going a bit. Still, the writing's good.

3raidergirl3
Jan 4, 6:38 am

I started Smoke and Mirrors, the second book in Elly Griffiths Brighton mysteries.

4Bookmarque
Jan 4, 9:53 am

River of Darkness popped up in the Audible Plus catalog so I'm listening to that. My reaction to Helen is much more understanding than it was when I first read this in 1999. I still do feel, however, that the language doesn't place it just after WWI as it is too generic without a lot of popular phrases or even slang from that time, but the mystery is good and there is a butthead in the police that must be battled. As I don't remember him showing up in subsequent books, I think he gets vanquished.

5bobbyl
Jan 5, 7:37 am

I'm reading The Night Caller by Martina Murphy set on Achill Island which is off the West Coast of Ireland.
It's a police procedural with the Garda and I'm enjoying thus far.

6mvo62
Edited: Jan 8, 8:44 pm

I started the new year with The Lonely Man: A Short Story by Ann Cleeves, but it was rather disappointing.

Have just finished Still Waters by E. C. R. Lorac which was quite good. First published in 1949, and recently re-released, I enjoy these mysteries for the social history as much as the plot or the writing.

Have just purchased and will start today: The Hallmarked Man by Robert Galbraith.

7rocketjk
Jan 9, 12:26 pm

I finished The Doorman by Chris Pavone, which I'm sorry to say I thought was only so-so.

8Bookmarque
Jan 9, 12:30 pm

>6 mvo62: Oooh, can you give an update when you're done, or along the way on that one? I got REALLY fed up with both Robin and Strike during the last book. She's got the worst taste in men and can't see that Ryan is shaping up to be another Matthew, and Strike is just unpleasant and crabby all the time. Why does anyone even like him? I just got sick of them both and want to crack their heads together like in a Three Stooges sketch.

9Maura49
Jan 10, 5:28 am

>8 Bookmarque: These books are certainly not all great. I particularly disliked The Ink Black Heart with the endless text-speak.

10Bookmarque
Jan 10, 8:25 am

>9 Maura49: No, they aren't. I can't stand her particular tic of including lots of quotes from other things at the chapter headings. Blue Oyster Cult. The Fairy Queen. Didn't she go on and on with lines from The Duchess of Malfi in one? Ugh. I don't ever see any connection and it feels pretentious and a waste of time.

11mvo62
Jan 10, 2:22 pm

>8 Bookmarque: Sure will do :)

12bobbyl
Jan 13, 11:15 am

Finished The Reckoning by Martina Murphy which I did enjoy. I particularly like the setting of Achill Island.
I've seen a lot of recommendations for Angela Marsons series DI Kim Stone, so trying out the first Silent Scream.

13Bookmarque
Jan 13, 11:35 am

When Audible had a sale, I snagged Murder at the Vicarage for short money. It introduces Jane Marple and follows the typical pattern of introducing a host of people, some suspects, some victims and throws Jane into their midst where almost everyone overlooks her piercing gaze.

14jillmwo
Edited: Jan 13, 12:00 pm

Currently Reading The Labyrinth House Murders. Complex with just a whiff of And Then There Were None (or so I think, based on the first chapter or two...)

15bobbyl
Edited: Jan 22, 7:14 am

Really enjoyed the first DI Kim Stone book by Angela Marsons so went straight to the next in the series Evil Minds (sorry touchstone doesn't work for this).
Whilst I thought the 1st book was great, this one for me is fabulous. Kim is up against a sociopath and it's very tense, though there is a little humour too.
There are a number of triggers here as the books deal with dark themes, particularly child abuse so please bear that in mind if you're thinking of reading.

16ted74ca
Jan 18, 2:57 pm

I've not done much reading yet in 2026, but definitely hope to get to some crime fiction very soon.

17Bookmarque
Jan 18, 6:23 pm

I'm listening to some previously lost BBC Radio dramas of R.D. Wingfield thrillers. He's mostly known for his Inspector Frost series, but these are really good, too. They're from the 70s I think, and many deal with bank heists and frauds. Quite fun. R.D. Wingfield: Nightmare and other Thrillers. There is another collection coming in May with more recordings that have been found, re-mastered and in some cases, patched together.

18ted74ca
Jan 21, 2:13 pm

First time reading anything by Nicci French-I quite enjoyed The Lying Room-just the thing to get me through the late night insomnia periods this week.

19Bookmarque
Edited: Jan 21, 4:32 pm

I used to read a bit of Nicci French back in the 00s, but haven't picked up anything in a long time other than the Frieda Klein series about 10 years ago. They were good, but a bit more brutal than I anticipated.

20gmathis
Jan 22, 8:40 am

Rationing myself through A Killing of Innocents ... it's the last Deborah Crombie I haven't read and I don't think the new one is ready yet!

21mvo62
Jan 23, 9:14 pm

>8 Bookmarque: I finished The Hallmarked Man by Robert Galbraith, yesterday. Enjoyed it, but the crime aspect of the plot was convoluted, and I had to keep checking back to remind myself who was who (as did the characters, in some parts...) Over 900 pages, and it kept my interest with good writing - not my fave in the series, not the worst, 4/5.

22Bookmarque
Jan 24, 8:34 am

>21 mvo62: Oh thank you so much. I still haven't pulled the trigger on it, but may do at some point. Good to know that making some notes is probably a good idea. Can you comment on Robin or Cormoran at all without giving things away? Do they both stay insufferable?

23mvo62
Edited: Jan 24, 3:34 pm

>22 Bookmarque: Hmmmm, well the Robin and Cormoran situation progresses somewhat, mostly in their heads (rather than actions), but is not resolved. Grumpy so-n-so Cormoran is moderately insufferable (can that be a thing?) but I did feel a lot of empathy with Robin in this book. Hope that helps :)

Edit to say that it is an extremely mild spoiler alert, just erring on the side of caution in case anyone wants to stay completely unspoiled. Most of you should be fine to peek :)

24Meredy
Jan 24, 10:07 pm

The Queen Who Came In from the Cold, fifth in the series Her Majesty Investigates, by S.J. Bennett, is a delightful break from a recent spate of heavy reading. It's a cozy mystery with the ongoing appeal of sounding as I imagine Queen Elizabeth would really think, speak, and behave outside the spotlight. I've had trouble keeping track of the secondary characters and sometimes of the plot of the novels in this series, but I enjoy them for the illusion of close association with Her Majesty the Queen.

25blinkymittens
Edited: Jan 27, 10:57 am

>1 skid0612: I am finishing up Patterson's Michael Bennett series, reading "Later" by Stephen King, and I just finished up 11.22.63.
And apparently I don't know how to post here...

27rabbitprincess
Jan 29, 4:08 pm

Finished a re-read of The Hound of the Baskervilles, which I last read in 2013.

28bobbyl
Jan 30, 11:40 am

Taking a break from DI Kim Stone books by Angela Marsons, as i don't want to race through too quickly.
Started We Solve Murders by Richard Osman. This new series from him is again good fun and an easy read. Already over a 100 pages read and I only started it today.

29Bookmarque
Jan 30, 1:11 pm

I'm savoring Pendergast: The Beginning which is the latest in the series of the same name, but first in the timeline since it's an origin story, but not just of Pendergast, but Proctor, too. Most excellent!

30ted74ca
Feb 5, 5:37 pm

I've enjoyed all of the Thursday Murder Club mysteries so far, and The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman was no exception.

31skid0612
Feb 5, 7:35 pm

I recently finished The Paris Mystery by the Australian author Kirsty Manning. Written during the Covid lockdown, the story is sort of a cross between a vintage Agatha Christie novel and a more modern tea cozy (think M.C.Beaton). An enjoyable light read.

32gmathis
Feb 5, 9:01 pm

Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers was on the pay-it-forward shelf at work; I grabbed it strictly on the basis of title and cover. We'll see if the inside is as amusing as the outside.

33Bookmarque
Feb 5, 9:32 pm

Just started the audio of Her Cold Justice today. It's the third in a legal procedural series featuring Keera Duggan as a prosecuting attorney turned defense lawyer. I like them pretty well. Usually plausible, but surprising.

34bobbyl
Feb 9, 8:01 am

I did enjoy Richard Osman first in his new series, but now seriously enjoying the latest MW Craven book The Final Vow.
I love this series so much. Washington & Tilly are such a good combination & I'm really enjoying the mystery. Also, new character Uncle Bertie is a hoot :-)

35bobbyl
Edited: Feb 11, 11:05 am

Well I raced through The Final Vow and loved it!
Now going back to another old friend - Jimmy Perez in Ann Cleeve book The Killing Stones who has come back in a new series set in Orkney Islands rather than Shetland Islands and is working with his wife Willow. I'm sure this will also be great.

36LoisB
Feb 11, 11:35 am

I discovered a new-to-me British author, Kia Abdullah and have read 2 of her books: Next of Kin ***** and Perfectly Nice Neighbors ***. Both are legal thrillers and I found them very interesting. They have a 3-part format: the crime, the legal process, and the aftermath. Good easy reading!

37LoisB
Edited: Feb 11, 11:37 am

This message has been deleted by its author.

38ted74ca
Feb 12, 12:42 pm

I think this book fits into this category, as there is a mystery involved....I really liked The God of the Woods by Liz Moore

39AnnieMod
Feb 12, 1:05 pm

>38 ted74ca: The God of the Woods got nominated for most of the Crime and Mystery awards last year so definitely fits here :)

40LoisB
Feb 15, 10:56 am

I’m currently reading 1222 by Anne Holt. It’s okay and will probably get ***s from me but I won’t rush to read another one in this mystery series.

41ted74ca
Feb 20, 3:15 pm

A cozy mystery read for me this week-I quite enjoyed Mindful of Murder by Canadian author Susan Juby.

42gmathis
Feb 20, 3:20 pm

Filling in another Brother Cadfael gap; The Hermit of Eyton Forest by Ellis Peters.

43skid0612
Feb 24, 1:03 pm

Just finished Sleepless city, by Reed Coleman, the debut story in what is obviously intended to be a new series. The novel certainly has its flaws, but it was entertaining enough and should appeal to any fan of Lee Child's Jack Reacher

44amdial7
Feb 24, 1:15 pm

I've started A Study in Scarlet Women by Sherry Thomas and it's just ok which is disappointing. I'm only half way through so if it changes I will report back!

45Bookmarque
Edited: Feb 24, 2:00 pm

This collection is part of the Audible Plus catalog and I'm on book 2 -



Not 100% sure I'll finish. Thomas is a sexist pig at worst, a blundering moron about women at best. He constantly makes snap judgments based on the fact that a woman doesn't immediately either swoon or start doing his laundry. If she's cautious with him, she's a bitch. If she's business like, she's frigid. If she has a mole, she's ugly. Not a size 2, a fattie. It's pretty constant and off the cuff and while he does get his ass handed to him by these same women on a regular basis, he never learns. Do men ever, really, if they are like this? Ugh.

Plus he's so un-self aware it's frightening. How did he live to adulthood? He's moody, temperamental and makes really dumb decisions a lot, for which he almost always pays. Still, he does get there in the end and isn't afraid to put himself on the line instead of risking others' necks. The first book gave me a little surprise, too, which is hard to do since I read so many of these.

46LoisB
Feb 24, 8:20 pm

>45 Bookmarque: thanks for the warning!

47jhicks62
Feb 25, 4:13 pm

Reading an oldie, but a goody — The Spanish Cape Mystery by Ellery Queen. 100+ pages in and I still can’t remember if I’ve read it before.

48rabbitprincess
Feb 25, 7:02 pm

Just read Murder After Christmas, by Rupert Latimer... nearly two months after Christmas.

49GrammyTammyM
Feb 25, 7:20 pm

Currently reading a cozy mystery Fatal Feng Shui by Leslie Caine 5th book of the series.

50amdial7
Mar 2, 10:25 am

Finished A Study in Scarlet Women by Sherry Thomas and despite loving the premise of it was very disappointed.

51GrammyTammyM
Mar 2, 6:11 pm

Starting to read Pumpkin Patch Peril by Meredith Curtis. A Christian Cozy mystery

52Bookmarque
Mar 2, 6:15 pm

Just started Fatal Return which popped up on the Audible Plus page. It's ok, but not groundbreaking. Pretty implausible start with bringing a criminal profiler onto the crime scene when they haven't even finished working it. Plus there is almost every example of the loathsome male on display. The mystery itself is intriguing to a degree and I might push on despite the plethora of assholes.

53Jim53
Mar 2, 8:40 pm

I loved SJ Rozan's latest Lydia-and-Bill entry, First Do No Harm. I mostly enjoyed the latest Thursday murder club book, The Impossible Fortune, but found it a bit of a disappointment after the previous entry, which IMHO was the best of the series. Stealing Mona Lisa was fun, with a nice attitude, but nothing particularly special.

>20 gmathis: I recently reread A Bitter Feast and will reread A Killing of Innocents soon, in anticipation of finally getting the next one from Debs. She is one of my favorites.

54mvo62
Mar 3, 12:46 pm

I recently read Silent Scream (Detective Kim Stone Crime Thriller Series Book 1) by Angela Marsons which was ok.

Last One Out by Jane Harper was good, quite slow going, but glad I persisted to the end.

Am very much enjoying The Killing Time by Elly Griffiths, the second book in her latest series.

55rhondak101book
Mar 3, 1:49 pm

Right now I am reading The Absent Ones by Jussi Alder-Olsen. I have also been working on adding all my Golden Age mysteries to LT. I am compiling a list of how many more by Agatha Christie (12), Ngaio Marsh (12), Margery Allingham (tbd), Dorothy Sayers (tbd), and John Dickson Carr (tbd) I have left to read.

56LoisB
Mar 3, 2:33 pm

I just finished State of Terror, a ***** read by Hillary Clinton and Louise Perry. It was one of those books that I didn’t want to put down. It deals with nuclear weapons in the hands of terrorists and corrupt politicians in our own government. It is particularly relevant given our current international relations.

57LoisB
Edited: Mar 3, 2:51 pm

This message has been deleted by its author.

58ted74ca
Mar 5, 11:45 pm

Just finished The Frozen People by Elly Griffiths. Really enjoyable mystery with great characters.

59JessieSpeer
Mar 6, 9:36 am

I'm almost done with, Reilly: Ace of Spies, by Robin Bruce Lockhart (RBL). RBL's father was the senior diplomat in St Petersburg whilst the revolution was at its height. At points it is definitely a page turner.

60Bookmarque
Edited: Mar 6, 10:13 am

A freebie on Audible to attract us to the series - The Murder of Sara Barton and it might be working despite the lead character's religious hypocrisy. It's a courtroom/legal mystery, but is a bit different than the usual. It doesn't focus that much on the investigation and we don't spend a ton of time in the courtroom, but we do understand a lot of the legal tactics, positions and reasoning behind presenting the case in a certain way. The lead character is a prosecutor and clings to this position because his wife and son were murdered and the case is unsolved. This is his penance, and feels like a punishment as well because he can never get past what happened and his guilt about not protecting them. I'm at the final couple of hours and the courtroom bits are dramatic, but not sensational, although some of the metaphors and similes are bit histrionic. Not bad.

61skid0612
Edited: Mar 6, 4:39 pm

Just finished The white lioness. Only my second helping of Henning Mankell, and Kurt Wallander is quickly becoming one of my favorite detectives.

62GrammyTammyM
Mar 13, 7:39 pm

Currently reading Mother's Day, Muffins, and Murder by Sara Rosett a cozy mystery

63rhondak101book
Mar 14, 12:42 pm

Finished The Absent Ones by Jussi Alder-Olsen. I did not like it as well as the the first in the series. I felt the set up was too long, the middle part was good, but then the resolution was too quick--with some gaps in credulity. I might post a longer review on the page later.

64bobbyl
Mar 16, 7:53 am

Needed a change from dark police procedural books, so reading Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto.
So far enjoying as Vera really makes me laugh. Nice change of pace.

65LoisB
Mar 16, 10:31 am

>64 bobbyl: I also need a change of pace so I may try this. I just finished Hostage and while it was suspenseful, it just wasn’t enjoyable.

66Bookmarque
Mar 16, 10:42 am

Borrowed Heads You Lose by Lisa Lutz & David Hayward from the library. It's a little odd as the story is more about the dysfunctional collaboration between the writers more than the mystery of a headless body appearing (and reappearing) on the characters' property.

67raidergirl3
Mar 16, 12:18 pm

>66 Bookmarque: I still remember how funny I found that book!

68rocketjk
Mar 17, 2:47 pm

During my just-concluded Mexico City vacation I read The Rare Coin Score by Richard Stark (a.k.a. Donald Westlake). This is the ninth book in Stark's guiltily entertaining Parker series. Parker is a psychopathic thief and all-round criminal who doesn't have any particular desire to kill you but will without compunction if you represent the slightest bit of trouble for him, the job he's in the midst of, or the security of his alias. This time Parker is brought into a scheme to knock over a rare coin convention. As usual, the development of the plan for the heist, and the interaction between the plotters, devious characters all of course, is one of the most entertaining sections of the story. Also as usual, though Parker is not the originator of the plan, he quickly assumes command of the proceedings as the most experienced, and most ruthless, of the crew. The planning is meticulous, as it is for every job that Parker agrees to take part in. But, also as always, the unforeseen will throw monkey wrenches left and right. The writing in this series is very sharp and the plotting swift and enjoyable, though Parker puts the "ugh" in anti-hero. I had found the series' previous entry, The Handle, to be the weakest of the series to that point, but I'm happy to say that The Rare Coin Score provided the bounce back I'd been hoping for.

69Bookmarque
Mar 17, 3:05 pm

>67 raidergirl3: I'm glad it worked for you, but it didn't for me. Finished it, but glad I borrowed it from the library.

70gmathis
Edited: Mar 20, 12:18 pm

>64 bobbyl: I recommended Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers to a friend (with a caveat that her millennial friends sometimes use language that makes grannies blush) because it was the funniest cozy I have read in years. Her response: "I love her. I need her in my life." I believe I agree.

71bobbyl
Mar 20, 11:34 am

>70 gmathis: I feel the same! I've read both books now & whilst different cultures, she still has something of the Irish Mammy about her. Just shows how global certain traits are.
They are honest about being judgy, always want to feed you & sees through all the BS so easily, haha!

72gmathis
Mar 20, 12:18 pm

>71 bobbyl: I haven't hunted down the second one, but it's on my shortlist.

73GrammyTammyM
Mar 21, 6:55 pm

Currently reading a cozy mystery featuring interior decorators Poisoned by Gilt by Leslie Caine

74LoisB
Mar 23, 10:42 am

I’m reading Bury your Dead by Louise Penny; it is part of the Chief Inspector Gamache series but it quite different from the other books in the series. It covers a lot of history about Quebec City which I appreciated as it has been more than 50 years since I was last there.

75rabbitprincess
Mar 23, 7:46 pm

Currently reading Karla's Choice, by Nick Harkaway.

76Maura49
Mar 24, 6:24 am

>75 rabbitprincess: I loved this book and thought it a beautifully written tribute to his father's iconic character and the whole community at the 'Circus.' A rare example of a good reimagining of another writer's world.

77rabbitprincess
Mar 24, 3:11 pm

>76 Maura49: I agree!

78GrammyTammyM
Mar 26, 7:57 pm

Currently reading an oldie Amanda by Kay Hooper.

79Bookmarque
Mar 26, 8:17 pm

Working my way through this series which (for now) is free with an Audible subscription -

80gmathis
Mar 27, 10:18 am

Just started One Corpse Too Many by Ellis Peters. I sampled a few of her Cadfael mysteries years ago, and I think I was just too impatient a reader at the time...they are delicious when taken more slowly.

81rhondak101book
Mar 27, 11:40 am

>80 gmathis: I love the tv series. I've only read a couple of the books, but I agree you have to savor the historical stuff.

82GrammyTammyM
Mar 27, 6:56 pm

I plan to start reading a free giveaway from another site Vice and Virtue by Libby Klein

83mvo62
Mar 28, 3:51 pm

Recent reads:

The Killing Time by Elly Griffiths - loved this
We Are All Guilty Here by Karin Slaughter - ok
Esperance by Adam Oyebanji - loved this as well. I wasn't sure I could cope with a Mystery/Science Fiction hybrid, but obviously I can - via the latest Elly Griffiths series as a gateway...

Currently reading The Hunters Club (Oxford Mysteries Book 3) by Alis Hawkins

84ted74ca
Apr 2, 11:23 am

A light, almost cosy mystery for me this week Windsor Knot by S.J. Bennett. A fun read; as a big fan of the late Queen Elizabeth, I really enjoyed it.

85techeditor
Apr 3, 7:22 am

Because I think books cost too much but I'd like to own the good ones, I normally buy used books. But this month and in the next couple of months, some of my favorite authors will have new books: Karin Slaughter, Chris Bohjalian, Jane Harper, and Tana French. I'm not waiting to find those at a used book store. I think I'll begin by buying THE KEEPER by Tana French.

86techeditor
Apr 3, 7:26 am

I am currently reading an older book by John Fowles, THE MAGUS. He wrote this in 1965 and revised it in 1977. I am reading the revised version. It's long.

87techeditor
Apr 3, 7:29 am

>83 mvo62: I'm surprised to hear that a book by Karin Slaughter could be just OK. I'll be reading that soon, so I'll see if I agree with you.

88Bookmarque
Edited: Apr 3, 8:48 am

Just started a freebie book from Amazon Prime Reading and it's pretty good, actually. These things are hit and miss for me as you can imagine. Two Bodies are Better Than One by Erica Ruth Neubauer. We'll see how the investigation goes, but the set up is fun and I like our two main characters. One issue though is 21st century terms and idioms that weren't said in 1989, at least to my recollection. One is 'good optics' referring to doing something just because it will look good to other people and make them think well of you. Can't remember that being used outside of describing binoculars. Oh and I think it's hilarious that the writer describes how a person uses a rotary telephone, rather than just saying a person made a call with one. She doesn't look that young, so needed to remember better or be a little less twee and weird about obsolete tech.

89skid0612
Apr 3, 1:19 pm

Recently finished Death without company the second book in the Longmire series (although my first). I enjoyed the Basque community subtext quite a bit and found the plot engaging, the story entertaining, and the resolution quite clever.

90Maura49
Apr 4, 9:55 am

i have just finished Death at the White Hart by Chris Chibnall This is a debut novel, and an excellent police procedural about a bizarre murder in a quiet village in Dorset in the south West of England. The writer has a lot of experience in writing for TV and on this evidence a successful novel writing career ahead of him.

91Jim53
Apr 4, 11:22 pm

I just finished Case Histories, the first Jackson Brodie mystery by Kate Atkinson. My reaction was mixed. She begins by giving us three chapters, each of which provides the backstory for a case. In chapter four we finally meet our protagonist, a PI, and eventually we see people come to him to solve these three cases. Atkinson frustrated me with this approach, as it's not at all what I expect from a mystery novel. After a bit I adjusted my expectations and enjoyed some aspects of the novel. I think my inability to devote long stretches of time to it contributed to my sense of it as disjointed. I'll look for a lot of other things before I return to these.

92mvo62
Apr 7, 4:01 am

>87 techeditor: I rated it 3.5 stars - it just dragged a little for me, and I just didn't enjoy it as much as some recent reads...

93mvo62
Edited: Apr 7, 4:07 am

Finished The Hunters Club (Oxford Mysteries Book 3) by Alis Hawkins - really enjoyed it - best so far in the series.

Have Just started Sky High by Michael Gilbert - good so far.

94bobbyl
Apr 8, 12:00 pm

I'm trying something a bit different Pagans by James Alistair Henry - Sorry touchstone not working correctly for book. This is an alt history novel where in Britain, the Norman Conquest of 1066 never happened. So the old tribes still exist, Saxons & Celts and so on, but set in 2023. It's a murder mystery with a mismatched couple, one a Saxon, one a Celt.
Only a few pages in, but I think I'm going to like this one.

95jillmwo
Apr 10, 2:35 pm

Just finished The Chianti Flask by Marie Belloc Lowndes. While definitely slow in terms of pacing, the book has at its core the central question of whether or not the acquitted defendant was actually guilty of killing her spouse. Definitely the work of 100 years ago, it still makes for a memorable reading experience.

96mvo62
Apr 12, 2:19 am


Finished Sky High by Michael Gilbert - quite good, then read something that I am not sure qualifies as a mystery - The Woman From Bookclub by Carrie Hughes - a good light read while recovering from flu.

Have just started The Wine of Angels (Merrily Watkins Series) by Phil Rickman. Loving it, and so excited to see that it is a pretty long series!

97rabbitprincess
Apr 12, 11:07 am

My most recent crime/mystery read was We Solve Murders, by Richard Osman.

98bobbyl
Apr 13, 1:12 pm

>96 mvo62: Ah love the Merrily Watkins series - well everything that Phil Rickman wrote. Sadly no longer with us, but a lot of books to read

99ted74ca
Apr 14, 5:42 pm

Just loved the 1st novel in Nicci French's Frieda Klein Mystery series: Blue Monday.

100Bookmarque
Apr 14, 8:20 pm

>99 ted74ca: That was a good series, if a bit difficult at times. There's some meat on the bones for sure.

101gmathis
Edited: Apr 16, 2:57 pm

Just started A Matter of Roses by David Manuel; haven't even met the official sleuth yet, but it's already worth the quarter I paid for it on the "please just take it home" bookstore shelf.

Since I've been on a Brother Cadfael kick of late, this Goodreads review made me smile: "Bascially this is a modern take off on Brother Caedfel--the monk with a knowledge of human nature solves the crimes. But is is VERY well written, and a worthy companion to the Brother Caedfel books, in spirit if not in era."

102Bookmarque
Apr 16, 9:27 am

Not sure if it exactly qualifies, but there is a mystery about the family who owns the villa at the heart of it - Summer's Lease. The title is odd though as the family renting it only does so for 3 weeks in August. Hardly the summer.

103GrammyTammyM
Apr 16, 5:58 pm

I had finished reading an oldie Amanda by Kay Hooper. Part mystery suspense part romance.

104Jim53
Apr 25, 11:01 pm

I just finished a re-read of The Beekeper's Apprentice, after almost 20 years, for the new Thursday mystery book club that I've joined. It has held up pretty well.

105Jim53
Apr 25, 11:02 pm

I noticed that Ann Granger, whom I have never read, shows up as quite similar to Deborah Crombie, one of my favorites, on Literature Map. Has anyone here read Ms. Granger? Any comments or suggestions?

106cmbohn
Edited: Apr 26, 12:44 pm

I'm reading Bless Your Heart by Lindy Ryan. It's sort of a mystery, sort of supernatural horror. And pretty funny.

107GrammyTammyM
Apr 27, 7:47 pm

I have started reading Sniffing Out Murder by Kallie E. Benjamin a cozy mystery

108bobbyl
Apr 28, 12:00 pm

I have just started A Case of Mice and Murder by Sally Smith, historical mystery set in the Inner Temple (legal area of London with it's own rules) in 1901. Feels like a good start.

109Bookmarque
Apr 28, 12:05 pm

Not sure I'll make it through this -

110bobbyl
Edited: May 4, 10:12 am

Just finished A Case of Mice and Murder which I really loved and now reading The Summer Guests by Tess Gerritsen, 2nd in the Martini Club series. Enjoyed the first one, so hoping this will be just as good.

111amdial7
May 6, 4:50 pm

I'm reading a bunch of short stories of a gothic or mystery theme by Amelia B. Edwards from the 19th century. Most of them are very good.

112ted74ca
May 17, 6:23 pm

I've read both of S.J. Bennett's murder mysteries, featuring the late Queen Elizabeth II and really enjoyed them: The Windsor Knot and All the Queen's Men.

113bobbyl
May 18, 7:51 am

I'm currently reading A Schooling in Murder by Andrew Taylor. Set in a private school near the end of the second world war. Interesting concept as the murder victim is our narrator, and she is haunting the school trying to find her killer.

114Bookmarque
May 18, 8:29 am

Picked up What Happened Next by Edwin Hill in the Prime Reading freebie selection and it's ok, interesting story as far as these things go (set in NH where I'm from, but in a fictional town), but the main character is an idiot. Not enough to make this a DNF, but it is eye-rolling how unprepared for life that generation seems to be. Another example of GenX bad parenting.

115GrammyTammyM
May 18, 6:19 pm

Have started reading The Long Call by Ann Cleeves

116gmathis
Edited: May 19, 10:57 am

Death Below Stairs by Jennifer Ashley ... fun, but although it's designated as "first in a new series," there's evidently an e-book prequel that should have been released first. There are so many references to a backstory it makes you feel like you're late to class because you can't get your locker open.

117jillmwo
May 19, 9:50 am

I have just started Guilty by Definition by Susie Dent. This came out last year in the UK, I think.

118Maura49
May 19, 1:28 pm

I have just begun Smoke and Ashes by Abir Mukherjee which is the third in the Wyndham and Banerjee series. I love the setting of Calcutta in the early 1920's with a lot of unrest as Ghandi's campaign for independence gets underway.

119ted74ca
May 21, 1:44 pm

I read the latest book in Ann Cleeves's Jimmy Perez series- The Killing Stones and enjoyed it, though I felt it lagged a bit in the middle.

120bobbyl
May 22, 11:18 am

>119 ted74ca: I felt the same way too, which surprised me as I loved the original Jimmy Perez series and Ann's books in general

121etrainer
May 23, 12:06 am

I enjoyed all of these in 2026.

Ironwood: A Catalina Novel Connelly, Michael

Moriarty: A Novel Horowitz, Anthony

The House of Silk: A Sherlock Holmes Novel Horowitz, Anthony

A Deadly Episode: A Novel (A Hawthorne and Horowitz Mystery, 6) Horowitz, Anthony

With a Mind to Kill: A James Bond Novel Horowitz, Anthony

The Sentence Is Death: A Novel (A Hawthorne and Horowitz Mystery, 2) Horowitz, Anthony

The Herring in the Library (Ethelred and Elsie, 3) (Volume 3) Tyler, L.C.

Ten Little Herrings: Ethelred & Elsie #2 (The Ethelred and Elsie Mysteries) (Volume 2) Tyler, L.C.

The Herring-Seller's Apprentice (Ethelred and Elsie, 1) (Volume 1) Tyler, L.C.

The Twist of a Knife: A Novel (A Hawthorne and Horowitz Mystery, 4) Horowitz, Anthony

Murder Begins at Home: A Jane and Dagobert Brown Mystery Ames, Delano

Corpse diplomatique (A Murray Hill mystery) Ames, Delano

She Shall Have Murder Ames, Delano

A Line to Kill: A Novel (A Hawthorne and Horowitz Mystery, 3) Horowitz, Anthony

122mvo62
May 23, 1:16 am

Work and other stuff has interfered with my reading life, but I finished and loved The Wine of Angels (Merrily Watkins Series) by Phil Rickman, and followed that with Midwinter of the Spirit and A Crown of Lights in the same series - all excellent.

Took a detour with The Novice's Tale (Sister Frevisse Medieval Mysteries Book 1) by Margaret Frazer which was ok, and have just started The Puppet Show (Washington Poe Book 1) and M. W. Craven - very good so far - I think I am going to be hooked on another series.

123nrmay
May 27, 5:33 pm

Just started GREY MASK in the MISS SILVER mystery series by Patricia Wentworth.

Found it in my local Little Free Library and brought it home 🙂

124rhondak101book
May 27, 5:48 pm

>123 nrmay: Looking forward to what you think. This one is often on Early Bird Books for very cheap. I have resisted thus far.

125Jim53
Edited: May 27, 5:54 pm

I just finished The Keeper, the third of Tana French's series featuring Cal Hooper, a retired American cop who moved to a small Irish village. Wow! This is easily (IMHO) the best of the three, and the best mystery I've read so far this year. Her depictions of a carload of teenagers and a bar full of locals are wonderful, and the tension she creates is palpable. I'm excited to see what she does next. 4.5 stars.

126gmathis
Jun 8, 10:08 am

Reading my first Bess Crawford mystery by Charles Todd, A Question of Honor. I like it: a little gentler than the Ian Rutledge mysteries.