Three Don't-Miss Mysteries
Word play and crime solving! #108
First: Is there a children’s book about Mister Mystery, or a drag queen named Miss Turry? If not, there should be. That’s a freebie from you to me because honestly, I should not have to shoulder the responsibility for all of the world’s wordplay, okay?
Second: I’ve been reading for a really long time, and my formative reading years were spent reading the mysteries from my parents’ shelves at an inarguably too-tender age. Yes, nine-year-old me happily read Jonathan Kellerman murder mysteries alongside The Baby-Sitters Club and, like, Danielle Steel. At least Robert B. Parker mostly just intimated the adult bits. (To that end, actually, so did Danielle Steel, who must hold the world’s record for obliquely metaphorical descriptions of adult relations. Jackie Collins, on the other hand …)
Anyway, the point is this - I unapologetically love a traditional procedural and mystery protagonist like Spenser or Myron Bolitar or the Elizabeth George or Tana French crews. Bring it on! But I also really adore all the “unlikely” detectives who pop up, solving crimes and representing! I love a mystery novel, is what I’m saying. And this week’s mysteries run the gamut from traditional-and-great to unconventional-and-also-great. Dive in and enjoy!
I’d seen The Bangalore Detectives Club at bookstores for a while and was never tempted to pick it up because I incorrectly assumed it would be super derivative** and therefore a pale imitation of other beloved books. Don’t be like me! This was a lot of fun - perfect for fans of The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency (which was obviously intentional with the title) but with entirely its own voice in Kaveri, a young bride in colonial India who defies expectations as a woman and as an amateur sleuth. Charming and warm, with an expressive and skillfully illustrated backdrop of 1920s Bangalore that serves as a main character and adds important context. I liked it!
Murder mysteries confound my lamby rating system. “Murder, but what about those descriptions of FLOWERS!” Let’s just say this wasn’t super graphic and that it was pretty cozy.
**But please the court, come on - THAT title and THIS cover, which shares 99% of its DNA with The Henna Artist (which I also liked and talked about way back in newsletter #3)? You can see my point, right? Do better, publishers.
Lavender House is another historical mystery, set in 1950s San Francisco where our protagonist, Andy Mills, has been fired by the SFPD for being gay and subsequently is hired as a private detective by the widow of a wealthy soap empire matriarch. It’s a classic detective-noir style mystery wrapped in commentary on the dangerous realities of the time (and, increasingly, of our current time, but YOU DON’T COME HERE FOR POLITICS NOW DO YOU.) Slim and tight, plainspoken, but also a good meta-narrative on the truths we hide from other people, and the price we all pay for it.
Sigh. (rubs forehead)
Look.
It’s not that I’m mad. I’m just … disappointed. Because - you all knew about these Louise Penny mysteries, and absolutely no one saw fit to share them with me? I mean, what are we even doing here, people?
So yeah, a beloved member of a small Canadian town turns up murdered, and Inspector Armand Gamache of the Surêté du Québec brings his brilliant mind, empathetic perception, and crack investigative team to discover the murderer before they strike again. I mean, RIGHT? Are we not having fun? The premise is 100% That Mystery but/and Inspector Gamache is super appealing (I aspire to give managerial speeches as he does), the plot is clever, the setting is vivid, and overall it’s smart, immersive, and skillfully done. Plus great news there are apparently SEVENTEEN OTHER INSPECTOR GAMACHE BOOKS LET’S GOOOOOO!
If mysteries are your jam, just call me Bonne Maman because I deliver the jammy goods when it comes to mystery recommendations! See just a sampling of past newsletters:
If mysteries are not for you … um, oops. But really? Are you getting enough iron? Well, okay - please come back next week for something different or check out the archive to find something you will love!
Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop
Sorry, just ONE MORE mystery note. Because your newsletter reading peer and my bestie Danielle Arceneaux officially has a publication date for her debut mystery, Glory Be. !!!
Take it from someone lucky enough to read an advance copy, you’re going to want to check out this funny, dynamic cozy mystery following Glory Broussard, a Louisiana woman of a certain age and an even more certain irascible charm, as she attempts to solve the mysterious death of her best friend. Genuinely, Glory is one of my favorite characters from the past few years of reading; she and her one-liners are beyond memorable. Anyway, you can pre-order now, badger your library to make sure they get it in, or just wait breathlessly until I do my giveaway in October.
All links go to Bookshop.org which supports independent bookstores. A bright spot in a murky world. You can see and buy most of my past recommendations here. Theoretically if you bought something through these links I’d receive an affiliate fee which I would theoretically donate to Defy Ventures, another bright spot. This almost never happens, but I strive for FTC compliance. Okay bye.
My Mother had a robust Agatha Christie collection which I enjoyed reading as a kid. Let's just say that I get sucked into watching Poirot on PBS to this day.