Fall is here, and now is the perfect time to settle in with a hot drink and a brand new mystery. If this sounds like your ideal way to spend a spring morning, the next decision you have to make is just which book you should read. Do you seek out a new adventure with an old acquaintance? Do you meet someone new, pick up the first volume in an exciting new series? Do you grab a standalone mystery and immerse yourself fully in an interesting story with a unique protagonist? Whether you’re looking for something specific or just want a good page-turner to sink your teeth into, we’ve got some fantastic mystery suggestions.
Pumpkin Spice Peril
By Jenn McKinlay
Berkley, $7.99, 272 pages
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Everything seems to be going great for the bakers at Fairy Tale Cupcake, Melanie and Angie, both professionally and in their personal lives. But when one of their regular customers, a local glass artist, dies from poison, it comes as a shock to discover that the last thing she ate was one of Fairy Tale’s popular pumpkin spice cupcakes. Will Melanie and Angie be able to discover the identity of the true killer before the scandal closes down their bakery for good? The latest volume in the Cupcake Bakery Mystery series is sure to be a treat for fans!
Hid From Our Eyes: A Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne Mystery
By Julia Spencer-Fleming
Minotaur Books, $27.99, 340 pages
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In the town of Milers Kill, Police Chief Russ van Alstyne has an unsolved murder on his hand: a young woman in a party dress, no obvious cause of death. What’s more, this case bears a striking resemblance to two past unsolved murders, one of which Russ himself was a suspect for. Can Russ and Reverend Clare Fergusson, a new mother who’s also trying to run the church, work together with the police squad to solve the mystery of these connected crimes? Fans of author Julia Spencer-Fleming’s previous books starring Clare and Russ will be thrilled to finally get a new installment in this gripping series.
No Going Back
By Sheena Kamal
William Morrow, $16.99, 360 pages
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Two years ago, Nora Watts rescued her teenage daughter Bonnie–whom she had put up for adoption as a baby–from a wealthy crime family. In the process, Nora made a powerful enemy of the Zhang family’s private security leader, Dao. Now it seems that Dao has his sights set on Bonnie again, determined to get revenge. Nora will need to pull out all the stops and call on all allies both new and old in order to find Dao before he hurts her or Bonnie. This third book starring Nora Watts will keep readers on the edge of their seats as Nora tracks Dao all around the world.
Hard Rain (Rogue)
By Irma Venter
Amazon Crossing, $14.95, 351 pages
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Alex Derksen is a journalist who’s just been assigned to a new job in Tanzania. He’s expecting this assignment to be easy, but things quickly turn complicated when Alex meets and falls for Ranna, a photographer with a complicated past that Alex doesn’t know the half of. Then a dead billionaire washes up on shore after the normal seasonal flooding, and investigations quickly pinpoint Ranna as the main suspect. Alex has some decisions to make. Should he investigate himself, and try to discover the truth of what really happened? Should he help Ranna? Should he assist the detective? Or is it time to just leave Tanzania altogether?
Let the Ghosts Speak
By Bryan Davis
Mountain Brook Ink, $12.99, 266 pages
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Justin Trotter lives in Paris in the 19th century, where he works hard as a book translator in order to pay for proper care for his blind twin sister. One evening, Justin attends a party held by a friend, which ends in murder. The thing is, at this event Justin had met four ghostly strangers who predicted danger. And now that Justin is the murder suspect, he has to unravel this mystery. Hiding alone in the catacombs below Paris, Justin’s only aid comes in the form of various ghosts. Will Justin be able to prove his innocence in time, and protect his sister from her abusive caretaker along the way?