Lawrence Picks: Mystery Book Club Debut Mysteries ConsiderationsLike this list

26 items

• Wild Indigo

  Ault, Sandi

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  Suspenseful, fast-paced, compelling & richly detailed with a strong sense of place in northern New Mexico, Edgar Award Winner, 1st in series, published in 2007, FORMAT: LARGE PRINT, starred Publishers Weekly review: "Agent Jamaica Wild of the Bureau…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Out of the Blues

  Boyce, Trudy Nan

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  Gritty, lyrically-written, compelling, fast-paced, suspenseful police procedural, strong sense of place: Atlanta, Georgia, Author is a former police officer and studied creative writing. 1st in series, published in 2016. Mystery Book Club 2019…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Follow Her Home

  Cha, Steph

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  Sassy, sardonic & suspenseful bibliomystery, private eye & author with Korean American heritage, 1st in series, published in 2013, Mystery Book Club 2017 recommendation! “Possessing investigative instincts and a long-standing love affair for…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Dodging and Burning

  a Mystery

  Copenhaver, John (Novelist)

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  Haunting bibliomystery, characters & author are openly gay, strong sense of place: contemporary and 1940s Washington, D.C. & Virginia, awarded Macavity for Best First Mystery, published in 2018, FORMATS: book & eBook via hoopladigital.com , starred…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Death Comes in Through the Kitchen

  Dovalpage, Teresa, 1966-

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  Compelling, dark & racy humor, intricate plot, culinary-focus, Cuban author, set in Havana, Cuba in year 2000s, strong sense of place, 1st in series, published in 2018, FORMATS: book, Audiobook CD & eAudio via hoopladigital.com , starred Publishers…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Dust and Shadow

  An Account of the Ripper Killings by Dr. John H. Watson

  Faye, Lyndsay

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  Historical fan fiction, richly detailed, strong sense of place: 1880s England, published in 2009, FORMATS: book & eAudio via hoopladigital.com , Publishers Weekly: "Faye pits Sherlock Holmes against Jack the Ripper in her impressive if flawed debut.…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Eyre Affair

  a Novel

  Fforde, Jasper

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  Witty & sardonic, complex & richly detailed, fast-paced, compelling, bibliomystery featuring literary characters & fantasy genre blend (time travel), set in 1980s Wales, Alex Award winner (adult books for YA), 1st in series, published in 2002,…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Glamorous Dead

  Gates, Suzanne,

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  Gritty, compelling, atmospheric, and richly detailed 1940s Hollywood, California fan fiction (Barbara “Stany” Stanwyck) with amateur detective, FORMATS: book & eBook via hoopladigital.com , published in 2017, Publishers Weekly: "Penny turns sleuth…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Cruel Is the Night

  Hämäläinen, Karo, 1976-

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  Darkly witty locked-room Agatha Christie fan fiction, translated from Finnish, published in 2017, starred Publishers Weekly review: “Telegraphing the ending first—no one is alive in millionaire banker Robert’s London apartment—rewind to the events…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Hallowed Murder

  Hart, Ellen

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  Compelling, intricately plotted, amateur sleuth & restaurateur in Minneapolis, lesbian characters by a lesbian author, 1st in series, published in 1989, Mystery Book Club 2020 recommendation! “Along with her witty sidekick, theater director Cordelia…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Blind Goddess

  Holt, Anne, 1958-

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  Menacing, suspenseful, intricately plotted, and character-driven atmospheric Nordic noir police procedural set in Oslo, Norway, author & heroine both identify as lesbian, translated from ‎Norwegian, 1st in series, published in 2012, Mystery Book…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Poetic Justice

  Johnson, Andrea J.,

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  Compelling, fast-paced & intricately plotted, amateur sleuth Black American court stenographer by a Black author, 1st in series, published in 2020, Publishers Weekly: "Victoria’s transcript of the trial, she comes to realize, just may hold the clue…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Spellman Files

  Lutz, Lisa

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  Funny, fast-paced, upbeat & offbeat, conversational, dysfunctional family of private eyes in San Francisco, Alex Award winner (adult books for YA), 1st in series, published in 2007, FORMATS: book & eBook via hoopladigital.com , starred Kirkus…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The House Between Tides

  Maine, Sarah,

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  An atmospheric gothic mystery & romance with environmental focus in dual timelines (1910 & 2010) and a strong sense of place on an island of Scotland, a Loan Stars Favourites award from Canadian librarians, published in 2014, Mystery Book Club 2019…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The No. 2 Feline Detective Agency

  Morton, Mandy,

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  Amusing cozy, plot-driven & much wordplay, quirky, anthropomorphic cat’s point of view, set in England, 1st in series, published 2017, FORMAT: LARGE PRINT, Kirkus review: “The mystery is gossamer-thin, the detective work modest, the characterization…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Blanche on the Lam

  Neely, Barbara

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  Witty and likeable thought-provoking mystery & commentary on social class, amateur sleuth, awarded Agatha, Anthony and Macavity Awards for Best 1st Novel, 1st in series, published in 1992, Mystery Book Club 2020 recommendation! FORMATS: book &…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Strivers' Row Spy

  Overstreet, Jason,

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  Compelling, detailed & atmospheric fan fiction homage to Marcus Garvey and W.E.B. DuBois in 1920s Harlem. 1st in series, published in 2016, Mystery Book Club 2017 recommendation! FORMATS: book, eAudiobook, and eBook in hoopladigital.com ,…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Hearts of the Missing

  Potenza, Carol,

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  Compelling & action-packed complex story, strong sense of place: Fire-Sky Pueblo in New Mexico, Tony Hillerman Prize winner, 1st in series, published in 2018, Mystery Book Club 2020 recommendation! FORMATS: book & eAudiobook via hoopladigital.com ,…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Wife of the Gods

  a Novel

  Quartey, Kwei

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  Gritty-noir police procedural & critique of traditional customs in Ghana, author is Ghanaian-American, practicing physician, and a member of Sisters in Crime writers’ organization, 1st in series, published in 2009, Mystery Book Club 2017…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Murder on the Red River

  Rendon, Marcie R.

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  Entrancing, lyrical & spare coming-of-age mystery with a Native American heroine amateur sleuth, author is an enrolled member of the White Earth Anishinabe Nation (Ojibwa Indians), set along the Red River in Minnesota & North Dakota, winner of the…Read moreRead more of this annotation