The Woman Who Wouldn't Die Quietly by Bivald

THE WOMAN WHO WOULDN'T DIE QUIETLY by Katarina Bivald (The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend and more ) is the third book in Bivald’s series about Berit Gardner and her friend, DCI Ian Ahmed. I have developed real affection and even affinity for Berit’s character who loves her time alone: “she could have been fond of cities if it weren't for all the people in them.” In this cozy mystery, she is in Sweden at her grandmother’s cottage on an archipelago near Stockholm where she spent many happy summers. It’s late fall and winter, though, so the environment is cold and dark and Bivald deftly employs descriptions of the physical environment to add to the sense of menace and reflection. Berit and Ian are invited to a nearby island to celebrate the eightieth birthday of Margrethe Cullberg-Franzen, an especially abrasive woman who still leads her family’s art gallery business. That celebration ends in a tragic death leaving behind many family suspects and motives (revenge, greed, fear). More adventures - and another death - follow, as Berit and Ian and local police try to solve this puzzle. Publishers Weekly gave THE WOMAN WHO WOULDN'T DIE QUIETLY a starred review (“Bivald excels at surprise and misdirection, and she buttresses those mystery fundamentals with a psychologically complex lead and intoxicating Scandinavian atmosphere.”). A Reading Group Guide and Conversation with the Author are included. Enjoy!

Just sharing quotes from the preview, part of Berit’s rather comforting outlook:
“Even the most difficult things became more manageable if you faced up to them. Apprehension and unease only grew if you tried to escape them.”

“If nothing lasted forever, then that was part of what made having lived and existed so wonderful: the fact that the people she loved had lived, and that nature and the world around her would continue to do so even after she was gone.”

Most Ardently Yours by Freya Sampson

MOST ARDENTLY YOURS by Freya Sampson is another rom-com of sorts from this creative author (Nosy Neighbors, The Busybody Book Club) and a LibraryReads selection for July. My favorite of Sampson’s titles, The Lost Ticket, also took place in London and dealt with issues that happened decades earlier. In her latest, Sampson draws on events from centuries earlier … and fictional ones at that. Imagine avid romance reader Zoe Knight’s surprise when a man appearing to be Mr. Darcy arrives at the café where she works in modern day London. She convinces him that he has time traveled there - rather than being summoned by magic related to a copy of Pride and Prejudice which Zoe stole from the grumpy, but handsome bookstore owner, Nick Baskerville. See where this may be going? Library Journal says, “The many book lovers who have dreamed that their favorite fictional characters could leave the pages of a novel and join them in the real world will want to pick up Sampson's latest.” Perhaps, but only if they are willing to endure Zoe’s almost constant crisis of self-worth. Publishers Weekly calls MOST ARDENTLY YOURS “a charmer,” citing Darcy’s amusing reactions to present day culture. In addition, there are numerous references to romance novelists and the plot of Pride and Prejudice. A reading group guide and author interview are included.

The Reimagining of Thornwood House

THE REIMAGINING OF THORNWOOD HOUSE by Jaleigh Johnson is an absolutely delightful fantasy debut. The author says that “this book turned out to be a strange alchemy of things I needed to write to comfort myself during hard times, and gifts I wanted to give to other people.” The gentle story about a young witch, Evie, and her adopted daughter (also with magical abilities), Ruby, is indeed a gift. The two stake their future together on a new posting to a sentient house in a rural area, only to find upon their arrival that the house has run away. Together with their neighbor, Gil, and many of the other villagers, Evie and Ruby gradually repair the house and slowly gain its trust. “You nurture it, allow it to grieve, and, when it's ready, help it to reimagine itself and what it's going to be moving forward. It won't be the same as it was, but it can still be something amazing.” Nature – there is a lovely Mood Garden and Star Oak tree – plays a key role. But there is danger about and a mystery to solve before the house can be fully restored. This is a hopeful story and is highly recommended, especially for readers who enjoyed the cozy fantasy titled The Teller of Small Fortunes. Another gentle story involving “found families” is Loon Point, although it has a contemporary setting without magic. I am also going to look for the author's middle grade series (published about a decade ago) about The Mark of the Dragonfly. 

Good Joy, Bad Joy by Mikki Brammer

GOOD JOY, BAD JOY by Mikki Brammer (The Collected Regrets of Clover) introduces readers to Joy Bridport, someone who at first seems truly too good to be true. Joy invariably looks on the bright side, gives others the benefit of the doubt, and sacrifices her own needs to help others. Her life, however, gets turned upside down (look at that cover!) when she learns that her best friend of eighty years, Hazel, has terminal cancer. Brammer shares Joy’s innermost thoughts about her parents’ values, her troubled relationship with her own daughter (Elizabeth) and grandson Finn, as well as a new friendship with Rowan, a neighbor recently released from jail. Joy starts to take some risks, and the lack of consequences will have readers nodding in agreement about how older women often are invisible. GOOD JOY, BAD JOY is a rather sad story and while Joy grows, it can be a difficult read emotionally. Like “good” Joy, Booklist describes this novel more positively as “a heartwarming, poignant story of self-discovery and hope.” Book groups will find much to discuss.

Moonlight Murder by Uzma Jalaluddin

MOONLIGHT MURDER by Uzma Jalaluddin is her second Detective Aunty novel and I found it even more enjoyable than the first, although also a bit slow-paced in parts. Kauser Khan, the main character, is an older widow whose heritage is Muslim and South Asian. She lives in Toronto where her son (Ali, then 15) was killed by a hit and run driver eighteen years ago. The story revolves around her belated investigation of his death and the more recent death of another young teen, Qasim, close friend of her granddaughter, Maleeha. As the beautiful cover illustrates, the culture of the tightly knit community in the Golden Crescent neighborhood of Toronto is integral to the story and Jalaluddin brings to life secondary characters like Kauser’s daughter; old friends May (“Who knew that a shared love for Louise Penny and the Public Library would lead to a friend for life?”), Fatima, and Nasir (also a potential romantic interest); the local police; and several high school students, including the brother, Kamal, and the best friend, Joquiem, of Qasim as well as some of his teachers. The dual mysteries (“Two parallel stories, separated by decades and circumstance, linked by place and community. Both deaths assumed accidents. Both with unanswered questions about motive, story, and intention…”) offer suspense and surprise. Kauser is an appealing character who relies on her faith and also still grapples with grief (“It felt good to make plans for the future. It felt good to feel capable of thinking beyond the next few days. She had lived her life in survival mode for so long, wrestling with the ghosts of death, loss, and grief, … but she could feel something shift inside her now, at last.”). Read this series in order as you anticipate the next title.

Murder Will Out by Jennifer K. Breedlove

MURDER WILL OUT by Jennifer K. Breedlove is described by the publisher as “a lighter, modern gothic mystery.” It has a full cast of characters, including many ghosts. Their home, pictured on the lovely cover, is called Cameron House and is set on an island in Maine. Willow Stone returns to that island after learning of the death of Susan Davis, a friend of her parents and an important part of her childhood summers, although they have been estranged for over fifteen years. Being from Away, Willow is met with suspicion and resentment, but she readily senses that something is not right, especially after a second death occurs. Both are tied to Cameron House and the family members who stand to inherit it. Can she trust the locals? How does she react to the ghosts? Numerous secrets, including multiple affairs and entanglements produce a suspenseful story and a surprising, satisfying ending. Winner of the Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Award, MURDER WILL OUT received a starred review from Library Journal, recommending this debut to fans of Katherine Hall Page (Faith Fairchild series), Nancy Atherton (Aunt Dimity books) and Carolyn Hart’s ghostly cozies. I, too, am looking forward to more from this promising author.

Stay for a Spell by Amy Coombe

STAY FOR A SPELL by Amy Coombe is a cute, cozy fantasy that received starred reviews from Booklist, Kirkus, and Library Journal. The main character in this debut novel is a princess, Tandy (Tanadelle de Courcy, fourth in line for the throne of the Widdenmar), who loves books and reading, but whose sense of duty keeps her on the road for most of the year. She falls under a curse and gets trapped in a bookstore while travelling in her royal role. Her parents arrange for the seven princes of the Shining Realm to try to break the curse with a kiss. Each arrival offers some amusing diversion, but, for me, the story moved too slowly. I was curious instead to see the relationship between Tandy and Bash, a pirate cursed with fear of water, develop. That took quite a while and meanwhile, two local teens worked with Tandy to rebrand and revitalize the bookstore. I agree with Booklist that teen readers may find those characters and even Tandy to be relatable. Overall, however, I would have preferred a faster pace and a chance to see Tandy make more of her own decisions and really grow. Interested readers should also look for titles like Travis Baldree’s Bookshops & Bonedust or Julie Leong’s The Teller of Small Fortunes.

Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manansala

ARSENIC AND ADOBO by Mia P. Manansala was a LibraryReads selection in May 2021 and a GoodReads Nominee for best mystery/thriller that year.  Honestly, it has been on my “to-be-read” pile for quite a while, especially since it had received starred reviews from Booklist, Library Journal and Publishers Weekly.  The first in a series (Tia Rosie’s Kitchen) of what is now six books, I just finished it over the holidays. The main character is named Lila Macapagal and she is devoted to her Filipino family and their restaurant. The story is cute (Lila owns a “chubby” dachshund called Longganisa, a type of sausage) and reminded me of Savvy Summers and the Sweet Potato Crimes (although the later has a Chicago location versus being located two hours outside the city in fictional Shady Palms), particularly since the livelihood of each restaurant is threatened after an unexpected death. I was grateful for the glossary and pronunciation guide which the author included, although I still struggled to differentiate some of Lila’s family members, especially the older generation, like Tia Rosa and Lila’s grandmother. I clearly enjoy a cozy culinary, often with  enclosed recipes like those found in ARSENIC AND ADOBO, but my favorites in that category remain the Goldy Bear ones by Diane Mott Davidson.

A Field Guide to Murder by Michelle L. Cullen

A FIELD GUIDE TO MURDER by Michelle L. Cullen is described as “perfect for fans of Richard Osman and Benjamin Stevenson” so naturally I rushed to read a preview of this debut which is scheduled for a January publication. The main character, Harry Lancaster, is indeed a bit of an older curmudgeon but he bonds with Emma Stockton, his caretaker, and together they set out to solve what could be a murder mystery while simultaneously distracting each other from some sad thoughts. Harry is concerned about growing less independent and Emma has to make an uncomfortable decision about her upcoming wedding. A FIELD GUIDE TO MURDER is a cute, entertaining story which Kirkus describes as “[A] neighborhood cozy that ticks all the boxes.” Enjoy! And consider tuning into Netflix’s “A Man on the Inside,” also featuring an older sleuth.

Just Another Dead Author by Katarina Bivald

JUST ANOTHER DEAD AUTHOR by Katarina Bivald (The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend) follows Swedish writer Berit Gardner after her initial adventures in The Murders in Great Diddling. She is now in France as a guest speaker at a writers’ conference. Once again, Berit utilizes her powers of observation and analysis to unconventionally aid the local police in solving a murder. The dead author is John Wright, a distinctly unpleasant character who has managed to offend or alienate most people, resulting in plenty of suspects amongst the speakers and guests at the conference. To further complicate the investigation, they are all writers (“basically in training to become liars”) and therefore prone to flights of imagination: “…used to bending the truth to suit their needs and wishes. An intoxicating habit of playing God, of being able to control reality, change it, stretch it according to their own ideas and wishes.” Secrets and surprises are rampant in this entertaining tale in which Bivald deftly employs humor and Berit’s refreshing perspective on the writing life: “When writing is at its best, it lets us imagine things and play like a child … see the world with the wide eyed fascination of a child, talk to imaginary friends inside our head, travel all over the world without leaving our chair, befriend dragons, find love, save the world.” A Reading Group Guide and notes from a Conversation with the Author are included.

Savvy Summers and the Sweet Potato Crimes

SAVVY SUMMERS AND THE SWEET POTATO CRIMES by Sandra Jackson-Opoku is a brand-new culinary mystery. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Karen Chilton – she did an excellent job. I liked the voice, the cozy story, and the clever use of language (e.g., “looking back from the intersection of hindsight and regret…”). This mystery debut is set in Southside Chicago so hearing about familiar locales was fun for me (despite the disparaging remarks about the beloved Cubbies baseball team). The title character is a woman trying to be strong and to give back to her community. She runs her own business, a soul food café based on her great Aunt Essie's recipes. But when a patron dies suddenly, Savvy’s livelihood is threatened, and she (along with her nosy assistant and policemen ex-husband) tries to figure out what happened. Savvy persists, often reflecting on Aunt Essie’s truisms like there are three sides to every story: “her side, his side and the dad-gone truth.” Library Journal gave SAVVY SUMMERS AND THE SWEET POTATO CRIMES a starred review, praising its “engaging community of characters.” 

Welcome to Murder Week by Karen Dukess

WELCOME TO MURDER WEEK by Karen Dukess is a delightfully quirky, frothy offering which combines mystery and romance set in England’s Peak District. After the death of her often-estranged Mom, Cath Little heads to the UK to participate in a pretend murder contest. No one knows why her Mom had purchased the tickets without telling Cath. Soon, however, Cath and her detective team (roommates Wyatt, struggling in his marriage to a birding shopkeeper, and Amity, a romance author with writer’s block), are investigating not only the supposed death of local resident Tracy Penny, but also a series of strange coincidences involving Cath, her childhood, and her Mom. The tiny village of Willowthrop is also home to several memorable characters, including handsome barman and artisanal gin crafter named Dev who is attracted to Cath. This entertaining tale fulfills the author’s description: “Murder, revenge, lies, abandonment – they’re a respite from the mess and confusion of our own lives. Fictional chaos is a holiday, a beautiful distraction. We can go along for the ride and shiver from the danger without worrying that we'll get hurt.” WELCOME TO MURDER WEEK received a starred review from Library Journal (“just the thing for a rainy afternoon and a cup of tea”). Enjoy.  

The Busybody Book Club by Freya Sampson

THE BUSYBODY BOOK CLUB by Freya Sampson is a really fun cozy mystery story with a delightful cast of characters. Nova (along with her fiancé Craig) has recently moved to a small village in Cornwall where she works in a community center. There, Nova runs a small book club whose members include the older and very opinionated Phyllis (and her dog smelly bulldog, Craddock), Ash (a teenager, trying to impress a classmate), retired farmer Arthur who cares for his wife, Esi, and the newest member, Michael. A great part of the enjoyment is how each references a favorite genre: Phyllis frequently invokes Miss Marple and Agatha Christie; Arthur cites the plots of romance novels, and Ash loves Star Wars and science fiction. Readers won’t be too sure of Michael’s tastes because he disappears early in the story – at roughly the same time that 10,000 pounds goes missing and a dead body is discovered. He becomes a chief suspect although plenty of theories are bantered about and the book club members have some harrowing adventures, even threatening Nova and Craig’s upcoming nuptials. A May 2025 LibraryReads selection, THE BUSYBODY BOOK CLUB is light and entertaining; there are some surprises and more obvious twists, giving readers an equal chance to smile to themselves, saying “told you so!” Also enjoyable: The Lost Ticket and Nosy Neighbors, both by Freya Sampson.

The Four Queens of Crime by Rosanne Limoncelli

Set in 1938 in England, THE FOUR QUEENS OF CRIME by Rosanne Limoncelli is an intriguing debut novel featuring four famous mystery writers: enlists Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Ngaio Marsh, and Margery Allingham. They have been invited to a charity gala being hosted at the estate of Baronet Sir Henry Heathcote. The party seems a fabulous success, but the next morning a dead body is discovered, and the writers eventually help the police sift through multiple personal and professional motives to unmask the killer. THE FOUR QUEENS OF CRIME received starred reviews from Library Journal and Publishers Weekly. Mystery readers may also have fun comparing this to the recently published The Queens of Crime by Marie Benedict. I thought that Limoncelli did a better job of giving each of the writers a more distinctive character (she certainly relied less than Benedict on describing their outfits). I also liked how Limoncelli included other real people (Detective Chief Inspector Lilian Wyles, Lady Stella, even Home Secretary Sir Samuel Hoare) in her story and included a helpful character list. I am looking forward to more mysteries from this author and hope that as she develops her craft, she becomes more confident in subtly showing/pointing her readers to conclusions and clues rather than “telling” them. This cozy is an entertaining escape – enjoy!

The Murders in Great Diddling by Katarina Bivald

THE MURDERS IN GREAT DIDDLING is a relatively recent mystery novel by Katarina Bivald (The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend). Berit Gardner is an author with writer’s block who decides to move to a cozy English village where, per its name, but unbeknownst to her at first, some swindling is afoot. There is resentment and desperation in the air, too, especially at a tea party held reluctantly at Tawny Hall. The elderly owner’s generally disliked nephew is killed in an explosion and Berit offers her observation skills to help the police, even acknowledging, “The people in Great Diddling have an impressively long tradition of lying.” Those villagers band together to build on the notoriety of the murder by holding a book festival – complete with appearances by locals impersonating famous authors. This book is full of humor and surprises. THE MURDERS IN GREAT DIDDLING received a starred review from Library Journal: “Those who escape to Louise Penny's Three Pines might want to check out Great Diddling.” A Reading Group Guide is included and the author says, “I hope it [the story] carries you away for a little while. Transports you from whatever problems or bothers exist in your life, gives you a break, makes you smile a little as you move amongst the murderous people in Great Diddling.” Enjoy! 

The Teller of Small Fortunes by Julie Leong

THE TELLER OF SMALL FORTUNES by Julie Leong is a cozy fantasy debut that was chosen for the LibraryReads November 2024 list. Its beautiful cover reflects the warmth and good cheer which radiates from this story. Tao, a young girl travelling on her own is the title character. As she moves from village to town, she shares small fortunes with others, afraid to fully exercise her ability to foresee the future because of a past tragedy. It is on the road that she meets Mash, a former soldier looking for his lost daughter; Silt, a reformed thief and friend to Mash; and Kina, an apprentice baker. Together this unlikely group forms a community of sorts and their subsequent – sometimes dangerous – adventures bind them tightly together. This is a wonderful story about friendship and (found) family. Here is a favorite quote: “Aye, our lives are short and shaped by circumstance, and maybe we can't control most of what's to come. But we can control how we feel. We can savor the sweetness of a blackberry scone, and the company of our friends, and the warmth of the summer wind at night, and be grateful for it.”

In its starred review, Library Journal said, THE TELLER OF SMALL FORTUNES “is a delightful cozy fantasy that will appeal to fans of Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree and A Pirate's Life for Tea by Rebecca Thorne.” Enjoy!! Discussion questions are included.

What Time the Sexton's Spade Doth Rust by Bradley

WHAT TIME THE SEXTON'S SPADE DOTH RUST by Alan Bradley is the newest Flavia de Luce Novel (Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie and many more; for example, The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches). Once again Bradley’s opinionated and daring young detective sets out to solve a murder while proving that her housekeeper, Mrs. Mullet, is innocent. Flavia has been described as a combination between Eloise and Sherlock Holmes; she certainly loves her chemistry experiments and clever wordplay. Her internal dialogues are such fun; for examples “I know how suspicious minds work because that's how my mind works. It is not always easy being blessed with a superior brain.” Or, more seriously, “For the first time in ages, I wanted to cry. I wanted to have a good old-fashioned wail: a healthy old heartbreaking howl. But why bother when there was no one here to hear it?” As Flavia ages and her sisters develop their own lives, it appears that her younger (and often annoying) cousin, Undine, may take a larger role in investigating and in perpetuating the sometimes naïve innocence and lucky thinking needed to beat the local inspector to the true perpetuators. Dogger, loyal servant and dear friend to Flavia, is indispensable, too, in helping unravel motives in the death of Major Greyleigh, formerly a public hangman. This series offers readers a charming and humorous scramble of mystery and introspection. A LibraryReads September 2024 Hall of Fame selection, WHAT TIME THE SEXTON'S SPADE DOTH RUST received a starred review from Booklist (“an endlessly entertaining amateur young sleuth who has much to teach her elders”).