Category: Amateur Sleuths
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A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder: How to Ace Your Senior Project
I fell hard for Pippa, the “good girl” who decides to investigate the murder-suicide of two classmates for her high school senior project. If you haven’t read a young adult mystery lately, I encourage you to give this one a try.
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What Lies in the Woods: A Survivor’s Suspenseful Tale
A twist-filled tale about the resilience of little girls and the adults who are supposed to take care of them. I was cheering for our tough protagonist by the end, a grand finale I definitely didn’t see coming.
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Scorched Grace: A Poet Pens a Lyrical Debut
Lush language, an atmospheric setting and the most original protagonist in many a mystery. There’s so much to love in this intense noir debut featuring a queer punk rock nun in the sweltering heat of New Orleans.
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Cyanide and Sensibility: A Cozy with Flavors of Austen
It’s fun to spot the references to Jane Austen and her characters in this cozy mystery featuring a professor of English literature who likes to dress in Regency-style gowns while teaching — and solving murders.
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One Puzzling Afternoon: Solving a Decades-Old Mystery
At 82, Edie Havercroft’s memory is slipping a bit. So when she claims to have seen a young girl who went missing 67 years ago, is she merely confused or does she know something that can crack the case?
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A Welcome Holiday Puzzle: The Christmas Jigsaw Murders
Edie O’Sullivan may be an elderly English amateur sleuth but she’s no Miss Marple. The acid-tongued puzzler loathes most people but she’s going to need help to stop the body count from climbing.
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It’s Glory’s World, and We’re Lucky to Be Living in It
Author Danielle Arceneaux has created a darkly humorous amateur sleuth/bookie who doesn’t let age — or anything else — stand in her way. The relationships shine in this mystery set in small-town Louisiana.
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Take a Chance on Anne Perry’s Christmas Mystery Series
If you’re looking for traditional mysteries set in Victorian England with a Christmas theme, try Perry’s lesser-known series of 21 novellas. The series need not be read in order and features wintry landscapes, lush holiday celebrations and satisfying resolutions.
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The Third Girl: Fleeing to France in this Modern Cozy
Molly Sutton, 38, returns to France after her marriage ends and settles into a large village, where she discovers a love of almond croissants — and a gift for solving murders. First published in 2015, there are now 11 books in the series.
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Gaudy Night: A Classic Sleuth Remains Relevant Today
Gaudy Night, a classic of mystery’s Golden Age, stands the test of time. It’s a great fall read, with its academic setting and spooky doings, and sleuth Harriet Vane feels real and relatable nearly 100 years after Dorothy L. Sayers created her.
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