Mystery and Suspense

I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai
I really feel like Rebecca Makkai is rising as one of the great authors of the last decade. Her previous book, The Great Believers, was nominated for the Pulitzer and the Nat'l Book Award. In my opinion, this one surpasses it.
While at first glance, this is a mystery about the murder of a girl in a New Hampshire boarding school in the 90s, it's also about the Me Too movement, the time we started canceling out human beings, the time we let someone get away with murder/rape/domestic violence/pedophilia, the time we put a (possibly) innocent man in prison, the time we thought the black guy did it/ the time high school students were horrible and bullying to each other.
Bodie is a successful podcaster and professor, so when she is hired to teach a short term class at the boarding school she herself attended as a teen, it's not surprising that she starts questioning what really happened during her senior year, when her ex-roommate's body showed up bludgeoned and drowned in the gym pool. At the time, all evidence seemed to point to Omar, the athletic trainer. But...did it? Makkai neatly draws multiple storylines together to make points far beyond whodunit. Well worth the read!

Deadline by Gerry Boyle
An oldie (1994) but a goodie, this Maine mystery series features a NYT reporter, Jack McMorrow, who's relocated up North for a simpler life. Ha! He's immediately enmeshed in unsolved murder, shady characters, and more than one beat down. Gerry Boyle doesn't scrimp on the realism, and it's always fun to read a book when you recognize the locales. Fun, quick read. 

The Maid by Nita Prose
For once, the hype is true -The Maid lives up to all expectations! With elements of Christie as well as The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Nita Prose brings us a neuro-diverse heroine (who we can only hope pops up in another book) entangled in cold-blooded murder, illicit activities, exacting etiquette, and Olive Garden trysts.
Molly is a maid at the exclusive Grand Regency, an existence she finds to be perfection--if it weren't for the passing of her grandmother (her only living relative), the ensuing loneliness, her financial woes, and her ostracization by the other employees for her odd affect and behavior. Add to this that Molly utterly lacks the ability to read motives in other people and it's easy to see how a girl could end up framed for murder. But Molly has been seriously underestimated her whole life, and she's finally able to use that to her advantage (with the help of a few good friends!)

Portrait of a Thief by Grace D. Li
Intense drama about a group of five young Chinese-American students who are pulled into a scheme to steal back looted Chinese art from the Summer Palace in Beijing that has found its way into American and European museums. I wouldn't have thought it plausible for anyone to plan heists of this magnitude in this day and age, and yet... Li paints a compelling tale that seems like it could actually happen. Adding another dimension are the back stories and interactions of the student- thieves, all members of the Chinese diaspora, all looking for their place in the world, trying to navigate the road to adulthood, to happiness, to success, and to love. Two thumbs up!

Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney
How to describe this book? The story, about a married couple who goes to a remote hideaway in Scotland in a last ditch attempt to save their marriage, is sort of dull and uninspired for the first 2/3 of the book, but then several unique and clever plot twists are thrown in that make for a fairly compulsive read. Just an amazing juxtaposition between story idea and execution. It's worth picking up if you love mysteries, not so much if you depend on character development or interesting turns of phrase.

Chasing the Boogeyman by Richard Chizmar
I didn't scan the fine print on the book jacket before I started reading and was completely fooled into thinking this was a real story, very cool! Chizmar does an outstanding job of crafting a fake 'true crime' story, complete with pictures of victims interspersed throughout. And, of course, he injects himself as the narrator in a completely believeable fashion.
Richard 'recounts' the summer after he graduated from college, when he went back to his hometown to start work on a magazine he wanted to publish called 'Cemetary Dance'(which is actually what he did in real life). In this alternative reality, the town became a hotbed of terror as a serial killer stalked, assaulted and murdered girl after girl after girl. Richard and his friend, another recent jouralism grad, follow the clues and are soon up to their necks in the case -including being shadowed by the Boogeyman, as the mystery killer is dubbed. A great piece of fiction for a true crime afficionado.

The Child Finder by Rene Denfeld
 Naomi Cottle is the Child Finder, an investigator who has dedicated her life to finding missing children -after being found herself at the age of 9 when she escaped from unknown captors. The alternating narratives in this book feature both Naomi's voice, and the voice of a missing child who she's seeking, and it's well done. Naomi is the female investigator we've been looking for since the Kinsey Milhone series A is for Alibi came to an end. If you like mysteries with tart, quirky, independent investigators, unrequited love interests, and clever plot lines, than you should try this series. Now, on to the next one!

The Obsession by Jesse Q. Sutanto
Looking for a suspenseful YA with twists, ambiguity, and good people who do bad things? Or possibly, bad people who do good things? Our anti-hero, Delilah, is trapped in a home with her cowed mother and mom's very abusive boyfriend, who also happens to be a cop investigating her school for a drug dealer. Logan is her charismatic, handsome, and charming stalker, who also happens to be blackmailing her. Bad things happen, and it's hard to know when to cheer and when to cringe, which makes this a perfect suspenseful novel, action-packed right up to the last page.

Long Bright River by Liz Moore
Compelling mystery that is just as much a whodunit as it is a commentary on the opioid crisis. Two sisters, daughters of addicts, grow up to choose very different paths for themselves. Mickey becomes a police officer, Kacey is a heroin addict/prostitute. When Kacey goes missing, Mick's racheting up anxiety is compounded when it becomes clear that someone is killing vulnerable women in their section of Philadelphia. Can Mick find Kacey before it's too late, and how to deal with her own lifetime of memories, prejudices, and isolation so that they don't impede her search? Red herrings abound, and it's easy to empathize with the characters, even if you don't particularly like them.

Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line by Deepa Anappara
Reading this book is taking a trip to a whole other world, but it's not a wonderland. It's the harsh reality of a 9 year old boy named Jai, who lives in a basti (slum by a garbage dump) in India where children are suddenly going missing. Jai, who loves to watch crime dramas on the family's prized TV, is about to get a dose of reality as friends are disappearing and the police can't be bothered to investigate what's happening to this marginalized population.
Because Jai and his friends are so young and innocent, they suspect it might even be the work of a djinn, a magical creature who's eating his captives. Unfortunately, the truth isn't much better. The three little friends decide to become detectives and find the missing children, and through their eyes the reader is allowed into a world they might not have realized existed. It's a harsh life, albeit one full of love, family, laughter, and tradition, but sparse on material possessions or full bellies. This is a masterfully told tale that thrusts injustice and poverty into the limelight while giving us tiny heroes to root for.

The Cousins by Karen M. McManus
Karen McManus does it again-she's the queen of fast-paced YA mystery. The Cousins pits three likeable teen characters against conniving adults, shrouded family secrets, and enigmatic events that lead to a big reveal that you probably won't see coming. Aubrey, Milly, and Jonah are the aforementioned cousins, but they barely know each other as their very wealthy grandmother disinherited all their parents 24 years ago, and the whole family became more or less estranged. Surprisingly, the grandmother has issued an invitation for the three to visit her for the summer on Gull Cove Island, where she owns an exclusive resort. But, they're not vacationing, they are hired as staff, and when they finally meet their grandmother, it's as if she wasn't expecting them. Add to this the puzzling and painful events going on in each of the cousins' lives and there's some unraveling to do before anyone gets to anything close to the truth of why their family split apart. Oh, and dead bodies? There will be a few of those, too! There's great chemistry between Aubrey, Milly, and Jonah, which adds a lot of entertainment value. Highly recommended.

The Truants by Kate Weinberg
Be forewarned -this enigmatic novel isn't anything like an Agatha Christie mystery, although suspicious behavior and shadowy figures abound. Jess enters the University of East Anglia in the hopes of making a connection with one of the professors, a charismatic woman named Lorna who teaches a course on Christie and seems to have an unnatural fixation with the ethics of murder. Now, a naive student who develops a fascination for a woman who has a fascination for murder doesn't necessarily mean that death and mayhem will occur, but it doesn't hurt. Jess is a smart girl, but she is easily manipulated by flatterers and friends and finds herself in several relationship triangulations that prove destructive. The story highlights the persuasive pull that educators have on impressionable minds, and the layers of manipulation occurring on multiple fronts are mindboggling.

Darling Rose Gold by Stephanie Wrobel
A real page-turner about a girl who has spent her entire childhood being poisoned by her mother, Patty. Now, Patty had no intention of killing Rose Gold. Rather, she has Munchausen's Syndrome by Proxy, which means that she needs the sympathy and admiration of others from taken care of a sick child. All the benefits of sainthood, none of the work. Meanwhile, Rose Gold has suffered very real pain, as well as ostracism by other kids, and lacks even basic social skills or a moral compass.
The story isn't about the poisoning, but follows Rose Gold's difficult transition to adulthood after Patty goes to prison when Rose Gold is 18. Quickly we see that not only is Patty not a saint, but Rose Gold isn't either. When Patty is released from prison after five years and Rose Gold invites her to live in her home, you can practically hear the ominous music start playing.
 

A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
Five years ago, Sal Singh murdered Andie Bell -allegedly. Pip remembers Sal's kindness to her when she was young, and can't believe that Sal was capable of such a thing. So, Pip decides for her senior capstone project to get to the bottom of things, solve the murder, and clear Sal's name. Things quickly veer out of control and suspects start to rack up. With the help of Sal's brother, Ravi, Pip starts to close in on the truth, and that is a very dangerous place to be.
If you love murder mysteries, you're in for a real treat with this one! Pip is a plausible detective, and the author has woven a story that will keep you on the edge of your seat, with more than one explosive surprise waiting for you!
 

The Other Americans by Laila Lalami

This novel is a mash up of suspense, romance, and family drama. When a Moroccan immigrant and local business owner is the victim of a hit and run in southern California, his daughter is convinced that it was a hate crime. Each chapter is voiced by a different involved party, from Driss, the dearly departed, to his suspicious daughter, Nora, to Coleman, the detective on the case. Add to that: his widow, his other daughter, a friend from Nora's past who's an Iraqi war vet, etc., and things quickly become overly complex. Unfortunately, there's simply too much story to tell, and it feels as if the thick soup of details overshadows Nora's budding romance and self-awakening. When a character reveals a substance abuse problem and it's only addressed in passing, it might be time to pare down. Nevertheless, Laila Lalami does have a beautiful way with words, and she paints a vivid picture of the life of immigrants in America. Her book, The Moor's Account is a fantastic fictionalization of the first Muslim to hit these shores (as a slave on a conquistador's ship), and was nominated for the Booker and Pulitzer. She doesn't quite hit that mark with The Other Americans, but still a worthwhile read. 


The Cellar by Minette Walters
Revenge is an ugly emotion, but as 14 yr old Muna, the illegal slave of the Songoli family, says, "I am what you have made me".  
Muna is taken under false pretenses from an African orphanage when she's only 8 years old.  Mrs. Songoli claims to be her aunt, and brings Muna back with her to Great Britain -to begin a horrible existence as the family's slave girl.  Not only is she regularly beaten by Mrs. Songoli and sexually molested by Mr. Songoli, but their two sons are starting to present an ominous threat to Muna's already diminished circumstances.  

But, Muna is a clever, resourceful girl.  When the younger son mysteriously disappears on his way to school, she uses the opportunity to -finally-improve her life. But at what cost?  A terrific, thrilling read that will keep you spellbound right to the last page.


My Sunshine Away by M.O. Walsh
In 1989 Baton Rouge, on a quiet, family friendly cul-de-sac, the unthinkable happens: a 15 year old is attacked and raped. Told from the perspective of another child living on the street, a story unfolds of how little we know those closest to us.
Our narrator is 14 and coming to grips with adolescent urges and crushes while in the midst of having his father leave home to live with a much younger woman. When the crime occurs, he watches the beautiful object of his affection crumble into a diminished version of herself as the police fail to solve the crime. He also evaluates the neighborhood and comes up with a strange crew of potential suspects-including himself. But who is the guilty party?
The author does a terrific job of building the suspense through until the end, because every one of the suspects seems as guilty as sin.


Genuine Fraud by E. Lockhart
Jule and Imogen are unlikely bffs. Imogen is a beautiful young heiress who is very generous to her friends -until she isn't. She has no problem finding a boyfriend, but keeping a boyfriend is another matter. She's quit college and moved to a beach house with a revolving cast of guests, and she can change from kind to cruel in a split second.

 Jule is a self-sufficient orphan  who is strong, adaptive, and not above using a little violence to get what she wants. Her tough life has made her a very tough person; nobody that you should cross. When Jule stumbles into Imogen's life, a friendship is born. Both girls have secrets to keep, and both will do whatever it takes to survive. Whatever. It. Takes.
If you like Genuine Fraud, be sure to check out E. Lockhart's bestseller:
"We Were Liars "


Dark Places by Gillian Flynn
Libby Day survived a murderous rampage (with Satanic overtones, no less) at the family farm when she was seven that took the lives of her mother and two sisters. Ben, the 15 year old brother who's fermented in gothic creepiness, is tried, convicted and sentenced -largely due to Libby's testimony.
Twenty-five years later, Libby is no noble heroine that Flynn wants you to root for. She's a vaguely unlikeable chronic depressive who continues to survive-but just barely. Libby at 32 is as wrung out as a damp, mildewy dishcloth, with no will to live but no particular desire to die, either. Only when she is confronted with the possibility that she may have been wrong (lied, been 'coached', mistaken, an idiot, whatever) does she show signs of life. What I love about Libby is, she's tough. A pissed off kleptomaniac with no visible means of income now that her trust fund has run out, when she's approached by a 'Kill Club' who believe her brother is innocent, she agrees to help them, if only to stave off her money woes. She hasn't spoken to her brother in 25 years, but she'll do whatever she has to to make it through another day. 
Artfully spinning between Libby's investigation and the day of the murder, Flynn successfully shows how ordinary life can devolve into something atrocious in the blink of an eye. As the story unravels, Flynn presents a host of characters that you have no trouble believing would slash, choke, and chop the life out of this family, if only for the thrill of it. With a bevy of suspects to choose from and Libby's increasingly spirited sleuth work, you'll be dying to know the gory details. Don't worry: you'll be tempted to wipe blood spatter off your face before you're done.
Gillian Flynn has a gift. She excels at portraying heinousness in ordinary people. The banality of evil, if you will, that lies all around us. Read this book -then look at your neighbors a little differently!