A spirited trio of kid sleuths undertake a classic treasure hunt in J. I. Wagner’s "Legend of the Star Runner". Taking its inspiration from video games and cloak-and-dagger mysteries, this story for middle-grade readers is a visual... Read More

Don’t Believe It is a highly topical thriller, a work of pitched intrigue that follows a documentary filmmaker and crusading journalist, Sidney Ryan, who has exonerated several inmates convicted of murder. Sidney agrees to take up the... Read More

Finnish author Antti Tuomainen’s "The Man Who Died" is a bizarre, twisty, darkly comic novel about a man investigating his own murder. It’s a tightly paced Scandinavian thriller with a wicked sense of humor and a bumbling... Read More

Outstanding dialogue and realistic characters illuminate a convincing mystery in Edward J. Delaney’s "Follow the Sun". In coastal New England, tradition-hardened men are up against the sea, a dwindling supply of lobster, and the... Read More

Chinawoman’s Chance is an engaging mystery with a historically informative feminist bent. A gruesome murder makes way for an unexpected romance in James Musgrave’s Chinawoman’s Chance. The first book in the Portia of the Pacific... Read More

Because of its likable lead detective, "Trail of Madness" is an exceptionally fun murder mystery, highly addictive and with more than its fair share of memorable passages. The Sierra Nevada and the tiny towns of Orange County,... Read More

Blending elements of philosophy, religion, and the mystery genre to interesting effect, "49 Buddhas" is the start of a series to watch. Jim Ringel’s refreshing and complex murder mystery "49 Buddhas" borrows from Eastern philosophy and... Read More

Characters spark interest and philosophical reflection as they speak to deep and complicated questions about poverty, politics, corruption, and loyalty. Adriaan Verheul’s murder mystery "A Clean Death" moves from dangerous cities to... Read More