LIST-O-RAMA: Hobby Mysteries

Steve Martin said, “When your hobbies get in the way of your work – that’s OK – but when your hobbies get in the way of themselves…well…” Glassblowing, crosswords, basket making, stitching, taxidermy, scrapbooking, soapmaking - whatever your hobby, make sure you save part of the day for it...or for reading about it!

Click here to see a list of the Library's hobby mysteries.

Edgar Award Winning Mysteries

Follow the clues to discover the best mystery writing of the year.  The Mystery Writers of America recently named the winners of the 2012 Edgar Allan Poe Awards, and it would be a crime for you to leave these cases unsolved:

Best Novel: Gone by Mo Hayder

Best First Novel: Bent Road by Lori Roy

Best Fact Crime: Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President by Candice Millard

Best Critical Biographical: On Conan Doyle: Or, The Whole Art of Storytelling by Michael Dirda

Best Young Adult: The Silence of Murder by Dandi Daley Mackall

Best Juvenile: Icefall by Matthew J. Kirby

LIST-O-RAMA: If You Liked The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

If you’ve already seen The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo in Swedish, English, and read the book, how about exploring other Scandinavian authors?

Click here for an overview of Scandinavian authors and culture.
Then click here for an in-depth list of Scandinavian crime novelists and here for Scandinavian thrillers on audiobook.

LIST-O-RAMA: Presidential Intrigue

Stolen elections. Conspiracy. Assassination. War. Being the President of the United States isn’t an easy job. Whether you want to read about the questionably legit election of Rutherford B. Hayes, see Martin Sheen in The West Wing, or catch up with the latest political thrillers, the Library’s got something for you.

If this election year isn’t suspenseful enough for you, click here for books, audiobooks, and movies about the dangers of being president.

A Family Drama, Played Out in the Courtroom

What would you do if your 14-year-old son was accused of murdering one of his classmates? If you were Andy Barber, the assistant district attorney, you would defend him. Defending Jacob, by William Landay, is about a family torn apart by a crime that shocks a suburban New England town.

 

Cathleen's Pick: The House of Silk

Calling all Baker Street Irregulars!  Anthony Horowitz’s The House of Silk, a new exploit of Sherlock Holmes, lives up to the high standard of the original stories.  Derek Jacobi is perfect as the voice of Dr. Watson, and the twisty mystery is one of the most complex and harrowing yet.

Ice Cold

Ginny of Research Services recommends Ice Cold by Tess Gerritsen:

Boston medical examiner Maura Isles agrees to a last-minute ski trip in Wyoming with friends. After their car stalls on a lonely mountain road, the five friends find shelter in the abandoned village of Kingdom Come. Maura and company discover footprints in the snow betraying the fact that someone is watching them. When a charred body is identified as Maura’s by local police, her close friend, Jane Rizzoli, a Boston homicide detective, is shocked. Too many unanswered questions lead Jane and her FBI husband to Wyoming to determine what has happened to her friend. Ice Cold maintains suspense by shifting between Maura’s struggles and Jane’s efforts to save her in Gerritsen’s eighth novel to feature Rizzoli and Isles.

A Book for Every Taste

We understand that not everyone is interested in books that win important literary prizes.  Sometimes you just want to find a thrilling new story in your favorite category.  If you can relate, be sure to check out the recent winners and nominees of the The Reading List, which honors the best in genre fiction.  These must-reads are selected by librarians who know which titles not only have the best buzz but also live up to the hype.  See below for the winners and click here for readalikes and the runners-up.

Adrenaline:  Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson
Fantasy:  The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Historical Fiction:  Doc by Mary Doria Russell
Horror:  The Ridge by Michael Koryta
Mystery:  The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino
Romance:  Silk is for Seduction by Loretta Chase
Science Fiction:  Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey
Women’s Fiction:  The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh

Elmore Leonard's Advice for Writers

Elmore Leonard has ten rules for writing. These ten rules won’t make you a perfect writer, but they might make you a better one. They worked for Leonard, and he’s been publishing fiction since 1951.

 

When the Big Easy Isn't

No one really wants their mysteries solved.  This is one of the bits of wisdom we learn from Claire DeWitt, a private investigator just recovering from a breakdown.  A case brings her back to New Orleans, where she was trained in the art of Détection.  Her methods are unorthodox, to say the least, and often involve marijuana, dreams, hard work, and I Ching divination.  Still, Sara Gran’s new heroine is as hard-boiled as any noir detective from the 50s, and that helps when tracking down lies in a city still recovering from disaster.  Carol Monda brings to life the first-person narration in a dry, husky, world-weary voice that is perfect for the debut of Claire DeWitt and the City of the Dead.