The Librarians, The Coroner, Ask For Andrea

 We are coming out of another polar vortex, arctic blast here in Texas. This morning it was actually warmer in Juneau Alaska than in Central Texas. I am ready for it to be gone.

Sharing three more books I read in the past month or two that I really liked. 

The Librarians by Sherry Thomas

About: "Murder disrupts the peaceful, predictable daily routine of life for four quirky librarians who must protect their life-altering secrets in the first contemporary mystery from USA Today bestselling author Sherry Thomas.

Sometimes a workplace isn’t just a workplace but a place of safety, understanding, and acceptance. And sometimes murder threatens the sanctity of that beloved refuge....

In the leafy suburbs of Austin, Texas, a small branch library welcomes the public every day of the week. But the patrons who love the helpful, unobtrusive staff and leave rave reviews on Yelp don’t always realize that their librarians are human, too.

Hazel flees halfway across the world for what she hopes will be a new beginning. Jonathan, a six-foot-four former college football player, has never fit in anywhere else. Astrid tries to forget her heartbreak by immersing herself in work, but the man who ghosted her six months ago is back, promising trouble. And Sophie, who has the most to lose, maintains a careful and respectful distance from her coworkers, but soon that won't be enough anymore.

When two patrons turn up dead after the library’s inaugural murder mystery–themed game night, the librarians’ quiet routines come crashing down. Something sinister has stirred, something that threatens every single one of them. And the only way the librarians can save the library—and themselves—is to let go of their secrets, trust one another, and band together...."

I enjoyed this book. It follows four young librarians—each with distinct personalities and their own secrets—who form an unexpected friendship after a patron turns up dead. As the mystery unfolds, the tension grows: Who is the mysterious man seen carrying a bag into the library? Why has the guy who previously ghosted Astrid suddenly reappeared, only to ignore her again while focusing all his attention on another librarian? And how are these threads connected to the deaths?

The characters are engaging, and their backstories add depth without slowing the pace. There are some suspenseful moments, especially when the group gets involved in trying to catch the suspect, sometimes working with the police and sometimes stumbling into danger on their own.

What made the book especially enjoyable for me was its setting. The author describes my local library and its surrounding neighborhood exactly as they are, which brought an extra layer of charm and familiarity to the story. We also learn about the workings of a library, which if you are like me, you take for granted.

https://www.sherrythomas.com/bookshelf.php

The Coroner (Coroner's Daughter #1) by Jennifer Graeser Dornbush

About: "Summoned from her promising surgical career first to her estranged father's bedside, and then his post as medical examiner when his small town needs urgent help with a suspicious death, Emily Hartford discovers home is where the bodies are in this pitch perfect mystery debut."

Recently engaged and deeply ensconced in her third year of surgical residency in Chicago, Emily Hartford gets a shock when she’s called home to Freeport, MI, the small town she fled a decade ago after the death of her mother. Her estranged father, the local medical examiner, has had a massive heart attack and Emily is needed urgently to help with his recovery.

Not sure what to expect, Emily races home, blowing the only stoplight at the center of town and getting pulled over by her former high school love, now Sheriff, Nick Larson. At the hospital, she finds her father in near total denial of the seriousness of his condition. He insists that the best thing Emily can do to help him is to take on the autopsy of a Senator’s teen daughter whose sudden, unexplained death has just rocked the sleepy town.

Reluctantly agreeing to help her father and Nick, Emily gets down to work, only to discover that the girl was murdered. The autopsy reminds her of her many hours in the morgue with her father when she was a young teen—a time which inspired her love of medicine. Before she knows it, she’s pulled deeper into the case and closer to her father and to Nick—much to the dismay of her big city fiance. When a threat is made to Emily herself, she must race to catch the killer before he strikes again in The Coroner, expertly written and sharply plotted, perfect for fans of Patricia Cornwell and Julia Spencer Fleming."

This was a very good first installment in a five‑book series—with the sixth book expected in October 2026—it sets a strong foundation. The pacing is brisk, and Emily’s seemingly perfect life is quickly thrown into turmoil. She struggles with whether she should remain in her hometown longer than planned to care for her father, all while facing increasing pressure from her fiancé of just one day to return to Chicago.

Once she’s “back home,” Emily realizes how much she’s missed her life in Michigan. When a local teenager dies and she is pulled into the investigation—due to the town’s lack of another coroner—her stay extends even further. Typically, another county could perform the autopsy, but that would require more time and additional costs the town can’t afford. As Emily becomes more involved, she begins to see unexpected sides of her fiancé and family, forcing her to confront difficult questions about her future.

I found this to be a compelling start to a series—a well‑crafted murder mystery supported by interesting, layered characters. I highly recommend it if you’re looking for a new series to follow.

https://jenniferdornbush.com/books/#coroner

Ask For Andrea by Noelle W. Ihli

About: "Meghan, Brecia, and Skye have just one thing in common.

They were all murdered by the same man.

He hunted them online, masquerading as an eligible bachelor. Then he played the perfect gentleman, a thick layer of charm and a thousand-watt smile hiding the fact that his first dates end in shallow graves.

He’s gotten away with murder three times now.

The only thing that might keep him from killing again? The women he murdered.

Meghan, Brecia, and Skye might be dead, but they’re not gone. They’ve found each other. And they won’t rest until they find a way to stop him.

The haunt is on."

This was a really good ghost story—told entirely from the ghosts’ point of view. It isn’t a cozy or humorous tale; instead, it offers a unique perspective that immediately drew me in. The tension builds steadily as we witness events through the eyes of the ghosts while the living characters remain completely unaware of what is happening. By the end, the story becomes genuinely terrifying, and I found myself actively rooting for the ghosts. It’s an excellent and memorable ending, though definitely not a cozy read.

Although Ask For Andrea is listed as Book #1, there doesn’t appear to be a Book #2 at this time. However, there is a prequel titled Forget You Saw Her.

 More information is available on the author’s website: https://www.noellewihli.com/books

The Frozen People by Elly Griffiths

Hi all. 

 Our Mystery Book Club selection for January was:

The Frozen People by Elly Griffiths

This book one of a new series by this author Ali Dawson as the main character. 

About: "Ali Dawson and her cold case team investigate crimes so old, they're frozen—or so their inside joke goes. Nobody knows that her team has a secret: they can travel back in time to look for evidence.

The latest assignment sees Ali venture back farther than they have dared before: to 1850s London to clear the name of Cain Templeton, an eccentric patron of the arts. Rumor has it that Cain is part of a sinister group called The Collectors. Ali arrives in the Victorian era to another dead woman at her feet and far too many unanswered questions.

As the clock counts down, Ali becomes more entangled in the mystery, yet danger lurks around every corner. She soon finds herself trapped, unable to make her way back to her beloved son, Finn, who is battling his own accusations in the present day.

Could the two cases be connected? In a race through and against time, Ali must find out before it’s too late."

My thoughts: I like some time travel stories. When I was a kid I would wonder if a person could go back in time and what time would I like to go back to. I also like some sci fi stories. I like them blended with a good mystery.

This book has all three. I say sci fi because it is science fiction to travel in time...isn;t it? I also like historical fiction. (No wonder I have such a long TBR list).

 

What I liked: I liked the descriptions of living in the 1850's. Very descriptive of the clothing (way too much for a woman), day to day activities (taking out the chamber pot in the morning. Ugh), trying to stay clean in London in all the mud and smoke etc. (Yuck) Just solidified that I would not want to go back to that time. I loved the story of this "secret government project" where a member of the team is sent back in time to solve a cold case. Their first assignment was to go back only to 1977. Two hours. In and out. The second one is a favor to a prominent politician (Isaac Templeton) to clear his ancestor as he is writing a book about his family and he is hoping to prove that the story about him murdering women is not true. So Ali gets sent back to 1850, which is really pushing the limits. When she goes to the "spot" for the gateway to open up and return her to her own time, nothing happens. A person on the street asks her why she has been standing there so long, that he saw a man standing on that same spot and he just disappeared into thin air. Ali rents a room from the person she is investigating. He is actually quite observant and thinks she is a very different kind of woman. He takes her to see the place where The Collectors meet. A men's group where they sit around and talk and probably smoke cigars and drink and show what they have collected. Something weird about a chair though. 

Meanwhile back in "now" Isaac Templeton is murdered. Ali's son Finn is arrested. And the group cannot seem to get Ali back. 

Once you get past the first couple of chapters which builds the background information we need on characters and situations, the plot moves pretty quickly and is very intriguing. Really good cliffhanger and and some questions which makes me want to read book two, "The Killing Time" which comes out in February of this year.

Most of the Mystery Book Club really enjoyed the book. The handful of people who did not, just don't like time travel stories, it seemed. We all recommended Elly Griffiths other long running series, the Ruth Galloway series about an archaeologist. 

More to come!

Here's to a Happy (Better) New Year!

 Long time since I checked in. 

Been tied up with episodes of "This Old House" and then "These Old People". 

Hopefully the season for both shows have ended!

Quick update on what I have read recently. I hope to get back on track and sharing in the New Year.

For our Mystery Book Club we read the following books at the last few months of 2025:

* Sherlock Holmes - books inspired by Sherlock Holmes such as books about Sherlock's sister, housekeeper, etc. We had a lot of fun with this. You can't believe how many spin offs there are.

*Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murders by Jesse Q. Sutanto. If you haven't read it I highly recommend it. Such a fun feel good mystery. It was a favorite for the year by the group. (I believe I wrote about this book earlier when I first read it.)

* The Art Thief; A True Story of Love, Crime and a Dangerous Obsession by Michael Finkel.

About: "One of the most remarkable true-crime narratives of the twenty-first the story of the world’s most prolific art thief, Stéphane Breitwieser. In this spellbinding portrait of obsession and flawed genius, the best-selling author of The Stranger in the Woods brings us into Breitwieser’s strange world—unlike most thieves, he never stole for money, keeping all his treasures in a single room where he could admire them." 

True story. Very interesting book and everyone really liked it. After we finished reading it, The art theft in The Louvre happened. 

*First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston

About: "Evie Porter has everything a nice Southern girl could want: a doting boyfriend, a house with a white picket fence, a tight group of friends. The only catch: Evie Porter doesn’t exist.

The identity comes first: Evie Porter. Once she’s given a name and location by her mysterious boss, Mr. Smith, she learns everything there is to know about the town and the people in it. Then the mark: Ryan Sumner. The last piece of the puzzle is the job. 
Evie isn’t privy to Mr. Smith’s real identity, but she knows this job isn’t like the others. Ryan has gotten under her skin, and she’s starting to envision a different sort of life I still a future in front of her. The stakes couldn’t be higher—but then, Evie has always liked a challenge."

I plan on catching up with some books that I read on my own also soon. 

Until then 

 

Masterpiece Mystery Fall 2025 and The Rainmaker TV series

Sorry for the late notice, but had an unplanned "blog break". So many T.V. shows for this fall Mystery watching.

Masterpiece Mystery begins tonight, August 24th with three really good series.

Professor T Season 4 - 7 p.m CST

"British crime drama television series starring Ben Miller as Professor Jasper Tempest, a genius University of Cambridge criminologist with obsessive compulsive disorder. Emma Naomi, Barney White, and Frances de la Tour. It is an adaptation from the Belgian TV series of the same name. 

After Season 3’s shocking finale, Dan and Jasper are consumed by grief. Dan throws himself into work while the Professor hides in his lectures, avoiding the police at all costs. But Helena, Jasper’s therapist, helps him face back up to his police work and the team tackles complex and dangerous cases. But through the danger and mystery, love is very much in the air."."

The Marlow Murder Club Season 2 - 8 p.m. CST

"From Roger Thorogood's novel - The Marlow Murder Club starring Samantha Bond (Downton Abbey, Home Fires) as Judith Potts, who is joined by Jo Martin (Doctor Who, Back to Life) as Suzie Harris, Cara Horgan (The Sandman, Traitors) as Becks Starling and Natalie Dew (Sandylands, The Capture) as DS Tanika Malik.

In The Marlow Murder Club Season 2, Judith, Becks and Suzie are called back into action when a series of new unsettling crimes befall the local residents. Navigating the delicate balance of Marlow society – from local aristocracy to boatyard workers, the picturesque High Street to a newly established archaeological dig – the sleuthing trio dig into all corners of Marlow life as they assist DCI Tanika Malik in her official investigations."

Unforgotten Season 6 - 9 p.m. CST

"Unforgotten Season 6 follows veteran London detectives as they examine the lives of a disparate group of people linked to a cold case. This crime drama stars Sanjeev Bhaskar (Yesterday) as DI Sunny Khan and Sinéad Keenan (Little Boy Blue, Doctor Who) as DCI Jessica James.

"When a spine is dredged out of Whitney Marsh, a new case begins for the team. Both Jess and Sunny are glad of a new challenge, given their strained personal lives."

Watching for Maigret and The Gold coming October 5th on Masterpiece also.

Have you been watching The Rainmaker on the USA network? It started 8/15/25 and is on every Friday night at 9 CST. I just watched the first episode and I am hooked! Likeable characters, unlikeable characters, several opportunities for "whaaaat?", "ohhhhh" and other gasps.

"The Rainmaker is an American  legal drama television series. Based on John Grisham's 1995 novel of the same name and starring John Slattery . A hotshot young lawyer is fired from his prestigious white-collar firm and signs on with a small-time ambulance chaser and her less-than-honest paralegal who work out of a converted former restaurant. He soon finds himself facing off against his former employer in court when he takes on a wrongful suit involving an African American man who died while undergoing hospital care."

Starring Milo Callaghan as Rudy Baylor who, fresh out of law school, goes head-to-head with courtroom lion Leo Drummond (John Slattery) and his law school girlfriend Sarah Plankmore (Madison Iseman). Rudy, along with his boss (Lana Parrilla. I remember her from Once Upon a Time). 

So many good shows after the summer drought. Yay!!

Mystery Book Club Award Winners and Nominees Picks

Didn't realize I haven't posted in so many weeks! Time flies when you are having company. After all, it is summer and lots going on sometimes. 

I meant to share some of the top picks from the Mystery Book Club from our early June meeting. We all read different books, choosing from the list of books nominated or won awards this year. I will give you a few. We chose our reads mostly from Stop You're Killing Me! under the Book Awards category.

All The Sinners Bleed by S.A. Cosby: 

Good Reads Choice Award Nominee

Nominee for Readers' Favorite Mystery & Thriller (2023)

Nominated for Edgar - Best Mystery Novel 2024, Dagger - Ian Fleming Steel Dagger Award 2024, Winner of Anthony - Best Mystery Novel 2024

About: "A Black sheriff. A serial killer. A small town ready to combust.
Titus Crown is the first Black sheriff in the history of Charon County, Virginia. In recent decades, Charon has had only two murders. After years of working as an FBI agent, Titus knows better than anyone that while his hometown might seem like a land of moonshine, cornbread, and honeysuckle, secrets always fester under the surface.
Then a year to the day after Titus’s election, a school teacher is killed by a former student and the student is fatally shot by Titus’s deputies. Those festering secrets are now out in the open and ready to tear the town apart.
As Titus investigates the shootings, he unearths terrible crimes and a serial killer who has been hiding in plain sight, haunting the dirt lanes and woodland clearings of Charon. With the killer’s possible connections to a local church and the town’s harrowing history weighing on him, Titus projects confidence about closing the case while concealing a painful secret from his own past. At the same time, he also has to contend with a far-right group that wants to hold a parade in celebration of the town’s Confederate history."

A Midnight Puzzle by Gigi Pandian  (Secret Staircase Mystery #3) 

Winner of Agatha Award Best Contemporary Novel 2024

About: "In heroine Tempest Raj, modern-day queen of the locked room mystery Gigi Pandian has created a brilliant homage to the greats of classic detective fiction.

Secret Staircase Construction is under attack, and Tempest Raj feels helpless. After former client Julian Rhodes tried to kill his wife, he blamed her "accident" on the home renovation company’s craftsmanship. Now the family business—known for bringing magic into homes through hidden doors, floating staircases, and architectural puzzle walls—is at a breaking point. No amount of Scottish and Indian meals from her grandfather can distract Tempest from the they’re being framed.

When Tempest receives an urgent midnight phone call from Julian, she decides to meet him at the historic Whispering Creek Theater—only to find his dead body, a sword through his chest. After a blade appears from thin air to claim another victim, Tempest is certain they’re dealing with a booby trap… something Secret Staircase Construction could easily build. Tempest refuses to wait for the investigation to turn to her or her loved ones. She knows the pieces of the puzzle are right in front of her, she just has to put them together correctly before more disaster strikes.

Multiple award-winning author Gigi Pandian and her sleuth Tempest Raj return in A Midnight Puzzle, where an old theater reveals a deadly booby trap, secrets, and one puzzle of a mystery."

To Slip the Bonds of Earth by Amanda Flower (Katherine Wright #1)

This was my choice and I know one other person has read it since I recommended it and has gone on to read the second book in the series- Not They Who Soar.

Winner of Agatha - Best Historical Novel 2024

About: "While not as famous as her older siblings Wilbur and Orville, the celebrated inventors of flight, Katharine Wright is equally inventive – especially when it comes to solving crimes – in USA Today bestselling author Amanda Flower’s radiant new historical mystery series inspired by the real sister of the Wright Brothers.

December 1903: While Wilbur and Orville Wright’s flying machine is quite literally taking off in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina with its historic fifty-seven second flight, their sister Katharine is back home in Dayton, Ohio, running the bicycle shop, teaching Latin, and looking after the family. A Latin teacher and suffragette, Katharine is fiercely independent, intellectual, and the only Wright sibling to finish college. But at twenty-nine, she’s frustrated by the gender inequality in academia and is for a new challenge. She never suspects it will be sleuthing…

Returning home to Dayton, Wilbur and Orville accept an invitation to a friend’s party. Nervous about leaving their as-yet-unpatented flyer plans unattended, Wilbur decides to bring them to the festivities . . . where they are stolen right out from under his nose. As always, it’s Katharine’s job to problem solve—and in this case, crime-solve.

As she sets out to uncover the thief among their circle of friends, Katharine soon gets more than she bargained She finds her number one suspect dead with a letter opener lodged in his chest. It seems the patent is the least of her brothers’ worries. They have a far more earthbound concern—prison. Now Katharine will have to keep her feet on the ground and put all her skills to work to make sure Wilbur and Orville are free to fly another day."

The Mystery Writer by Susan Gentill

2025 Winner of Mary Higgins Clark Award

About: "A literary thriller about an aspiring writer who meets and falls in love with her literary idol—only to find him murdered the day after she gave him her manuscript to read.

There's nothing easier to dismiss than a conspiracy theory—until it turns out to be true

When Theodosia Benton abandons her career path as an attorney and shows up on her brother's doorstep with two suitcases and an unfinished novel, she expects to face a few challenges. Will her brother support her ambition or send her back to finish her degree? What will her parents say when they learn of her decision? Does she even have what it takes to be a successful writer?

What Theo never expects is to be drawn into a hidden literary world in which identity is something that can be lost and remade for the sake of an audience. When her mentor, a highly successful author, is brutally murdered, Theo wants the killer to be found and justice to be served. Then the police begin looking at her brother, Gus, as their prime suspect, and Theo does the unthinkable in order to protect him. But the writer has left a trail, a thread out of the labyrinth in the form of a story. Gus finds that thread and follows it, and in his attempt to save his sister he inadvertently threatens the foundations of the labyrinth itself. To protect the carefully constructed narrative, Theo Benton, and everyone looking for her, will have to die."

The In Crowd by Charlotte Vassell  (Detective Caius Beauchamp #2)

2025 Edgar Best Novel Winner

About: "From the celebrated author of The Other Half comes a fabulous whodunit about two cold cases in which things go a fourteen-year-old girl and a multi-million-dollar pension fund.

Early one morning, a men’s rowing team discovers a body floating face down in the Thames. Many years before, the chief executive of a clothing manufacturer walked off with a multi-million dollar corporate retirement fund and disappeared without a trace. Now, the discovery of this body has reopened that cold case.

Meanwhile, Detective Inspector Caius Beauchamp has his own evening at the theater upended by the discovery of a dead body just a few seats away. Two decades ago, Eliza Chapel, a fourteen-year-old student at a girls boarding school in Cornwall, disappeared in the middle of the night under dubious circumstances. A second body and a second cold case reopened.

As DI Caius Beauchamp—along with his associates Matt Chung and Amy Noakes—investigates these parallel missing persons cases, he finds himself ensnared in the unexpected political machinations of a duke-in-waiting. This is yet another masterful mystery from Charlotte Vassell that is every bit as pointed as it is poignant.

For additional award nominated or winners of awards, check here under the Book Award category:

https://www.stopyourekillingme.com/

The Summer Guests by Tess Gerritsen and A Slip in the Dark by Virginia King

I finished two books this week. One physical book and one audio book. I really liked them both.

I read The Spy Coast, Martini Club book #1 by Tess Gerritsen last month. I just finished listening to The Summer Guests, book #2 in the series.

About: "When former spy Maggie Bird retired to the seaside hamlet of Purity, Maine, she settled in for a quiet life with breathtaking views. But enemies from her past soon threatened to destroy everything.

Maggie survived, thanks to her wits and the collective intelligence of the Martini Club, the circle of ex-CIA friends in her cocktail-sipping book club. Their handiwork, however, caught the attention of young police chief Jo Thibodeau. Now Jo and her neighborhood ex-spies have an uneasy alliance.

After a teenager vanishes—and Maggie’s neighbor becomes the prime suspect—she joins the investigation, determined to prove her friend’s innocence. But the girl’s wealthy family pushes for an arrest. And when authorities discover a long-dead corpse in a nearby pond, the case becomes doubly complicated, with unthinkable ties to long-buried secrets.

As Jo grapples with two unexplained mysteries, the Martini Club races to uncover the truth behind shadowy secrets…before more lives are lost."

Book #2 continues with the Martini Club gang but is focused on another family in Purity, Maine. Where there is trouble, you will find the Martini Club. Being that they are former CIA, they can't help but smell trouble and are sure they can help and do a better job than the police. I love the interaction and growing relationship between "the club" and Jo the temporary police chief. They really infuriate Jo but they do feed her whenever she shows up and she may be softening toward them. LOL

A bit of a psychological thriller, very suspenseful and an unexpected ending. (Although I did figure out the main culprit out about 3/4 of the way but there was more to it. 

There was a thread in book #1, The Spy Coast that I was hoping to see more of in book #2 but it wasn't there. 

Perhaps in book #3 The Shadow Friends scheduled for publication November 2026.

A Slip in the Dark is book #5 in the Tiggy (short for Antigone) Jones by Virginia King.

About: "When mystery author Tiggy Jones agrees to interview the locals to collect their anecdotes for a book about a once-grand house, she visits the derelict property early one evening and sees a light in an upstairs window. Then a woman’s face. Just an opportunistic intruder?

The interviews begin and are quickly overwhelmed by an avalanche of superstitions and rumours. Clues and secrets from past and present become more and more entangled.

Eighteen years ago, the last owner fell down the back stairs to her death. Or was she pushed? The inquest was postponed without a conclusive finding and the house has been abandoned and allowed to crumble.

Why was the inquest never re-opened and the cause of death left unresolved?

Who was the woman at the window and what had she put in her tote bags before she ran away?

Was the owner’s fall an unfortunate accident or do rumours about her mysterious business point to a motive for murder?

As Tiggy and her dog Raider are joined by their neurodiverse sidekick Baxter, they are drawn into investigating the cold case.

Will they finally solve an eighteen-year-old mystery and lay a ghost to rest?

Or is there a murderer at large who’ll do anything not to get caught?"

How can you not read a book that starts with a face in the window of an old run down house? This may be the best book in this series so far. I love how the characters have developed. This book is very suspenseful and keeps you on your toes. 

Tiggy and Baxter (newly graduated from P.I. training) are hired to conduct interviews with people who have a story about 13 Thimble Close as the area is scheduled for redevelopment. Of course the last owner of the house fell down the stairs and died many years ago under unusual circumstances. It is a closed case. Bring in Tiggy, mystery writer, and Baxter with his new P.I. skills and you have a case that is reopened. The story of the history of the house and the people who lived there is interesting and intertwined. So many surprises. I challenge you to figure out if and who dunnit.

Two thumbs up for both of these books.

The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger and A Whale of a Crime by Mona Marple

 Well the heat is on here. I also am attempting to plant some butterfly attracting plants and once again it is me against the deer and now the early heat. 

Trying to get back on track with my books! 

For our May Mystery Book Club, we read:

The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger. It was a 2023 Goodreads nominee for Readers Favorite Mystery and Thriller. 

About: "On Memorial Day, as the people of Jewel, Minnesota gather to remember and honor the sacrifice of so many sons in the wars of the past, the half-clothed body of wealthy landowner Jimmy Quinn is found floating in the Alabaster River, dead from a shotgun blast. Investigation of the murder falls to Sheriff Brody Dern, a highly decorated war hero who still carries the physical and emotional scars from his military service. Even before Dern has the results of the autopsy, vicious rumors begin to circulate that the killer must be Noah Bluestone, a Native American WWII veteran who has recently returned to Jewel with a Japanese wife. As suspicions and accusations mount and the town teeters on the edge of more violence, Dern struggles not only to find the truth of Quinn’s murder but also put to rest the demons from his own past.

Caught up in the torrent of anger that sweeps through Jewel are a war widow and her adolescent son, the intrepid publisher of the local newspaper, an aging deputy, and a crusading female lawyer, all of whom struggle with their own tragic histories and harbor secrets that Quinn’s death threatens to expose.

Both a complex, spellbinding mystery and a masterful portrait of midcentury American life, The River We Remember is an unflinching look at the wounds left by the wars we fight abroad and at home, a moving exploration of the ways in which we seek to heal, and a testament to the enduring power of the stories we tell about the places we call home."

If you have never read a book by this author, I highly recommend William Kent Krueger. His writing is very good. His writing style is not the quick, fast paced, few words of many thrillers, but more of a slowly unwinding tale. This story has many characters and layers to it but I did not find it hard to follow. Great description of small town life but this town of Jewel Minnesota has a lot of dark secrets. While the story does wrap up the mystery, there are alot of tragedies, past and present. 

All in all the book club liked it and we had a good discussion about the characters and small town life. Several of us had read other books by this author.

The author is pretty interesting too. You can read about him and his other novels here: 

https://williamkentkrueger.com/

If you are looking for a cozy summer beach read, I just finished:

A Whale of a Crime by Mona Marple (pen name)

About: "After ten years away, Ryan Kennedy never planned on returning to Flamborough—the tiny Yorkshire village he once called home. But when his fiercely independent gran, Iris, needs him, he finds himself back behind the counter at her chaotic seaside bookshop, wrestling with jammed tills, nosy villagers, and the memories he’s spent years trying to forget.

What Ryan doesn’t expect is to be swept straight into the heart of a murder investigation.

When a mysterious boat appears on the beach and a body turns up at the exclusive Whale Watch Weekend picnic, all eyes turn to the cliffs—and to the secrets the village has been keeping. As Ryan and Iris dig into the tangled history of the victim, long-buried truths begin to surface, not just about the case... but about the night Ryan’s own husband died.

With the tide cutting them off, a killer on the loose, and a very observant dog named Bracken by their side, Ryan and Iris must work fast—because in Flamborough, the past doesn’t stay buried, and the sea has a habit of washing everything to shore.

For fans of twisty village whodunits, seaside charm, and heartfelt mysteries with a slow-burning emotional pull, A Whale of a Crime is the unforgettable first instalment in a brand-new series."

Good start to this English village on the sea cozy mystery. Not a fluffy cozy but a story with murder, secrets and past mysteries yet unsolved. Iris is a feisty smart bookshop owner who lives on the seaside village of Flamborough. Harlow is her grand daughter that lives with her. Ryan is her grandson who left the village years ago for the city life in London but has returned for a visit with his very perceptive dog Bracken. The village is planning the annual Whale Watch weekend. When the local villain Vic, turns up dead on the beach during the Whale Watch Picnic, gossip runs rampant about missing funds. Iris begins sleuthing and Bracken does a pretty good job of it too. There is another story thread about the mysterious death of Ryan's husband, Jason, a musician, years ago. I like how the author inserts a social media thread about the death of Ryan's husband; the speculation and gossip. True to social media. As the investigation escalates, there is another suspicious death. The ending is very good with an intriguing cliff hanger re: the death of Jason. And on the last few pages, someone from Ryan's past shows up. Unidentified and Ryan is very surprised! We don't know if good surprised or bad surprised. Looking forward to the next book in this series. 

Flamborough is a real place on the sea in England, by the way. Here is a picture of possibly the main square.

Read about Mona here:

https://monamarple.com/

Mona Marple writes several different cozy series; some magical, some humorous and more of traditional mysteries. She also has a very active fun Facebook group if you would like to check that out:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/332562544209625