Hello all, and welcome to new subscribers! I normally post only once a month, but I've been on a mystery-reading blitz lately, and wanted to tell you about some unusual, but interesting crime novels.
First an important, and hopefully final, note about my cancer journey. I met with my oncologist last week and was told that I no longer need to see her. Further checkups will be done by my GP. This means no more trips to the cancer agency, hopefully ever again!
Also, just a quick reminder that the $.99 sale of my novella (book #7) A Gold Satin Murder continues until Oct. 31. You can find it at Amazon http://a-fwd.com/asin=B0B8LRFZDT or https://books2read.com/u/md6ZWy.
One of the things I love about mysteries is the vast array of styles and subcategories. The four books mentioned below couldn't be more different, yet each is fascinating in its own way.
First up is a police procedural called The Secret Sharers by Qui Xiaolong. The plot is actually driven by a love story stretching back many years. Set it contemporary Shanghai, it's an unusual book. Inspector Chen is also a poet, so each chapter opens with a poem by him and a long-dead poet. Political oppression runs throughout the novel and ties in with the 1989 Tian'anmen Square disaster. The author has a unique form of storytelling, which made this an intriguing read.
Next is a paranormal mystery called Evening in the Yellow Wood by Laura Kemp. This is the story of twenty-two-year-old journalist Justine Cook who's never understood why her father abandoned her and her mother a decade earlier. When she spots his image in a newspaper photo from Lantern Creek, she quits her job and moves there to find him. Soon after she arrives, strange visions start appearing and two girls who look like her are killed. Thus, begins an eerie journey filled with weirdness, danger, and romance. The story was a bit hard to follow in places, but I figured it out, and the last few chapters were absolute page-turners. Best of all, the ending was completely satisfying.
My third great read is contemporary mystery, Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy. When Rowan is washed ashore on the remote island of Shearwater, the Salt family tends to her injuries. She's come there to find her husband, Hank, who's been conducting research on Shearwater and recently sent her disturbing texts. The family tells her he left on the last boat, but she wonders if they're telling the truth. As Rowan attempts to learn more by building their trust, she grows fond of the family. She also learns that Shearwater itself is about to be swallowed by the sea, where an invaluable bank of thousands of seeds is being stored. Rowan is in a race against time to find the truth about Hank and to help the family save what they can of the seeds before it's too late.
This is a beautifully written story about family dysfunction, healing, and the ecological disasters facing our planet. I found the characters more strange than likable, but they were interesting. I'm not a fan of the ending, but won't say more as it'd be a spoiler alert. Still, the novel is worth reading.
Last but not least is a collection of eight mystery stories. Murder on the Menu edited by crime writers Winona Kent and Joanna Vander Vlugt, who also contribute stories to the anthology. Full disclosure: I was asked to write a blurb for this anthology, and it turned out to be a great pleasure. These eight stories offer a variety of writing styles. Some are humorous, others are edgy and/or poignant, and all are entertaining. Cozy fans will really enjoy this collection.
You can read more about each story at Winona's website HERE.
Buy the ebook and/or paperback HERE.
That's it for now. If you have any great mysteries you'd like to share, let me know!
Happy reading!
Debra Purdy Kong
https://debrapurdykong.wordpress.com/ (blog)
Link/tr.ee: https://tr.ee/Ydn1N7
Mysteries on the Move…
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