Mysteries, fantasies and young adult works to curl up with this winter
By NewsPress Now
Jenny Ellis, a librarian at the Carnegie Library and leader of two library book clubs, shares some recent reads this month. These books are available at the St. Joseph Public Library, at other Missouri Evergreen libraries or from one of the SJPL eContent vendors. Visit the library’s catalog at sjpl.missourievergreen.org/ to find these or other great books to enjoy.
“One Puzzling Afternoon” by Emily Critchley. The description of this book really intrigued me. I was aware it wasn’t a cozy mystery like I prefer. It’s more of a traditional mystery mixed in with historical fiction. There’s a sadness to the modern story line that almost makes it hard to read. I was beginning to wish it had been a cozy mystery. Without spoiling the ending I will say I did not see that coming. I almost want to warn library patrons to have some tissues handy while reading this book. Maybe it won’t hit every reader in the heart like it did me. I can be overly sensitive sometimes.
“Murder in a Cup (Crystals & CuriosiTEAS Mystery #2)” by Lauren Elliott. I highly recommend you start with book 1, “Steeped in Secrets.” I have seen numerous reviews that say it can be read as a standalone, but I don’t agree. The librarian in me cringes every time I hear someone say that about books that are parts of a series. The author didn’t do all the hard work on a series just for people to read one book. Gran is one of the characters we meet in this book and she might be my new favorite character. While this is a cozy mystery (a sub-genre of crime fiction in which violence occurs offstage) it has been called paranormal. Honestly, it’s barely there. The main character runs a New Age tea shop so there’s tea leaf readings and such. Also, she’s the decedent of an Irish witch. There’s no talking cats, teleportation or poltergeists … at least not yet.
“Starling House” by Alix E. Harrow. I’m not the biggest fantasy reader but this book appealed to me. I randomly picked it up one day after I had finished a book and was still in the mood for reading and then couldn’t put it down. It’s not often that a house is basically the main character. I mean there are obviously human main characters but the story doesn’t exist without the house. Towards the end it did get a little too fantasy descriptive for me but I still enjoyed it (I’m sure it would play out great in a film version but I couldn’t quite picture all that was going on. That’s my main issue with fantasy is I can’t always picture everything). I also would visit the house in heartbeat.
“Check & Mate” by Ali Hazelwood. I haven’t been reading a lot of young adult books lately. So it might surprise some that one of the ones I picked up is about chess. I picked it up because I like the author’s adult books. I feel like her signature writing style is still present here even without the steamy elements of her adult books. I was actually sucked into the chess world pretty easily. Ask a co-worker. As I was reading it I said, “I have to know what happens” in regards to a chess tournament. I think fans of Hazelwood’s adult books would enjoy this one. It’s set in the chess world, not a high school like a lot of young adult books.
“Holmes, Marple & Poe” by James Patterson and Brian Sitts. I haven’t read a James Patterson book since he started using co-authors. Like many librarians I have mixed feelings on him. I don’t know if this was intentional or just a random idea he had (or honestly who comes up with his book ideas … him or his publisher?) but it’s like he knew how to get certain readers back to him. He had me just by the title. Then I read the synopsis, and I was all in. I read this book in one sitting. I was intrigued by some of the Sherlock traits that Holmes had in his book. I saw a bit of myself in Marple. Poe intrigued me. It’s set up so it might be a series. I hope it is. I will be recommending this book at work. Something I never expected to say about a Patterson work.
