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Hello, and welcome to our January/February 2023 Mystery Reviews!
Available in Hardcover Now
We have enjoyed Ms. Harper's previous mysteries set in small-town Australia; this one does not disappoint.
Aaron Falk, an investigator from previous mysteries, has just gotten to town for the annual wine festival as well as participate in the Christening of his friend's baby boy. The mood is tense though as one year ago Kim Gillespie, a close family friend, went missing at the wine festival. Although the local police chief is well-meaning, he has had little success finding clues and has no new leads. Kim's teenage daughter and her friend seem to be the only ones trying to crack the case.
This slow-paced mystery focusing on the relationships of these close-knit group of friends and family is rich with detail and nuance. Many of us at Book Bin loved this Australian mystery with a satisfying ending.
Reviewed by Alli Gilley
Available in Hardcover Now
Childhood friends Emily and Chess are finding that being an adult is much harder than it looks. Emily is just coming out of a difficult divorce and Chess's wildly successful career is wearing her down. Both women need a getaway and Villa Aestas in Orvieto is available for six weeks this summer. This is exactly what the two of them need to get back to their own writing projects.
50 years ago, Villa Aestas was the location where Mari Godwick wrote her gothic thriller, Lilith Rising and where rock star Noel Gordon was murdered.
Is the past looking to repeat itself in this new suspense novel by Rachel Hawkins.
Reviewed by Amy Morrison
Available in Hardcover Now
In All The Dangerous Things, by Stacy Willingham, Isabelle Drake is frantically trying to find out what happened to her missing baby, Mason, over a year ago. She tries to keep the search going and fresh in the police and the public's minds by going on true crime podcasts to tell the story. While many question her motives, one podcaster in particular seems very interested in helping her and he may even have new information. She invites him to stay in her home while they search, but he may not be who he claims to be. Her intense belief that her child is still alive is the only thing that keeps Isabelle going. Dread, lies, and past secrets cloud Isabelle's judgement as she passionately searches for answers. This fast paced, fresh, psychological thriller will entertain and engage readers all the way to the shocking end.
Reviewed by Andrea Fossier
Available in Hardcover Now
Just the Nicest Couple by Mary Kubica, follows two young couples that seems to have everything going for them. Things change when Nina's surgeon husband, Jake, goes missing. She thinks he is just cooling off after a heated aurgument, but as the days pass she becomes more worried. Meanwhile, Nina's best friend, Lily, realizes she may have been the last person to see Jake alive. The circumstances of this encounter may implicate her in his disappearance, even though she insists she left him alive. As the days go by, the police get involved and Lily and her husband begin to worry. Lily finally confesses to her husband that there is more to the story than originally told, and he helps her to cover up information in an attempt to protect her from any implications. However, Nina is relentless in her search for information and as clues begin to point at her friend, things take a surprising turn. This entertaining thriller will take readers on a ride of twists and turns trying to guess the outcome.
Reviewed by Andrea Fossier
Available in Hardcover Now
Want a humorous murder mystery with a goofy narrator who has no detective experience? Well, this may be the one for you!
Ernest Cunningham put his brother in jail years ago by testifying against him. Now that his brother is being released, the family is planning a reunion at a ski resort. Does this sound like an awkward situation? Well, let the multiple murders that begin to take place take the edge off. Ernest uses what he has learned from classic detective mysteries to solve these murders in the most spectacular way, and you are along for the ride.
If you like quirky and original in your (non-scary) mysteries, give Everyone in my Family Has Killed Someone a try.
Reviewed by Alli Gilley