Ragged Alice by Gareth L. Powell

Ragged Alice is one of those rare tales that delivers just enough. Just enough words, just enough character flavor, just enough supernatural. The pacing is spot-on, giving just enough introspection between exactly the right amount of happenings.

The world needs more 100-page mysteries, and this one serves it up with a cracking cup of tea. I love that Powell chose Wales for this tale. 

The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman

Published by Viking, 2016

I loved The Thursday Murder Club. Osman really hit it out of the park with his first installment, but I found the second volume a bit klunky at the start. By the time he found his footing again, I felt the story was overly thin. 

I thought I might just be having an off day as a reader, and talked with some other fans of the first volume who told me that the second does pale, and that, unfortunately, it seems the third and fourth are each worse by degrees in turn.

Read the first one, but feel free to skip the rest in the series. 

The Hunter by Tana French

Published by Viking, 2024

I’ve loved Tana French’s writing since I first read Into the Woods in 2010. The Hunter is the second in her Cal Hooper series, which I like just as much as any of the Dublin Murder Squad. 

I was so engrossed in the characters she created that I was 300 pages in before I remembered that this was supposed to be a murder mystery and wondered when the body would show up. 

I’m very much looking forward to the next installment. Cal Hooper and crew have taken up space in my personal canon.

Chasing the Devil's Tail: A Mystery of Storyville, New Orleans by David Fulmer

Skinwalkers by Tony Hillerman

Step on a Crack by James Patterson

Fearless Fourteen: Janet Evanovich

Not as funny as thirteen, but still a lovely way to spend an afternoon.

Mosaic: Gayle Lynds

Eh. This is ok. It'll get you through the airport or the doctor's office, and at times it even promises to be interesting. It never really delivers, though, because Lynds can't decide if she's writing a conspiracy expose, a political thriller or a romance novel. Eventually it all breaks down into somewhat predictable fare, just as it ought to be getting really twist-and-turn-some. not recommended.

One For the Money: Janet Evanovich

This is the first of the Stephanie Plum series, and I'm hooked. I swear that if laughter is the best medicine, this is a closet full of cure.

Entombed: Linda Fairstein

This was a fun read. My introduction to Alexandra Cooper. Witty and literate, a nice addition to the sleuth series. A fine beach book, as I'm certain any of hers would be.

Chain of Evidence: Ridley Pearson

Another fun ride by Pearson, this one has nice notes of mentorship and our own fallibility to go along with a good old who-done-it let's-catch-em.

The Pied Piper: Ridley Pearson

I just finished this and have to confess that I had never heard of Pearson before. I'm pleased to report that the writing is as engaging as the crime and the sleuthing. Look for more by this author. It's a great summer book.