This week’s mystery books are the perfect companions to bring to the park or poolside. Choose between jewel-heists, political thrillers or a book compared to To Kill a Mockingbird with a twist.
Or, don’t choose – read them all!
The Fear Artist by Timothy Hallinan
An accidental collision on a Bangkok sidewalk goes very wrong when a man who runs into Poke Rafferty dies in his arms, but not before saying three words: Helen Eckersley. Cheyenne. Seconds later, the police arrive, denying that the man was shot. As Rafferty learns more about the situation, it becomes apparent that he’s been caught on the margins of the war on terror, and that his opponent is a virtuoso artist whose medium is fear.
Off Side by Manuel Vazquez Montalban
Barcelona’s new soccer star is receiving death threats and Pepe Carvalho, gourmet, gumshoe and former political prisoner under Franco, is hired to find out who’s behind it.
Light from a Distant Star: A Novel by Mary McGarry Morris
Light from a Distant Star is a gripping coming-of-age story with a brutal murder at its heart and a heroine as unforgettable as Harper Lee’s “Scout.” When violence erupts in the lovely Peck house, the prime suspect seems obvious. Nellie knows who the real murderer is, but is soon silenced by fear and the threat of scandal. The truth, as she sees it, is shocking and unthinkable, and with everyone’s eyes riveted on her in the courtroom, Nellie finds herself seized with doubt. No one will listen. No one believes her, and a man’s life hangs in the balance.
Requiem for a Gypsy by Michael Genelin
When the wife of one of Slovakia’s most prominent businessmen is killed in a very public assassination, it looks like the bullets were meant for her husband. But could the wife of Oto Bogan have actually been one of the primary targets? And where has Bogan gone? Both he and his son have disappeared without a trace. Commander Jana Matinova was present at the party where the shooting took place, and she was the one who pushed Bogan out of the line of fire. As a witness to the crime, she’s being told to stay away from the case, but her Colonel knows that he needs his best investigator on it.
Wyatt by Garry Disher
Garry Disher’s cool, enigmatic anti-hero Wyatt has a job–a jewel heist. The kind Wyatt likes. Nothing extravagant, nothing greedy. Wyatt prefers to work alone, but this is Eddie Oberin’s job. Eddie’s very smart ex-wife Lydia has the inside information. Add Wyatt’s planning genius and meticulous preparation, and what could possibly go wrong? Plenty. And when you wrong Wyatt, you don’t get to just walk away.
