Here at Bas Bleu, our editors love a quick, satisfying beach read. If you came to this post from our Facebook page, you’ve undoubtedly seen some of our favorite picks for the summer already. So today, we give you something new: a list of books (and our reviews) that will keep you glued to your deck chair. These mysteries and thrillers are the best kind of page-turning, nail-biting entertainment. You can find all of them in our new summer catalog or our website. Enjoy!
In a quaint town in the English countryside, secondary school cafeteria ladies Margery and Clementine are shocked when their manager's body is found in the school's freezer. The police rule her death an accident, but Margery and Clementine have discovered a new appetite for sleuthing, and are determined to find out who the culprit is. This cozy thriller is packed full of witty banter and British charm, and will leave you hungry for more! (HH)
Former botany professor Andrew Basnett is trying to enjoy his retirement when he's dragged to the British countryside to help a former colleague, whose sister received a strange note: "I know where you buried the body." The women insist the letter must have been sent in error…but Basnett discovers that more than one of their neighbors has disappeared, and he'll have to do a lot of digging to figure out just what is going on. This is a delightful cozy mystery you'll want to pass on to friends! (AG)
The lack of progress in the investigation of a series of brutal killings is taking a mental toll on the Hampstead police department. Psychologist Peter Collins is brought in to help build a profile of the murderer, but his unconventional methods involve dissociative episodes in which he consults with Lord Peter Wimsey (yes, the fictional detective created by Golden Age mystery novelist Dorothy Sayers). Although the police are initially skeptical, they begin to suspect Wimsey may prove the key to cracking the case. What Would Wimsey Do? is engagingly paced with a resolution that few readers will guess. (BH)
It's the night of Marilyn Millay's birthday party, a summer garden soiree planned by her daughter, Nadine. But Nadine is straining under all sorts of pressure. Secrets bubble to the surface and old alliances are revealed as the party descends into drunken revelry. By the end of the night, Nadine finds herself standing over a dead body in her basement. How did she get here? And what shocking truths will she discover? (RR)
Based on the legendary Mitford family, these unputdownable mysteries follow the sisters' lives over the span of a few decades, each novel showcases the women's wit and charm…and mystery-solving skills! The Mitford Murders features eldest sister Nancy as she and the family maid Louisa attempt to solve a murder that occurred on a train. In Bright Young Dead, a man is pushed to his death from a bell tower, and it's up to eighteen-year-old Pamela to prove her maid's innocence after she's identified as the killer. The Mitford Scandal follows Diana on her mission to outrun marriage, and two murders in Paris are her escape. The Mitford Trial puts the sisters on a thrill- (and murder-) filled cruise in the Mediterranean. The Mitford Vanishing navigates the political unrest happening in 1937 Spain, and the roles the sisters play in a burgeoning war. The Mitford Secret begins in the midst of World War II, and the sisters must come together to solve the murder of a maid in Chatsworth. What heartpounding historical fiction! (HH)
An Honest Living revolves around a lawyer who has recently quit his corporate job in early-2000s New York, instead picking up odd jobs for friends who pay him in stolen art. When a mysterious woman claiming to be the wife of an antiquarian book collector asks for his help proving her husband is stealing from her, the lawyer is all too eager to accept her handful of cash, but then the real Anna Reddick—a renowned author—turns up at his door, furious with him for ruining her husband's reputation. Even worse, Newton Reddick then goes missing, and the lawyer is embroiled in the couple's messy affairs. An immersive ode to New York City and the world of literature, this modern noir mystery will keep you guessing until the very end. (RR)
Fifty years ago, then-novice-writer Peter Lovesey's first published short story, “The Bathroom,” caught the eye of renowned author Ruth Rendell, spurring him into a much-acclaimed career in crime fiction. Now, more than five decades, 100 short stories, and dozens of bestselling novels later, Lovesey presents this collection of eighteen of his best short works, including his career-launcher, three never-before-published tales, and even an appearance by his beloved detective Peter Diamond. Inhabiting such sinister settings as a monastery, an apiary, a book store, a fancy hat contest, and a community theater stage, these compact but satisfying reads will charm, confound, and captivate mystery lovers! (AG)
Emily agrees to attend the annual Oxford fellow trip to the Chalet des Anglais in the hopes that it will thaw her grief over her husband's recent death. But before she leaves, her home and office are broken into, and Emily becomes certain that someone close to her is attempting to steal her husband's trade secrets. Then a student goes missing, and tensions flare as rumors swirl around the chalet. This enthralling mystery will surprise you at every twist, and the haunting grandfather clock at the heart of the villa may even appear in your dreams…. (RR)
Plaid and Plagiarism, the debut to this cozy mystery series, introduces Janet, an American who moves to the Scottish seaside town of Inversgail, where she has purchased Yon Bonnie Books with her daughter and two friends. But their arrival is marred by tragedy when the body of a local reporter is found in Janet's shed. As the women rush to get the shop ready for a literary festival, they are thrown into the role of amateur detectives… and they discover lots of suspects among their eccentric neighbors. Follow the enterprising bookshop ladies through more deadly drama and Highland charm in the successive titles, available as a set or individually. (AG)
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