Another month, another crop of new mysteries. There's always something to look forward to!As I write this in mid-September, the temperatures are still right around 100°, and I have to admit that, summer lover or not, I am looking forward to October when things finally begin cooling off.
My reading pace may have fallen off in the past couple of months, but that doesn't keep me from looking for new books to read. Just call me a literate magpie.
I've grouped my picks of October's best new crime fiction by their release dates, and the book covers and synopses are courtesy of my favorite showroom, Amazon.
Now it's time to see if I've chosen anything that tickles your fancy just as much as it tickles mine. October is a good blend of tried, true, and new. Let's check my list!
=== October 4 ===
Author: Laurie Loewenstein
Series: #2 in the Dust Bowl historical series set in 1930s Oklahoma.
320 pages
Synopsis: "Already suffering the privations of the 1930s Dust Bowl, an
Oklahoma town is further devastated when a passenger train
derails—flooding its hospital with the dead and maimed. Among the
seriously wounded is Etha, wife of Sheriff Temple Jennings. Overwhelmed
by worry for her, the sheriff must regain his footing to investigate the
derailment, which rapidly develops into a case of sabotage.
Title: Sinister Graves 
Title: The Plot and the Pendulum 
Title: Secret Lives
The following night, a local recluse is murdered. Temple has a hunch that this death is connected to the train wreck. But as he dissects the victim’s life with help from the recuperating and resourceful Etha, he discovers a tangle of records that make a number of townsfolk suspects in the murder.
Temple’s investigations take place
against the backdrop of the Great Depression—where bootlegging, petty
extortion, courage, and bravado play out in equal measure."
=== October 11 ===
Author: Marcie R. Rendon
Series: #3 in the Cash Blackbear series set in 1970s Minnesota and North Dakota.
240 pages
*Upcoming review on Kittling: Books.
Synopsis: "Set in 1970s Minnesota on the White Earth
Reservation, Pinckley Prize–winner Marcie R. Rendon’s gripping new
mystery follows Cash Blackbear, a young Ojibwe woman, as she attempts to
discover the truth about the disappearances of Native girls and their
newborns.
A snowmelt has sent floodwaters down to the fields of the Red River Valley, dragging the body of an unidentified Native woman into the town of Ada. The only evidence the medical examiner recovers is a torn piece of paper inside her bra: a hymnal written in English and Ojibwe.
Cash Blackbear, a 19-year-old Ojibwe woman, sometimes helps Sheriff Wheaton, her guardian, on his investigations. Now she knows her search for justice for this anonymous victim will take her to the White Earth Reservation, a place she once called home.
When Cash happens upon two small graves in the yard of a rural, “speak-in-tongues kinda church,” Cash is pulled into the lives of the malevolent pastor and his troubled wife while yet another Native woman dies in a mysterious manner."
A snowmelt has sent floodwaters down to the fields of the Red River Valley, dragging the body of an unidentified Native woman into the town of Ada. The only evidence the medical examiner recovers is a torn piece of paper inside her bra: a hymnal written in English and Ojibwe.
Cash Blackbear, a 19-year-old Ojibwe woman, sometimes helps Sheriff Wheaton, her guardian, on his investigations. Now she knows her search for justice for this anonymous victim will take her to the White Earth Reservation, a place she once called home.
When Cash happens upon two small graves in the yard of a rural, “speak-in-tongues kinda church,” Cash is pulled into the lives of the malevolent pastor and his troubled wife while yet another Native woman dies in a mysterious manner."
Author: Jenn McKinlay
Series: #13 in the Library Lovers cozy series set in Connecticut.
304 pages
Synopsis: "Library director Lindsey Norris is happy to learn the Briar Creek
Public Library is the beneficiary of the Dorchester family’s vast book
collection. However, when Lindsey and the library staff arrive at the
old Victorian estate to gather the books, things take a sinister turn.
One of the bookcases reveals a secret passage, leading to a room where a
skeleton is found, clutching an old copy of The Collected Works of Edgar Allan Poe.
Lindsey does a quick check of missing persons, using the distinctive 80s era clothing worn by the deceased to determine a time frame, and discovers that Briar Creek has an unsolved missing person’s case from 1989. A runaway bride went missing just weeks after her wedding. No suspects were ever arrested and the cold case remains unsolved. Lindsey and the crafternoon crew decide that justice is overdue and set about solving the old murder mystery, using some novel ideas to crack the case."
Lindsey does a quick check of missing persons, using the distinctive 80s era clothing worn by the deceased to determine a time frame, and discovers that Briar Creek has an unsolved missing person’s case from 1989. A runaway bride went missing just weeks after her wedding. No suspects were ever arrested and the cold case remains unsolved. Lindsey and the crafternoon crew decide that justice is overdue and set about solving the old murder mystery, using some novel ideas to crack the case."
Author: Mark de Castrique
Series: #1 in the Ethel Fiona Crestwater series set in Washington, DC.
288 pages
*Upcoming review on Kittling: Books.
Synopsis: "For fans of unexpected-yet-badass female sleuths, meet former
FBI agent-turned-boardinghouse landlady Ethel Fiona Crestwater. Her age
affords her precious invisibility. She can outthink and outshoot most
men―and women―half her age. 
Title: 1989
Title: Santa's Little Yelpers 
Title: Under a Veiled Moon
Title: Death at Paradise Palms
When someone murders one of her boarders, Ethel springs into action―much to the surprise of her double-first-cousin-twice-removed, Jesse, who has recently come to stay with her while he attends university. As he watches her photograph the crime scene, conceal evidence, and speed-dial the Secret Service Director, Jesse realizes that there's much more to Ethel than appearances suggest.
When Jesse is assaulted and the
gym bag full of cash Ethel had hidden is stolen from the basement, the
pair decides it's time to launch their own unofficial investigation.
With no one to trust but each other, this unlikely duo learns that the
only thing truly worth risking your life for is family."
Author: Val McDermid
Series: #2 in the Allie Burns journalist series set in 1980s Scotland.
416 pages
Synopsis: "Hailed as Britain’s Queen of Crime, Val McDermid’s award-winning,
internationally bestselling novels have captivated readers for more than
thirty years. In her Allie Burns series, she returns to the past—both
ours and in some ways her own—with the story of a female journalist
whose stories lead her into world of corruption, terror, and murder.
It’s 1989 and Allie Burns is back. Older and maybe wiser, she’s running the northern news operation of the Sunday Globe, chafing at losing her role in investigative journalism and at the descent into the gutter of the UK tabloid media. But there’s plenty to keep her occupied. The year begins with the memorial service for the victims of the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, but Allie has barely filed her copy when she stumbles over a story about HIV/AIDS that will shock her into a major change of direction. The world of newspapers is undergoing a revolution, there’s skullduggery in the medical research labs and there are seismic rumblings behind the Iron Curtain. When murder is added to this potent mix, Allie is forced to question all her old certainties.
Readers are having a great time time-traveling with Val, and 1989 is a seamless, riveting novel that brings us once again face to face with how very much past is prologue, and how history’s sins stay with us."
It’s 1989 and Allie Burns is back. Older and maybe wiser, she’s running the northern news operation of the Sunday Globe, chafing at losing her role in investigative journalism and at the descent into the gutter of the UK tabloid media. But there’s plenty to keep her occupied. The year begins with the memorial service for the victims of the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, but Allie has barely filed her copy when she stumbles over a story about HIV/AIDS that will shock her into a major change of direction. The world of newspapers is undergoing a revolution, there’s skullduggery in the medical research labs and there are seismic rumblings behind the Iron Curtain. When murder is added to this potent mix, Allie is forced to question all her old certainties.
Readers are having a great time time-traveling with Val, and 1989 is a seamless, riveting novel that brings us once again face to face with how very much past is prologue, and how history’s sins stay with us."
Author: David Rosenfelt
Series: #26 in the Andy Carpenter series set in New Jersey.
304 pages
Synopsis: "'Tis the season in Paterson, New Jersey: Lawyer Andy Carpenter and
his golden retriever, Tara, are surrounded by holiday cheer. It’s even
spread to the Tara Foundation. The dog rescue organization, not used to
having puppies, has their hands full with a recent litter. Eight puppies
are a lot to handle, and Andy is relieved when his co-worker Chris
Myers agrees to foster them.
Myers, a newer employee at the Tara Foundation, did time for a crime he swears he didn’t commit. When Myers discovers a key witness against him lied on the stand, he goes to Andy to ask for representation in getting the conviction overturned. Myers thinks they can have this wrapped up by Christmas, no problem.
But when the witness is murdered, and Myers is arrested for the crime, things go from bad to worse. Suddenly, it’s all elves on deck to make a list and check it twice, so they can prove Myers is innocent."
Myers, a newer employee at the Tara Foundation, did time for a crime he swears he didn’t commit. When Myers discovers a key witness against him lied on the stand, he goes to Andy to ask for representation in getting the conviction overturned. Myers thinks they can have this wrapped up by Christmas, no problem.
But when the witness is murdered, and Myers is arrested for the crime, things go from bad to worse. Suddenly, it’s all elves on deck to make a list and check it twice, so they can prove Myers is innocent."
Author: Karen Odden
Series: #2 in the DI Michael Corravan historical series set in 1870s England.
336 pages
Synopsis: "September 1878. One night, as the pleasure boat the Princess Alice makes her daily trip up the Thames, she collides with the Bywell Castle, a huge iron-hulled collier. The Princess Alice
shears apart, throwing all 600 passengers into the river; only 130
survive. It is the worst maritime disaster London has ever seen, and
early clues point to sabotage by the Irish Republican Brotherhood, who
believe violence is the path to restoring Irish Home Rule.
For Scotland Yard Inspector Michael Corravan, born in Ireland and adopted by the Irish Doyle family, the case presents a challenge. Accused by the Home Office of willfully disregarding the obvious conclusion, and berated by his Irish friends for bowing to prejudice, Corravan doggedly pursues the truth, knowing that if the Princess Alice disaster is pinned on the IRB, hopes for Home Rule could be dashed forever.
Corrovan’s dilemma is compounded by Colin, the youngest Doyle, who has joined James McCabe’s Irish gang. As violence in Whitechapel rises, Corravan strikes a deal with McCabe to get Colin out of harm’s way. But unbeknownst to Corravan, Colin bears longstanding resentments against his adopted brother and scorns his help.
As the newspapers link the IRB to further accidents, London threatens to devolve into terror and chaos. With the help of his young colleague, the loyal Mr. Stiles, and his friend Belinda Gale, Corravan uncovers the harrowing truth—one that will shake his faith in his countrymen, the law, and himself."
For Scotland Yard Inspector Michael Corravan, born in Ireland and adopted by the Irish Doyle family, the case presents a challenge. Accused by the Home Office of willfully disregarding the obvious conclusion, and berated by his Irish friends for bowing to prejudice, Corravan doggedly pursues the truth, knowing that if the Princess Alice disaster is pinned on the IRB, hopes for Home Rule could be dashed forever.
Corrovan’s dilemma is compounded by Colin, the youngest Doyle, who has joined James McCabe’s Irish gang. As violence in Whitechapel rises, Corravan strikes a deal with McCabe to get Colin out of harm’s way. But unbeknownst to Corravan, Colin bears longstanding resentments against his adopted brother and scorns his help.
As the newspapers link the IRB to further accidents, London threatens to devolve into terror and chaos. With the help of his young colleague, the loyal Mr. Stiles, and his friend Belinda Gale, Corravan uncovers the harrowing truth—one that will shake his faith in his countrymen, the law, and himself."
Author: Steph Broadribb
Series: #2 in the Retired Detectives Club series set in Florida.
316 pages
Synopsis: "When movie producer Cody Ziegler goes missing from The
Homestead’s Millionaires’ Row, his wife, retired actress Olivia,
immediately claims there’s foul play afoot. A million-dollar ransom
demand soon follows, with clear instructions not to involve the cops. In
desperation she enlists the help of Moira, Rick, Philip and Lizzie, aka
the Retired Detectives Club. 
Racing against the clock, the four retirees set to work. Sure, Cody had enemies―there’s a disgruntled employee, a jilted film-maker and a hundred other people who know how much he’s worth. But when it emerges that Cody’s apparently perfect marriage isn’t what it seems, even Olivia isn’t above suspicion.
When Cody’s car turns up in a nearby lake with a shocking surprise inside, the case becomes even more complicated. But with Philip and Lizzie’s marriage on the rocks, and threatening notes sending Moira into a spin, the Retired Detectives Club risks falling apart before getting any closer to the truth.
Can Moira and the gang find Cody before it’s too late? Or will this case see them lose in more ways than one?"
Title: Murder on the Spanish Seas
Author: Wendy Church
Debut thriller set on a cruise ship featuring down-on-her-luck Jesse O'Hara.
280 pages
Synopsis: "Jesse
O'Hara is profane, introverted, and not frequently sober – and has just
lost another job. “A million-dollar brain and a ten-cent personality,”
her last employer said. With nothing better to do, Jesse reluctantly
accepts the gift of a luxury cruise around the Iberian Peninsula. She’s
not sure she can drink enough to keep her boredom at bay, but that's the
least of her problems. From the very first moment of the cruise, it's
clear to Jesse that something is very wrong. 
Title: The Boys from Biloxi
Title: Must Read Well
Aided
by her near-photographic memory, Jesse investigates a series of strange
incidents on the ship and uncovers what looks like a terrorist plot in
the works. But with each new layer uncovered, her perception shifts and
broadens-- and someone doesn’t want her poking around. For Jesse,
bruised and concussed is preferable to tan and relaxed, so she ignores
the mounting danger even as she closes in on the villains, who have
perfectly timed their grand finale...
Murder
on the Spanish Seas is a riveting, whip-smart, and smart-aleck debut
thriller that will keep you on your toes just as frequently as it keeps
you in stitches. A perfect read for fans of Ruth Ware and Janet
Evanovich."
=== October 18 ===
Author: John Grisham
Standalone legal thriller set in Mississippi
464 pages
Synopsis: "For most of the last hundred years, Biloxi was known for its
beaches, resorts, and seafood industry. But it had a darker side. It was
also notorious for corruption and vice, everything from gambling,
prostitution, bootleg liquor, and drugs to contract killings. The vice
was controlled by small cabal of mobsters, many of them rumored to be
members of the Dixie Mafia.
Keith Rudy and Hugh Malco grew up in Biloxi in the sixties and were childhood friends, as well as Little League all-stars. But as teenagers, their lives took them in different directions. Keith’s father became a legendary prosecutor, determined to “clean up the Coast.” Hugh’s father became the “Boss” of Biloxi’s criminal underground. Keith went to law school and followed in his father’s footsteps. Hugh preferred the nightlife and worked in his father’s clubs. The two families were headed for a showdown, one that would happen in a courtroom.
Life itself hangs in the balance in The Boys from Biloxi, a sweeping saga rich with history and with a large cast of unforgettable characters."
Keith Rudy and Hugh Malco grew up in Biloxi in the sixties and were childhood friends, as well as Little League all-stars. But as teenagers, their lives took them in different directions. Keith’s father became a legendary prosecutor, determined to “clean up the Coast.” Hugh’s father became the “Boss” of Biloxi’s criminal underground. Keith went to law school and followed in his father’s footsteps. Hugh preferred the nightlife and worked in his father’s clubs. The two families were headed for a showdown, one that would happen in a courtroom.
Life itself hangs in the balance in The Boys from Biloxi, a sweeping saga rich with history and with a large cast of unforgettable characters."
Author: Ellen Pall
Standalone thriller set in New York City.
284 pages
Synopsis: "Ellen Pall's Must Read Well
immerses the reader in an escalating game of cat-and-mouse between two
women: a millennial scholar driven to deceit to reach her goals and a
frail octogenarian no less capable of deception.
Title: A Trace of Poison
Title: Love Me or Grieve Me
Narrated by Liz
Miller, a penniless Ph.D. candidate desperate to finish her
dissertation, the novel begins when Liz's boyfriend abruptly ditches
her, rendering Liz homeless and reduced to couch-surfing at best friend
Petra's tiny Manhattan studio apartment. Trying to find an affordable
living space, she stumbles across a Craigslist posting that will change
her life: a room with a view in a pre-war Greenwich Village apartment.
The rent is a pittance, but in exchange, the tenant must be willing to
read aloud daily to the apartment's sight-impaired landlady.
Liz
quickly figures out that the sight-impaired landlady is none other than
Anne Taussig Weil, author of the 1965 international blockbuster The Vengeance of Catherine Clark
and the very woman whose refusal to cooperate for the past four years
has held up Liz's dissertation on the feminist works of mid-century
women novelists. Access to Weil is the key to completing her doctorate
at Columbia and finally getting her academic career back on track.
Liz
sets scruples aside and presents herself as a quiet young woman still
finding her way in life. Once settled in, Liz learns from Weil that her
need for a reader stems from a desire to revisit a key episode in her
life. That episode, recorded in the scrawled journals Weil kept since
she was a young girl, turns out to be the story of her passionate,
disastrous, secret love affair with a celebrated pianist-the affair, in
fact, which gave rise to the plot of Vengeance.
The novel, which
builds from there to a double-twist climax, is fast-paced women's
fiction, perfect for book club members everywhere."
=== October 25 ===
Author: Colleen Cambridge
Series: #2 in the Phyllida Bright historical series set in England.
272 pages
*Upcoming review on Kittling: Books.
Synopsis: "In England’s stately manor houses, murder is not generally a topic
for polite conversation. Mallowan Hall, home to Agatha Christie and her
husband, Max, is the exception. And housekeeper Phyllida Bright
delights in discussing gory plot details with her friend and employer . .
.
The neighboring village of Listleigh has also become a hub of grisly goings-on, thanks to a Murder Fête organized to benefit a local orphanage. Members of The Detection Club—a group of celebrated authors such as G.K. Chesterton, Dorothy L. Sayers, and Agatha herself—will congregate for charitable events, including a writing contest for aspiring authors. The winner gets an international publishing contract, and entrants have gathered for a cocktail party—managed by the inimitable Phyllida—when murder strikes too close even for her comfort.
It seems the victim imbibed a poisoned cocktail intended for Alastair Whittlesby, president of the local writers’ club. The insufferable Whittlesby is thought to be a shoo-in for the prize, and ambition is certainly a worthy motive. But narrowing down these suspects could leave even Phyllida’s favorite fictional detective, M. Poirot, twirling his mustache in frustration.
It’s a mystery too intriguing for Phyllida to resist, but one fraught with duplicity and danger, for every guest is an expert in murder—and how to get away with it . . ."
The neighboring village of Listleigh has also become a hub of grisly goings-on, thanks to a Murder Fête organized to benefit a local orphanage. Members of The Detection Club—a group of celebrated authors such as G.K. Chesterton, Dorothy L. Sayers, and Agatha herself—will congregate for charitable events, including a writing contest for aspiring authors. The winner gets an international publishing contract, and entrants have gathered for a cocktail party—managed by the inimitable Phyllida—when murder strikes too close even for her comfort.
It seems the victim imbibed a poisoned cocktail intended for Alastair Whittlesby, president of the local writers’ club. The insufferable Whittlesby is thought to be a shoo-in for the prize, and ambition is certainly a worthy motive. But narrowing down these suspects could leave even Phyllida’s favorite fictional detective, M. Poirot, twirling his mustache in frustration.
It’s a mystery too intriguing for Phyllida to resist, but one fraught with duplicity and danger, for every guest is an expert in murder—and how to get away with it . . ."
Author: Diane Vallere
Series: #10 in the Madison Night cozy series set in Texas.
280 pages
Synopsis: "When a junior copy editor at the local newspaper mistakenly uses
interior decorator Madison Night’s life story in the obituary of a
recently deceased woman with a similar name, Madison’s live turns upside
down. Addison Nigh, a once in-demand jazz vocalist, had fallen into
obscurity, and her death notice surprises only those who thought she
died decades ago.
Canceled lines of credit and a swarm of condolences to Madison’s loved ones are just the tip of the iceberg, but when the decorator discovers evidence that the real dead woman played a part in an unsolved murder, their identity mix-up gives Madison backstage access to a life of secrets. As parallels between the singer’s life and her own become impossible to ignore, Madison questions the true price of fame. But Madison isn’t the only one to discover the singer’s buried secrets, and if she’s not careful, the next obituary might be her own.
Can Madison protect a mysterious past with similar notes to her own, or will exposing the truth be her swan song?"
Canceled lines of credit and a swarm of condolences to Madison’s loved ones are just the tip of the iceberg, but when the decorator discovers evidence that the real dead woman played a part in an unsolved murder, their identity mix-up gives Madison backstage access to a life of secrets. As parallels between the singer’s life and her own become impossible to ignore, Madison questions the true price of fame. But Madison isn’t the only one to discover the singer’s buried secrets, and if she’s not careful, the next obituary might be her own.
Can Madison protect a mysterious past with similar notes to her own, or will exposing the truth be her swan song?"
Another rich reading offering in October, eh? I'm very excited about several of the books this month, but I have to admit that I'm most anticipating Laurie Loewenstein's Funeral Train. I loved her first Dust Bowl mystery, Death of a Rainmaker, and I've waited a long time for this one... but there are so many others to savor!
Which ones are you most looking forward to? Are there any new-to-you titles in my list that intrigue you? Which ones? You know inquiring minds want to know!
