I haven't been sharing the books that are on my radar. Shame on me! You know that it's my aim in life to ensure your book wish lists are as fat and sassy as mine. *wink*
I'm cooling my heels waiting for some maintenance work to be done in the house, so this is the perfect time to share some of those books with you. Let's get started!
Available in March!
This is the sixth book in one of my very favorite series. It features private investigator Vish Puri who lives in New Delhi, India. I love the humor, and I love the mysteries, but there are other things that make this a special series for me. One, it turned me on to Indian cuisine. (Yum!) Two, it gives a light-hearted yet true-to-life depiction of Indian life. Three, it was the first series to turn my attention to India itself.
Synopsis: "When Vish Puri, India’s Most Private Detective, learns he’s won
the long-coveted International Detective of the Year award, it’s
supposed to be a secret. But within hours, it seems all of Delhi knows –
and his indomitable Mummy-ji announces she’ll be coming with him to the
ceremony in London, never mind that she’s not been invited.
To add to his woes, a senior government bureaucrat gives him an undercover mission he can’t refuse. Puri is tasked with tracking down India’s most-wanted fugitive: a billionaire pharmaceutical fraudster codenamed Bombay Duck, who’s rumoured to be hiding in the British capital.
Puri’s only spending a week in London . . . and he’s already promised his wife he won’t work during their once-in-a-lifetime trip. In desperation, he enlists the help of his reluctant nephew Jags and dives headfirst into the case. But can Puri hook the Bombay Duck and bring him to justice – all the while keeping his investigations secret from his wife and meddling mother?
Packed with the
sights, sounds and flavours of both New Delhi and London, author Tarquin
Hall – who divides his time between India and the UK – delivers an
irresistible read for fans of Alexander McCall Smith, Harini Nagendra
and Jesse Sutanto."
Available in April!
I've had a lifelong love of dollhouses and miniatures, so the title of this book immediately caught my attention. Then I read the synopsis and knew I had to read it.
Synopsis: "Tildy Barrows, Head Curator of a beautiful archival library in
San Francisco, is meticulously dedicated to the century’s worth of
inventory housed in her beloved Beaux Art building. She loves the calm
and order in the shelves of books and walls of art. But Tildy’s life
takes an unexpected turn when she, first, learns the library is on the
verge of bankruptcy and, second, discovers two exquisite
never-before-seen dollhouses.
After finding clues hidden within these remarkable miniatures, Tildy sets out to decipher the secret history of the dollhouses, aiming to salvage her cherished library in the process. Her journey introduces her to a world of ambitious and gifted women in Belle Époque Paris, a group of scarred World War I veterans in the English countryside, and Walt Disney’s bustling Burbank studio in the 1950s. As Tildy unravels the mystery, she finds not only inspiring, hidden history, but also a future for herself—and an astonishing familial revelation.
Spanning the course of a century, The Library of Lost Dollhouses is a warm, bright, and captivating story of secrets and love that embraces the importance of illuminating overlooked women."
Available in May!
Brendan Slocumb is another author who's rapidly become a favorite. A talented violinist, his mysteries are filled with music and the Black experience.
Synopsis: "Curtis Wilson is a cello prodigy, growing up in the Southeast D.C.
projects with a drug dealer for a father. But through determination and
talent, and the loving support of his father’s girlfriend, Larissa,
Curtis claws his way out of his challenging circumstances and rises to
unimagined heights in the classical music world—even soloing with the
New York Philharmonic.
And then, suddenly, his life disintegrates. His father, Zippy, turns state evidence, implicating his old bosses to the FBI. Now the family—Curtis included—must enter the witness protection program if they want to survive. This means Curtis must give up the very thing he loves most: sharing his extraordinary musical talents with the world. When Zippy’s bosses prove too elusive for law enforcement to convict them, Curtis, Zippy, and Larissa realize that their only chance of survival is to take on the cartel themselves. They must create new identities and draw on their unique talents, including Curtis’s musical ability, to go after the people who want them dead. But will it be enough to keep Curtis and his family alive?"
Available in June!
This is another series that I love, combining mysteries, thrills, history, archaeology, and one of my favorite places: New Mexico.
Synopsis: "In the New Mexico badlands, the skeleton of a woman is found—and
the case is assigned to FBI Agent Corrie Swanson. The victim walked into
the desert, shedding clothes as she went, and died in agony of
heatstroke and thirst. Two rare artifacts are found clutched in her bony
hands—lightning stones used by the ancient Chaco people to summon the
gods.
Is it suicide or… sacrifice?
Agent Swanson
brings in archaeologist Nora Kelly to investigate. When a second body is
found—exactly like the other—the two realize the case runs deeper than
they imagined. As Corrie and Nora pursue their investigation into remote
canyons, haunted ruins, and long-lost rituals, they find themselves
confronting a dark power that, disturbed from its long slumber,
threatens to exact an unspeakable price. "
Available in July!
Yet another favorite series that I've loved from the very first book. Bruno and all his friends are part of my fictional family now. I've learned so much about southwestern France from Walker, and-- like Tarquin Hall's Vish Puri series-- these books are perfect foodie mysteries!
Synopsis: "When Bruno stumbles upon a motionless figure in a car parked at a
scenic overpass on the ridge of the Vézère valley, he’s ready to
investigate. Inside, he finds a suicide note and the dead body of
Monique, a successful businesswoman who rented châteaus to wealthy
expats. It seems like an open-and-shut case.
But Bruno can’t
shake the feeling that something sinister lurks underneath this tidy
narrative. After he delivers Monique’s final messages to those most
important to her, malicious gossip about Bruno begins to spread through
the village. One thing leads to another, and soon Bruno faces pressure
to resign from the job. Despite this disturbing turn of events, Bruno
remains Bruno, never one to turn down a fine meal with good company in
the French countryside. In the course of inquiry, he meets Laura—and her
dog, which happens to be the same breed as his beloved basset hound. As
sparks fly and Bruno realizes just how much he has at stake, he races
to find out what really happened to Monique, before he loses his badge,
his new love—or something even worse."
Now... I know some of these books are already on your wish lists, but did I manage to add one or two more? Inquiring minds would love to know!
