9 Recommendations for Readers Who Love Literary Mysteries
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Tina has the most literary taste of our group. Her reading lists each month include everything from award winners and short stories to translations of Japanese fiction. This month, Carol, Lida, and Jen are sharing some of their favorite reads of the last twelve months that they think Tina would love, too. If you love literary fiction, we think you’ll love them, too.
Jen’s Suggestions
The Word is Murder by Anthony Horowitz – It’s no secret on this site that I’m dazzled by Anthony Horowitz. My favorite is the ingenious Hawthorne and Horowitz series, where he includes himself as an auto-biographical Watson to a fictional detective. It’s a clever play on the writing process and the mystery genre overall, and I think it’s one that Tina would love.
The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton – Twisty, time-travelly, and totally absorbing, Stuart Turton's bestseller features a hero with eight days to solve a murder, and each day is on repeat. Think Groundhog Day meets your favorite classic detective story, and written with lush detail that I think Tina will love.
Trust by Diaz Hernan – This 2023 Pulitzer Prize winner isn’t exactly a secret, but it’s worth a reminder. It’s ostensibly the story of high finance in the 1920s and 30s and a society couple behind it, but it’s really a literary puzzle, with three accounts of a life inside one story. I think Tina will be as enchanted as I was.
Lida’s Suggestions
In The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafron - I’m willing to bet Tina has read this beautifully written novel; one that I devoured a while ago, and though I may not fully remember the plot, I haven’t forgotten the expert craftsmanship and the awe after I’d finished the book. It completely absorbed me in a way no other novel has since. A winner of numerous literary awards, it’s a translation to boot, something else that blew me away. I couldn’t help but wonder if the translation could be better or worse than the original Spanish edition. Part historical fiction, part mystery, part fantasy, if Tina hasn’t read this yet, I think she’ll at least find it quite different.
Hidden Beneath (A Maine Clambake Mystery #11) by Barbara Ross - Amateur sleuths, small town vibes, and an intricate plot make me think Tina will enjoy the latest edition in this series. Julia Snowden accompanies her mother, Jacqueline, to Chipmunk Island for a memorial service for Mom’s longtime friend, Ginny, who’d disappeared five years ago after going for a swim. As they poke around the island, answers and clues are revealed slowly and carefully, giving readers just enough to turn each page, reminding me of Tina’s own Batavia-on-Hudson series. I think Tina will appreciate the setting and the well-drawn cast of characters.
The Searcher by Tana French - this is a book Jen selected for our book club early on, and it’s one I think Tina will appreciate, again due to an intricate plot, beautiful imagery and abundant atmosphere. Add in an unexpected twist and the slow build of suspense, and it’s hard not to hang on expectantly for more. The characters are artfully created making it easy to regard each one with a good dose of understanding and in most cases, a great deal of sympathy.
Carol’s Suggestions
In addition to literary novels, Tina enjoys Japanese fiction. I’m sure she’ll enjoy these.
Out, by Natsuo Kirino, won the Mystery Writers of Japan award for Best Novel. It’s an amazing insight to the secret lives of several women in the Tokyo suburbs. I found the beginning riveting but the second half puzzling. I’m looking forward to having Tina tell me more about Japanese culture to help my understanding of this intriguing mystery.
Shibumi, by Trevanian, is one of my all-time favorite books, and I reread it every few years. It traces the life of a multicultural man—and the world’s most wanted man—with an emphasis on his Japanese upbringing.This fascinating thriller delves deep into the psyche of a brilliant man who has one desire in life: to achieve shibumi. I think Tina will appreciate the lush description of Japanese locations and the beautifully detailed insights into Japanese values and way of thinking.
In The Case of the Poisoned Eclairs, by E. V. Cunningham, Japanese-American Sergeant Masao Masuto tackles sensitive murder cases with patience, grace, poise, and a shrewdness that is often underestimated by the suspects he investigates. His Zen philosophy allows him to stay grounded and calm when emotions run high. Highly intelligent and valued by his captain, Masuto moves through the rarified Beverly Hills society tactfully but his devotion to justice always keeps him focused on solving the crime and putting the criminal behind bars.