Listen for the Lie

Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera, 336 pages

Five years ago, Lucy's best friend Savvy was murdered after a wedding in their small Texas town. Lucy has no memory of that night, but given that she was found covered in Savvy's blood not far from the body, everyone assumes she did it, despite the fact that the police never charged her with the crime. In the aftermath, Lucy divorced her husband and fled to Los Angeles, where she's enjoyed a much more anonymous life...at least until a popular true crime podcaster picks up the cold case. Suddenly, everyone knows who Lucy is, and it's managed to end her job and relationship in one fell swoop. At the request of her beloved grandmother, Lucy heads back to her hometown and starts working with the podcaster to discover the truth of Savvy's murder, whatever that may be.

This was an interesting, quick read with a main character that is such a mess that you can't help but shake your head at her. But she also has a fantastically dark sense of humor, which made her so realistic and likeable to me. The book is alternately billed as a thriller and a mystery, though I'm not sure it really matters in the grand scheme of things, because it's wicked fun and keeps you guessing until the end.

Ash Dark As Night

Ash Dark As Night by Gary Phillips, 295 pages

It's 1965 in Los Angeles and photographer Harry Ingram is risking his neck to document the Watts riots that are raging in the city. When he captures a damning photo of police officers killing an unarmed young Black man, Ingram is thrust into the spotlight himself, drawing unwanted attention from the police and others who aren't so keen on what the people are fighting for. However, the notoriety helps him out as Ingram searches for a man who went missing during the riots, a man who may have been involved in some nefarious deeds.

The era and noir feel of this book are fantastic — it captures the unrest of the time and the grittiness of Ingram's life perfectly. However, this is billed as a mystery, and that seems to take a backseat to all of the protests and investigation involved with the civil rights movement. So it's a good book, just maybe not a mystery.

The Third Wife of Faraday House

The Third Wife of Faraday House by B.R. Myers, 338 pages

Emeline Fitzpatrick is determined to marry her beau, a dashing lieutenant in the British Navy, but her guardians instead ship her off to be the third wife of wealthy Captain Graves, whose first two brides died in childbirth. Or at least that's what Emeline's told, as when she arrives at Graves' remote island home, she finds that the second Mrs. Graves, Georgina, is still alive, though just barely. Sure that her Navy suitor is coming to rescue her, Emeline is determined to keep Georgina alive as long as possible, and see if she can't figure out what's actually killing her.

This gothic tale has tinges of Jane Eyre and more than a little Rebecca, though it pales in comparison to both of those classics. This was suggested to me as a mystery, and while it's definitely mysterious, it's not A Mystery, if you will. Still, it's a fun gothic romp (if that's not too much of a contradiction!), with a helping hand from a ghost.

Agnes Sharp and the Trip of a Lifetime

Agnes Sharp and the Trip of a Lifetime by Leonie Swann, 338 pages

When one of the batty residents of Sunset Hall receives a free trip to a fancy hotel and spa, all of her elderly roommates decide to go with her. However, mysterious things start happening almost as soon as they arrive — there's a presumably dead person floating in the pool with a curled up snake resting nearby; two hooded people go for a walk along the ridge, but only one returns; and why is there a random guy dropping onto the balcony of their room? The titular Agnes and her friends decide to investigate these various mysteries in a manner that is more than a bit chaotic.

I'm not sure what I thought about this as a mystery. Halfway through, it was hard to tell who or how many people were dead, and there were no real suspects, which felt a bit late to call this a mystery for real. Fans of the Thursday Murder Club, Marlow Murder Club, and Killers of a Certain Age might pick this one up, though it's not nearly as good as any of those mentioned earlier in this sentence.

Neighborhood Watch

Neighborhood Watch by Sarah Reida, 320 pages

In the neighborhood of Oleander Court, homes and lawns are perfectly maintained (by hired help, of course), the "book club meetings" are just excuses to gossip and drink wine, and everyone is in everyone else's business. But when a string of murders starts taking out the most judgmental and vapid of the residents, those who remain have a choice: turn toward each other to help solve the crime, or turn on one another to weed out the riff-raff. Can't have it both ways and survive...

There's something wonderful about reading this book and seeing the most horrible people get their comeuppance. The woman who assumes that the Asian American neighbor must not understand English, the lady who reacts to her housekeeper's family emergency with dismay that she may have to wash her own dish for once, the nosy neighbor who thinks the lesbian couple next door needs to stop "flaunting" their lifestyle... it's schadenfreude at its finest. While I have a few minor quibbles with how one character's past life is portrayed, I can see this becoming a very popular book. Perfect for anyone who's ever received a passive-aggressive note about lawns, trash cans, or noise from a neighbor.

The Kamogawa Food Detecitves

The Kamogawa Food Detectives by Hisashi Kashiwai, 200 pages

On a tiny street in Kyoto, there's a hole-in-the-wall restaurant where the proprietors, a retired police detective and his daughter, make incredible food from a wide variety of cuisines. But what really pays the bills is the Kamogawa Detective Agency, in which the restauranteurs track down and make the comfort food recipes that their clients can't seem to replicate. Told in episodic format, they find everything from a beef stew served more than 50 years earlier at a vaguely remembered restaurant to family recipes created by long-dead mothers to tonkatsu made by a dying ex-husband who was also a chef. This is a supremely cozy and satisfying book, a warm hug of a novel if ever one existed, and a wonderful respite from everyday stresses. Highly recommended.

The Maid

The Maid by Nita Prose, 289 pages

Molly takes great pride and enjoyment in her abilities to return rooms to perfection at the Regency Hotel. Every day, she works hard, cleaning off the fingerprints and dirt and smudges to create gleaming rooms for the next set of guests. Generally speaking, she does everything by the book, though she will bend the rules a bit for those who are kind to her, particularly hotel dishwasher Juan Manuel (who lost his home and now stays in unreserved hotel rooms with keys provided by Molly), frequent guest Giselle (whose wealthy husband is not at all kind to her), and hotel bartender Rodney, who helped arrange the sleeping situation for Juan Manuel. But when Molly discovers Giselle's husband dead in his suite, her fastidiousness and socially awkward ways place her at the head of the list of suspects, and the neat and orderly world she's created for herself begins to crumble.

Many of the mysteries that surround Molly are obvious to the reader (and to the other characters in the book), but it's equally obvious that Molly is autistic (though undiagnosed, and nobody seems to be willing to offer that possibility to her). I'm a bit conflicted about the way Molly is handled and manipulated by not only those who wish her harm but also those who care about her — she's obviously an intelligent and capable woman, but she's treated almost like a child by those around her. The Maid has received plenty of acclaim, has a recently published sequel (The Mystery Guest), and it's well-written and presented, so this discomfort is definitely a "me thing." I'm curious how the sequel (and future books, if they come) treats Molly's autism.

Advika and the Hollywood Wives

 Advika and the Hollywood Wives by Kirthana Ramisetti, 384 pages.

Advika is 26 and bartending in Hollywood as her dreams of being screenwriter flounders. Then one of the Oscar winners at the Governor's Ball flirts with her and she ends up in a whirlwind romance (and soon after, elopement) with a man 40 years her senior. Soon cracks begin to show in the surface of the happy couple veneer, but Advika doesn't really begin to ask questions until her husband's first ex-wife dies and leaves a million dollars and a mysterious film reel to "Julian's latest child bride." Then the questions, and a reconstruction of Julian's three former marriages, get to pressing not to ask.

The premise to this book sounded super interesting! It seemed like a fun mystery and the cover is really cool. Unfortunately it fell very flat for me. The book is written like a thriller, but there's just not enough actual danger to justify the tone. There are also several plot holes and characters that are hard to buy. To top it all off it's one of those books where the ending is so bad it retroactively makes the rest of the book worse. Overall, very disappointing.

Murder Your Employer

Murder Your Employer by Rupert Holmes, 388 pages

In what is intended to be the first of several volumes in the McMasters Guide to Homicide*, the dean of a secretive finishing school for those wishing to finish the life of someone in particular presents three case studies of McMasters students working on and attempting to present their final thesis: the murder of their deserving employer. The case studies are Cliff, an aeronautical engineer whose ex-boss ignored safety measures and ruined Cliff's reputation when he dared draw attention to the hazards; Doria, a Hollywood starlet whose sleazy producer is threatening to end her career because she resists his "charms"; and Gemma, a nurse who is being blackmailed by her boss.

This clever book manages to skewer both bad bosses and academia, while serving up plenty of wordplay and humor. It's fun in the same way a heist is fun: you're rooting for someone who you know is planning something illegal, and even when you think you have it all figured out, you're wrong in the best possible way. I absolutely loved this book, and if there are more volumes in the McMasters Guide, I'll happily read them.

*While the dean is obviously a proponent of this series, others on the school's guiding committee may put the kibosh on this. Only time will tell.

Shrines of Gaiety

Shrines of Gaiety by Kate Atkinson, 394 pages

It's 1926 and notorious nightclub queen Nellie Coker has just been released from prison. Her brood of adult children has managed her collection of nightclubs in her absence, though only her daughter Edith seems to have any real skill or interest in the family business — eldest son Niven is too busy being aloof, youngest son Ramsey is determined write a great novel between bouts of gambling and dope, daughters Shirley and Betty just don't seem to care, and Kitty, the baby of the family, is too young and, well, annoying. The situation makes Nellie's empire a prime target for takeover from her enemies, who include a mysterious mobster and a crooked cop. Meanwhile, Chief Inspector John Frobisher and erstwhile librarian Gwendolen have teamed up to both spy on Nellie and track down a pair of runaway girls.

The catalog description of this book uses the word "Dickensian," and I think that's apt for this bit of historical fiction. The book is light on plot, but rich with detailed observations, three-dimensional characters, and plots that are just believable enough. Atkinson is one of my favorite authors, and while this isn't my favorite of hers, it's still excellent. (Also, let's go ahead and judge this book by its gorgeous cover.)