By Doug Beatty and Lori Hench
Librarians at Baltimore County Public Library are always ready to share recommendations to help you discover your next great read. For more book suggestions, join us for our Virtual Books and Conversation on the fourth Wednesday of each month at 2 p.m. Find information on this and other book-related programs on our events page.
“Sweet Spot”
by Kemper Donovan
Amateur sleuth Belle Currer returns in the latest installment of Kemper Donovan’s Ghostwriter Mystery series. This time, Belle travels to Utah to work with Genevieve Caraway, a self-help guru who was abducted as a teenager and mysteriously returned three months later. Now ready to tell her story, Genevieve hires Belle to help write her memoir.
But when one of Genevieve’s former kidnappers is found dead in the courtyard of her supposedly impenetrable compound just one day after being paroled, Belle finds herself drawn into another investigation. Teaming up with Detective Kay Adams, she must untangle a web of clues, secrets and misdirection to uncover a very clever killer.
Donovan, host of the podcast “All About Agatha,” delivers a suspenseful traditional mystery with careful plotting and a satisfying puzzle that will challenge even seasoned armchair detectives. “Sweet Spot” is a delightful addition to the series and a perfect read for mystery lovers.
— Doug Beatty
“The Things We Never Say”
by Elizabeth Strout
Elizabeth Strout is a master of philosophical character development, and “The Things We Never Say” showcases her gift for exploring the depths of human experience. The novel follows Artie Dam, a history teacher navigating a turbulent period in America while wrestling with questions of free will and uncovering truths about loved ones that quietly reshape his understanding of the world.
This is a profoundly sad novel, but also a deeply thoughtful one. Strout reminds us that people contain multitudes and that no matter how well we know someone, there will always be parts of them that remain hidden. Every person carries private burdens and untold stories.
At its heart, the novel is about loneliness, the gap between our inner lives and what we reveal to others, and the mysteries that remain even in our closest relationships. A moving and reflective read, it is another example of why Elizabeth Strout is such a beloved literary voice.
— Doug Beatty
“The Beheading Game”
by Rebecca Lehmann
A rhyme about King Henry VIII’s wives: divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived. His second wife, Anne Boleyn, was the first he beheaded, but in this fantastical story owing more to the Brothers Grimm than Disney, Anne survives her execution, sews her head back onto her neck and formulates a plan to exact revenge. Driven by a desire to ensure the safety and succession of her young daughter, Elizabeth, she intends to kill Henry before he marries — and impregnates — the insipid Jane Seymour. Anne’s perilous journey back to the royal compound while disguised as a commoner includes elements of folklore, Arthurian legend and Tudor history. Suspend your disbelief and enjoy this morality tale of a much-maligned woman who refuses to stay dead and instead, storms back to rewrite history.
— Lori Hench
“Mazywood”
by Tananarive Due
Be careful what you wish for, right? Mazelle Washington was a groundbreaking Black child film star during the Jim Crow era. Best known for her vaudevillian act with her devoted dog Scout, the demeaning and stereotypical roles assigned to Mazy provided her and her family with financial security rare for the times. Years after her passing, and despite remembering Mazelle as a cold abusive woman, her grandson Johnny packs up his pregnant wife and teen daughters and sets off in a snowstorm for a family bonding weekend. Their destination is Mazywood, the isolated private ski resort he inherited from Mazy. It’s quickly clear that Johnny’s recollections are as sharp as the teeth of his grandmother’s “legacy,” which is now hunting the four of them. It’s a “ready, set, action” reading experience full of Black history, old Hollywood (warts and all), gruesome secrets and family ties wrapped up in classic horror ripped straight from the silver screen.
— Lori Hench
