Join Baltimore County Public Library’s Book Chat, where librarians share their favorite titles, talk about new books hitting the shelves and help you discover your next great read. We both love mysteries — that’s what we are focusing on this time. Join the library on the second Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. on Facebook Live at facebook.com/bcplonline.
Doug Beatty’s Picks:
No Road Home
by John Fram
John Fram returns with an atmospheric mystery with enough twists to keep any reader invested. When Toby Tucker marries Alyssa Wright, they return to her family home in Texas. Toby’s new in-laws are rife with secrets, and it’s not long before the family patriarch, a renowned televangelist, is brutally murdered. Strong descriptive passages of the sprawling Wright compound, a torrential downpour trapping all the characters inside and the inclusion of the spectral “man in the black suit” are perfect narrative touches that expand this locked room mystery into sheer gothic suspense. Fram has a deft hand at setting clues throughout the novel that weave into the fabric of the plot, making the revelation one of the most satisfying endings of the year.
The Examiner
by Janice Hallett
Queen of the epistolary mystery, Janice Hallett returns with the volatile tale of a master of arts program at Royal Hastings University that goes horribly awry when tempers flare, projects don’t go to plan and a student seems to be unexplainably missing. Told through Doodle (the program’s group chat room), emails, memos and WhatsApp conversations, the plot centers around five students from all walks of life and varying degrees of skill levels, and the class moderator who is determined to make the course a success. Hallett creates a captivating story that builds to an explosive crescendo, making this a perfect fall read.
Lori Hench’s Picks:
Gaslight
by Femi Kayode
I enjoy reading mystery series, as it’s like revisiting favorite friends with each new installment. Nigerian author Femi Kayode writes a new series featuring forensic psychologist Philip Taiwo who gets called in to help solve crimes. In “Gaslight,” Dr. Taiwo is summoned to a Lagos megachurch to explore the circumstances surrounding a respected bishop who’s been implicated in the disappearance of his much younger, attractive and somewhat controversial wife. Religion, internal church politics, money and ingrained corruption are all in the mix, complicating the investigation. Kayode trained as a clinical psychologist, who provides a nuanced analysis of human behavior — criminal and otherwise.
The Great Hippopotamus Hotel
by Alexander McCall Smith
Perhaps the reigning king of serial books, prolific author Alexander McCall Smith found fame with his beloved The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency novels. Set in Botswana, detective Mma Precious Ramotswe travels around the country in her trusty little van, resolving her clients’ cases with knowledge, wisdom and determination while assisted by her ambitious employee, Mma Grace Makutsi, of the talking shoes. In his newest title, “The Great Hippopotamus Hotel,” the women are hired to investigate a string of unfortunate events at the resort, complete with food poisoning, disappearing laundry and a mysterious scorpion sting, along with the apparent involvement of the detectives’ nemesis, Violet Sepotho. Mma Romotswe’s love of family and country shines out in these lovely books that tackle harsh issues with a gentle touch.
