David Rosenfelt: Bark Humbug Tuesday, Oct 13 2026 

Continued series winner and great read and humorous crime and legal thriller and mystery to die for and reviews and Series not to be missed , Auntie M Writes Crime 9:03 am

It must be difficult after 33 books with sort-of retired lawyer Andy Carpenter to come up with a new premise, yet Rosenfelt has done just that with Bark Humbug, #34, a fresh kind of case that will keeps readers flipping pages.

After agreeing to help the sister of a murder suspect, accused of gunning down a candidate for governor along with another member of his team walking beside him, Andy reluctantly is pulled into defending Jon Lowery after finding a temporary home for his dog.

The ex-Marine sharpshooter has plenty of circumstantial evidence against him, and Andy and his team hit overdrive to find the real culprit. It doesn’t help that the shots that killed the two men could only have been accomplished by a very skilled marksmen, and his client is just that.

Andy can find plenty of ways to explain away most of this evidence as planted to make Lowery the scapegoat after his comments against the candidate are captured during a live town hall.

In the course of their investigation, and despite threats against him and his family, Andy uncovers a widespread network of corruption that might explain several ensuing murders, but he can’t nail down a motive for the would-be governor to be shot.

Two hallmarks of the series are Andy’s witty thoughts, and the dialogue he has with his team, which includes his ex-police wife, another lawyer, and several specialists and ex-law enforcement helpers who, well, enforce.

Combine that with a complex plot that has a very surprising and suspenseful ending, and you have all the ingredients needed for a great read.

 

Donna Andrews: Jay to the World Tuesday, Oct 13 2026 

amateur sleuth and Award winning novelist and Christmas story and complex mystery and Continued series winner and family story and great read and humorous crime and mystery to die for and reviews and Series not to be missed , , Auntie M Writes Crime 9:00 am

You’d think by the 40th Meg Langslow Mystery that Donna Andrews would have run put of pithy bird-related titles, but have no fear. While in the past there have been ducks, crows, magpies, falcons, larks, toucans, finches, gulls, eagles, even hens and hawks, to name just a few, this time we have Jay to the World.

Specifically, bluejays, who come to earn a pivotal role in the mystery set at Christmas time. It’s a busy time for Meg as she juggles incoming relatives with holiday preparations, along with her mother’s special projects, which this year includes her role in decorating the great room of a mansion for the Garden Club Holiday show house, plus a playhouse she’s having built for her two- year-old granddaughter, Brynn, whose favorite bird is “boojays.”

When the playhouse is vandalized and her mother hurt in the process, Meg’s mother admits she’s been receiving threatening emails. Meg juggles her other holiday responsibilities to investigate those she’s determined are her mother’s potential enemies, all the while arranging nursing care for a wounded boojay.

All of the usual cast of eccentric and lovable characters are on hand to assist Meg, including her twin sons, many other extended family members, and other Caerphilly residents and law enforcement she’s helped in the past. Now it’s their turn to help Meg.

One of my personal favorite characters is Miss Ethelinda Pruitt, an assisted living resident who earns a tidy side sum selling her untraditional yet intricate needlework samplers and pillows with off-color sayings delicately worked into the canvases. I hope Andrews will keep her in future mysteries. The only person missing is Meg’s drama teacher husband, Michael, who is in New York City with the classes yearly theatre crawl, which this year comes too close to the run-up to Christmas.

Andrews gives readers a nicely twisted plot and believable scoundrels, who do more than their share of creating messes that need to be cleaned up. There’s also plenty of the author’s brand of wry humor to round out a more than satisfying mystery that has a surprising ending twist readers won’t see coming.

This is another winner in a long running series that will delight fans and newcomers to Meg and her crew alike.

 

Mariah Fredericks: Murder on 34th Street Tuesday, Oct 6 2026 

Award winning novelist and Christmas story and complex mystery and historical saga and mystery to die for and reviews , , Auntie M Writes Crime 9:00 am

It’s no secret I’m a fan of Frederick’s historical novels (The Lindbergh Nanny; The Wharton Plot) but her newest, Murder on 34th Street, might just be my favorite.

Readers will immediately be drawn in by the voice she has created for protagonist Grace Verlander, with its mix of wryness and keen observation. As the assistant HR person at Macy’s huge Herald Square site, Grace has a knack for keeping things running smoothly when a less accomplished person would flounder. She’s smart and while she has her own baggage, she doesn’t let anything interfere with the position she’s worked hard to achieve.

It’s the run-up to the huge Thanksgiving Day parade in 1932, and New Yorkers need something to look forward to in the Depression, which has affected everyone, especially job seekers. When the store Santa receives a death threat, Grace takes this seriously, and speaks to the store detective, a former policeman, about increasing security around the man chosen to represent Kris Kringle that season.

Yet despite all of their efforts, there is a murder, and Grace is determined to not only find the killer, but to save Macy’s reputation. She will have the help of a window decorator she encounters, but is mostly on her own, using her knowledge of the employees and of the store’s inner workings to investigate as more deaths occur.

And just when she thinks she has it figured out, an ending twist turns things upside down to a surprising climax.

There is plenty here that makes this a great read, from the snappy dialogue, to Grace’s inner thoughts, to the significant research Frederick’s has done about how the Macy’s parade functioned in this era behind the scenes.

New York City springs to life under her talented pen, and gives readers an engrossing read they will devour. Highly recommended.

 

Lucy Foley and Agatha Christie: Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel Tuesday, Sep 22 2026 

Award winning novelist and complex mystery and Continued series winner and great read and mystery to die for and reviews and Series not to be missed , , , , , , , , Auntie M Writes Crime 8:22 pm

Fans of Miss Marple, take notice! As the Christie estate authorized author Sophie Hannah to write new Poirot mysteries, they have now authorized a new novel featuring the elderly spinster sleuth. Lucy Foley’s own bestselling books (The Guest List, The Paris Apartment, et al) make her the perfect author to bring readers her rich storyteling in Murder at the Alpine Hotel. As a huge Christie aficionado, she makes certain to adhere to the spirit of the Miss Marple we know and love, creating a unique bridge from the original novels to engage us with new stories.

Chrisite fans will appreciate Foley including Mrs. Dolly Bantry (1942’s The Body in the Library) as Miss Marple’s traveling companion when the two women, along with Dolly’s paid companion, travel in the winter of 1950 to the Swiss Alps to the glamorous resort that will give them a winter holiday amongst an interesting mix of guests.

But the holiday feel is soon jeopardized when a huge snowstorm isolates them in the Grand Alpine Hotel, just as a guest’s dead body is found inside the hotel’s mountain gondola. A sealed environment with a cast of suspects makes the perfect setting for the investigation Miss Marple carefully undertakes after volunteering to assist a French detective staying at the resort.

Soon several guests who were associated with the dead man come under the careful scrutiny of Miss Marple as more bodies pile up, with a most surprising climax that has several twists at the end. The post-war setting has its tendrils in the plot, and Foley gets the feel of the time in this European setting just right.

There are scenes from several suspects’ points of view, adding psychological depth to the story that is Foley’s specialty of strong women. There are nuns, a Hollywood actress, an MP and his wife, as well as an Irish Wolfhound, all bound up in a morally complex plot.

At first Miss Marple appears frail and hesitates to become involved, but once she’s in full swing, knitting away while bringing her comparisons of village life to the forefront, the beloved character rises again with her acute observations, and we are satisfied and happy to read the first Miss Marple mystery since Christie’s Sleeping Murder in 1976, the same year Christie died. The British Library is mounting an exhibit on the 50th anniversary of her death. Christie’s books are still outsold only by the Bible and Shakespeare.

Nothing misses the eagle eye of Miss Marple. Readers will agree when Foley has Dolly Bantry tell Marple, “Jane . . . I hope you won’t mind my saying this, but it is almost uncanny, your ability to think yourself into the mind of a murderer.”

Delicious and entertaining, grab this milestone book now.

 

Donna Andrews: Probable Caws Friday, Aug 14 2026 

amateur sleuth and Award winning novelist and Continued series winner and humorous crime and mystery to die for and reviews , , , , , , , Auntie M Writes Crime 1:27 pm

How does a multi-award-winning author keep a series interesting through 39 books?

By developing varied, quirky, and interesting characters, then placing them in a charming rural setting, and filling her stories with tidbits about nature, all wrapped up in a mystery that is not so much needing to be solved as proving what lead protagonist Meg Langslow suspects all along.

The blackmsith is hoping for some forge time when her family’s good friend Ragnar Ragnarsen calls with an urgent plea: can she and her family help with the many volunteers needed to care for fifty horses suddenly displaced from their equine rescue?

All of Meg’s family become involved, including her twin teen boys, her zookeeper father, her doctor dad, and her theatre director husband. Ragnar’s estate closely resembles a moated castle, complete with many of Meg’s gothic iron decorative and useful items on display. The huge fields surrounding the estate are soon broken into staging areas for the horses, many who have just been rescued from auctions and need to be triaged, while others need room to roam.

The rescue farm’s owner recently died without leaving a will, forcing Hoof and Hearth to temporarily rehome the horses as his two sons argue the legalities. While older son Abel is in favor of the rescue on the land, the younger, George, wants to sell the land for development, and isn’t above using threats and shady characters to reinforce his position.

Meg’s family camp out to keep watch over the horses after George’s thugs appear—until one of them is found murdered, and suspicion falls squarely on Abel.

Now Meg must juggle watching her family and the horses, while she helps to unmask a killer, and learns how to care and cajole horses of all personalities, including one due to deliver any minute.

The research Andrew’s brings into every aspect of a horse’s life make this story, along with its humorous bent, an entertaining read with this satisfying entry.

 

Jack Friday: Killer Vibes Thursday, Jul 16 2026 

debut and great read and humorous crime and mystery to die for and new series and reviews , , Auntie M Writes Crime 7:36 pm

Termed a “hilarious queer noir mystery,” Jack Friday’s KILLER VIBES introduces readers to Peter Key, usually stoned, who calls himself the “laziest PI in Texas” with good reason.

Peter is an unconventional yet engaging protagonist; the fact that he soon realizes he has a natural talent for investigation surprises even Peter, while Austin serves as the perfect setting. With its own weird culture, this choice is enhanced by the eccentricities of many other characters.

It’s a high-stakes inheritence mystery that revolves around Peter’s Uncle Jimmy, who has died and left Peter his historic Austin bungalow. Despite it’s crumbling condition, the neighborhood brings its worth to over a million dollars.

With pressure to sell from several quarters, Peter soon suspect Uncle Jimmy’s death was not an accident, especially when he finds a bag filled with cash. What had Uncle Jimmy gotten himself into? For that matter, what has Peter now gotten himself into?

With help from is unusual sidekicks, Peter is determined to keep his new home while he solves Uncle Jimmy’s murder.

A terrific, comedic read in a genre that might be called “stoner-noir.”

 

Elizabeth Penney: Dungeons and Danger Friday, Jun 5 2026 

amateur sleuth and Continued series winner and mystery to die for , , , Auntie M Writes Crime 6:11 pm

Penney’s second Ravensea Castle mystery takes place as herbalist Nora Asquith’s brother, Will, has set up a Viking festival on the castle’s grounds the following week. Now running the castle as a bed and breakfast, her actress sister Tamsyn arrives to lend hand at the festival. Also arriving a few days before are a crew of ghost hunters, filming for the BBC for Britain’s Got Ghosts.

With her detective boyfriend, Finlay, coming to dinner to see the first filming, Nora is in a great mood when her father introduces the sisters to an unexpected guest: Professor Norman Tweedy from the University of York. Tweedy has found research that indicates Rusla, the Red Maidan Viking, may have left a treasure hoard at Ravensea. He proposes to assist Nora’s father in searching, for a split of the profits once sold to a museum, of course.

But things get off to a rocky start when the four members of the film crew arrive and realize they have their own history with Tweedy, and it’s not positive. Then the accidnets start. Two of them along with Nora find themselves locked into a dungeon under the castle; one of the filmmakers suffers from an odd poisoning, and soon after, despite wonderful ghost sightings and great footage for the series, a murder occurs during the Viking festival.

Penney uses the history of the area, along with Finlay’s expertise, to aid Nora’s sleuthing as she fears continuing accidents at the castle foretell yet more death to follow.

Penney’s recurring characters are well drawn and provide a nice background to the newer participants as the mystery deepens. Will a murderer be found? And what of the hoard, which would provide nicely for the repairs needed to other castle?

A delightful cozy read~

 

Alex Finlay: The Anniversary Wednesday, May 27 2026 

complex mystery and mystery to die for and psychological mystery and suspense thriller , , , , Auntie M Writes Crime 2:17 pm

Using the technique of revisiting the same day in the lives of two entwined teens, Finlay slowly spools out their stories over the years after the events of one fateful night.

Quinn Riley’s intent is to break up a fight, but instead the youth from a poor family ends up in juvenile detention when it all goes horribly wrong. His release coincides with the murder of his mother, something he’s determined to figure out.

Jules Delaney, from a far wealthier home, lives with survivor’s guilt, haunted by weathering an attack of the May Day Killer, who is still striking on that same anniversary.

With both young lives impacted by the events of that day, Finlay creates an escalting thriller as he follows them over the next decade, weaving their stories as they each uncover long-held secrets.

And the May Day Killer is still out there.

A compulsive and absorbing read.

 

Murder by Mistake by Anne Cleeland Sunday, Apr 19 2026 

Continued series winner and great read and mystery to die for and police procedural and Series not to be missed , , , Auntie M Writes Crime 3:01 pm

Cleeland’s Doyle & Acton series bring its 23d offering with Murder by Mistake.

Featuring the fey Kathleen Doyle, the detective is married to the renowned Scotland Yard Chief Inspector, and they two have been involved in and solved many cases together.

But this time Doyle is on maternity leave at her husband’s ancestral estate with her third child, a girl to join two boisterous brothers. Several weeks earlier she’d spoken at a school career day. One little boy named Beck caught her attention, as he asked each speaker if they’d ever killed anyone.

Her new daughter broke her attention to him, but now in her dreams, she’s been told she must speak to the boy, as that will lead to a murder by mistake, possibly more than one mistake.

Reluctantly. and with the sense of prior cases being involved, the family return to their London home and Doyle is plunged into a new case when it turns out the boy’s father is missing, and there is a connection between the man and her own family.

Juggling motherhood, baby feeds, nannies and the like, Doyle nevertheless champoions the cause, helping Beck to find out the truth about his missing father, while danger mounts and the threads she pulls will unravel more than she could have imagined.

This series is a delight, full of charm, and this entryhits the mark, with returning characters at times interwoven into the plot. One of my favorites is their London butler and cook, Reynolds, who teaches Doyle the many lines that staff must not cross.

Nicely plotted, this is a bright and delectable read.

 

How to Get Away with Murder: Rebecca Philipson Tuesday, Feb 24 2026 

complex mystery and mystery to die for and police procedural and police thriller , , , , Auntie M Writes Crime 2:26 pm

As a crime writer, Auntie M is always interested when another writer uses a creative way to tell a story.

This is a book-within-a-book, told in alternating chapters between a young London detective, back at work after a medical leave and trauma, and the author of a tell-all primer supposedly, written by a serial killer who is now teaching others how he literally has gotten away with murder for years.

DI Samantha Hansen wants in on the case of a 14 yr-old girl murdered in Holland Park. Found lying against a tree in the park, a copy of the book is left beside her. While Sam recognizes the importance of this huge clue, she is also suspicious of it.

What follows is a cat-and-mouse game with the book’s author, Denver Brady, as Sam races to find him before he kills again. She will face criticism from her colleagues as her shaky anxiety sometimes impedes her. She will realize that people she’s trusted in the past have not deserved that from her, a wake up call that’s as difficult to swallow as the realization that perhaps Denver Brady isn’t who he claims to be.

Philipson explores the celebrity of serial killers in our society, as well as violence against women, while treating readers to a wild ride with great plot twists. A terrific read~

 

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