Genre: Mystery

The genre of mystery novels is a young form of literature that has developed since the early-19th century. The rise of literacy began in the years of the English Renaissance and, as people began to read over time, they became more individualistic in their thinking. As people became more individualistic in their thinking, they developed a respect for human reason and the ability to solve problems.

Perhaps a reason that mystery fiction was unheard of before the 1800s was due in part to the lack of true police forces. Before the Industrial Revolution, many of the towns would have constables and a night watchman at best. Naturally, the constable would be aware of every individual in the town, and crimes were either solved quickly or left unsolved entirely. As people began to crowd into cities, police forces became institutionalized, and the need for detectives was realized – thus the mystery novel arose.

Kingdom of the Blind

Kingdom of the Blind

Kingdom of the Blind by Louise Penny
Published by Minotaur Books on November 27, 2018
Series: Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, #14
Pages: 400
Format: ebook
Genres: Canada, Cultural, Fiction, Mystery
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Synopsis

The entrancing new crime thriller featuring Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, from number one New York Times bestselling author Louise Penny

When Armand Gamache receives a letter inviting him to an abandoned farmhouse outside of Three Pines, the former head of the Sûreté du Québec discovers that a complete stranger has named him as an executor of her will.

Armand never knew the elderly woman, and the bequests are so wildly unlikely that he suspects the woman must have been delusional - until a body is found, and the terms of the bizarre will suddenly seem far more menacing.

But it isn't the only menace Gamache is facing. The investigation into the events that led to his suspension has dragged on, and Armand is taking increasingly desperate measures to rectify previous actions. As he does, Armand Gamache begins to see his own blind spots - and the terrible things hiding there.


Praise for the award-winning Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series:

'One of the most interesting detectives in crime fiction' The Times'Fascinating characters, a twisty plot and wonderful surprise endings' Ann Cleeves

'Wonderfully satisfying' Kate Mosse

The Shadows We Hide

The Shadows We Hide

The Shadows We Hide by Allen Eskens
Published by Mulholland Books on November 13, 2018
Series: Joe Talbert, #2
Pages: 352
Format: Hardcover
Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Suspense
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Synopsis

In the highly-anticipated sequel to the national bestseller The Life We Bury, Joe Talbert returns to investigate the murder of the father he never knew, and to reckon with his own family's past.

MINNESOTA BOOK AWARD FINALISTBARRY AWARD FINALIST

Joe Talbert, Jr. has never once met his namesake. Now out of college, a cub reporter for the Associated Press in Minneapolis, he stumbles across a story describing the murder of a man named Joseph Talbert in a small town in southern Minnesota. Full of curiosity about whether this man might be his father, Joe is shocked to find that none of the town's residents have much to say about the dead man-other than that his death was long overdue. Joe discovers that the dead man was a loathsome lowlife who cheated his neighbors, threatened his daughter, and squandered his wife's inheritance after she, too, passed away--an inheritance that may now be Joe's. Mired in uncertainty and plagued by his own devastated relationship with his mother, who is seeking to get back into her son's life, Joe must put together the missing pieces of his family history -- before his quest for discovery threatens to put him in a grave of his own.

The Blood Strand

The Blood Strand

The Blood Strand by Chris Ould
Published by Titan Books on February 16, 2016
Series: Faroes #1
Pages: 352
Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Scandinavian and Nordic Mysteries & Thrillers
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Synopsis

Having left the Faroes as a child, Jan Reyna is now a British police detective, and the islands are foreign to him. But he is drawn back when his estranged father is found unconscious with a shotgun by his side and someone else’s blood at the scene. Then a man’s body is washed up on an isolated beach. Is Reyna’s father responsible?

Looking for answers, Reyna falls in with local detective Hjalti Hentze. But as the stakes get higher and Reyna learns more about his family and the truth behind his mother’s flight from the Faroes, he must decide whether to stay, or to forsake the strange, windswept islands for good.

About the Faroe Islands:

Located in the Northeast Atlantic, the Faroe Islands comprise 18 small islands, characterised by steep cliffs, tall mountains, narrow fjords – and a population of 50,000.

The Faroese language derives from Old Norse; which was spoken by the; Norsemen who settled the islands 1200 years ago.

Through the centuries, the Faroese have defied the harsh nature and living conditions. Enduring today is a nation in which the living standard is one of the highest in the world. A highly industrial economy mainly based on fisheries and aquaculture continues to flourish, while a Nordic welfare model ensures everyone the opportunity to explore his or her potential. Faroese maritime expertise is widely renowned and; the Faroe Islands export seafood to all six continents.

Positioned strategically between Europe and North America, the Faroe Islands are only a couple of hours’ flight from the metropolitan centres in Northern Europe. Upon arrival, the scenery renders visitors a ravishing natural experience in a society with advanced infrastructure and digital networks.

Centuries of relative isolation have resulted in the preservation of ancient traditions that to this day shape life in the Faroe Islands. The unique mixture of traditional and modern culture characterizes the Faroese society, constituting a strong sense of local community and an active outlook as a globalized Nordic nation.[1. faroeislands.fo – The Offical Gateway to the Faroe Islands ]

Under My Skin

Under My Skin

Under My Skin by Lisa Unger
Published by Park Row on October 2nd 2018
Pages: 304
Format: arc_pdf
Genres: Mystery, Psychological Thriller
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Synopsis

From
New York Times
 bestselling author and master of suspense Lisa Unger comes an addictive psychological thriller about a woman on the hunt for her husband's killer What if the nightmares are actually memories?It's been a year since Poppy's husband, Jack, was brutally murdered during his morning run through Manhattan's Riverside Park. In the immediate aftermath, Poppy spiraled into an oblivion of grief, disappearing for several days only to turn up ragged and confused wearing a tight red dress she didn't recognize. What happened to Poppy during those lost days? And more importantly, what happened to Jack?The case was never solved, and Poppy has finally begun to move on. But those lost days have never stopped haunting her. Poppy starts having nightmares and blackouts--there are periods of time she can't remember, and she's unable to tell the difference between what is real and what she's imagining. When she begins to sense that someone is following her, Poppy is plunged into a game of cat and mouse, determined to unravel the mystery around her husband's death. But can she handle the truth about what really happened?