We librarians hear a lot about readers’ favorite writers, and some names come up over and over again. One of these is Irish mystery writer Tana French, whose gritty Dublin Murder Squad series provides the perfect blend of police procedure and intricate psychological suspense. Only trouble is, she doesn’t write them fast enough. No worries: here are some other terrific titles – many by less well known writers – that are sure to please.
The Dark Lake, by Sarah Bailey. When her former classmate is found murdered, Det. Sgt. Gemma Woodstock uncovers puzzling mysteries in the victim’s life, from her abrupt departure from a dream teaching job to her run-down existence in spite of wealthy family ties.
Lost You, by Haylen Beck. After a closing elevator door separates them, a single mother on vacation with her son discovers he has been abducted by another woman who claims she is his mother!
One Small Sacrifice, by Hilary Davidson. An apparent suicide. A mysterious disappearance. Did one man get away with murder—twice? It is Det. Sheryn Sterling job to find out. A riveting police procedural with a strong female detective and an intriguing antagonist.
Fire in the Stars, by Barbara Fraser Fradkin. Former aid worker Amanda Doucette returns from Nigeria to rebuild her life, but soon finds herself putting her crisis-response training to full effect when she’s wrapped up in a murder, a missing-persons case and a social media storm.
Sweet Little Lies, by Caz Frear. London police detective Cat Kinsella is forced to investigate dark secrets in her estranged father’s past to solve the murder of a young housewife, and the disappearance of a teen girl years earlier.
The Escape Room, by Megan Goldin. Ordered to participate in a corporate team-building exercise that requires them to escape from a locked elevator, four ruthless Wall Street high-flyers struggle to put aside their intense rivalries.
Close to Home, by Cara Hunter. Detective Inspector Adam Fawley investigates after an 8-year-old girl goes missing during a costume party and no one seems to know anything or have seen anything. Sequel is In the Dark.
Let Me Lie, by Clare McIntosh. Struggling to come to terms with her parents’ double suicide, new mother Anna commits herself to uncovering what really happened.
The Ruin, by Dervla McTiernan. After Maude’s mother overdoses and her brother’s body is found in a nearby river, Detective Cormac Reilly is pressured to arrest her for the deaths, but evidence emerges that points to an unexpected series of events that changes everything.
The Legacy, by Yrsa Sigurdardottir. Required to both question and protect a traumatized 7-year-old girl who is the only witness to a murder, rookie detective Huldar and psychologist Freyja navigate elusive clues left behind by an unusually slippery killer.
The Last Widow, by Karin Slaughter. Finds Will and Sara pitted against a mysterious group that would unleash a deadly epidemic. Ninth in Slaughter’s popular Will Trent series.
For still more suggestions, check out our If You Like Tana French list in our catalog. And let us know in a comment what other “If You Like” lists you’d like to see us do.
~ posted by David W.
Aldo Leopold’s classic 