In this take on Murder on the Orient Express, Benedict sets her main character, newly retired detective Roz Parker, on a train from London to Scotland where she's moving to be close to her daughter who's having a baby. It's Christmas Eve and the weather is taking a turn for the worse, but the 18 passengers on the train, including four college students practicing for a quiz bowl, a family of four, an Instagram influencer Meg and her boyfriend, and older woman traveling with her adult son and cat, as well as a few other travelers and train staff. When the train derails because of bad weather, Meg is found dead in her locked compartment and Roz begins her investigation.
While most of the characters are annoying, there is comradery among them as they try to fill the time until they are rescued. They spend most of the time in the club car doing trivia while Roz interviews them, tries to connect with her daughter, who's gone into early and dangerous labor, and has a lot of flashbacks about her past and the sexual assault she endured before her daughter was born. As the reader gets to know the deceased and the other characters through Roz's interviews, revelations come to light that some of the characters knew each other before they boarded the train and not all of the histories were pleasant.
Roz is a flawed but likeable character trying to figure out what she's going to with her retirement, the mystery keeps the reader guessing with several red herrings, and the setting of the derailed train provides a spooky ambiance. Not all of the characters are likeable and the ending is a little far-fetched, but overall it's an quick read that keeps you entertain with not just the mystery but the trivia and puzzles thrown in throughout. Although I didn't love the book, this is the second title I've read of hers and both have kept me entertained enough that I will most likely read a third one.
Murder on the Christmas Express would be good for general mystery readers, those who like a little grit but nothing too graphic, and those looking for a mystery set during the holidays and/or set in Great Britain.
Read-alikes:
Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
The Maid by Nita Prose
Everyone on this Train is a Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson
Azurée Agnello, West Babylon Public Library
This novel is a fictional take on the disappearance of Agatha Christie, wife of Colonel Christie and mother to Rosalind. Benedict writes a puzzling mystery using language that suggests a light read and not too much in the way of blood and gore. The story is told through two different points of view, one in the past and one in the present. The third person narrator follows Archibald Christie during the present year of 1926 as he works with the police to locate his wife. It is also told in the first person, sharing the thoughts of Agatha in the past and explains the evolution of the Christie's relationship before and after their marriage.
The chapters told in the past give the reader hints as to why she may have disappeared, whether it be her own doing or the actions of someone else. We learn of how her marriage weakens overtime, so much so that we start to believe the reasoning for her disappearance may be the fault of her husband and he has been the suspect the whole time. Another clue in the story is a mysterious letter written by Agatha and left for Archie to read, giving him instructions on what he was to do during the search process of finding Agatha. Not much information is given about what is in the letter, but it alludes to Archie being portrayed as the villain in the story. We soon learn that he is in love with another woman, not really caring for his wife during the attempts to find her. He makes others believe she is missing due to her loss of memory. Without giving the ending away, it is emotionally satisfying given the state of their marriage and all the turmoil that Agatha put herself through while being in this relationship with Archibald Christie.
I recommend this title to anyone who loves Agatha Christie’s work. A few of her stories are mentioned throughout which could appeal to die-hard fans of her work. This novel is also good for readers who love biographical fiction since the author adds many facts on Agatha Christie’s youth and first marriage to Colonel Christie. In truth, we still don’t know the real reason why Agatha disappeared for 11 days, but this book gives a plausible fictional take on what could have happened.
Read-alikes:
The Stolen Book of Evelyn Aubrey by Serena Burdick
A Mystery of Mysteries by Mark Dawidziak
The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont
Liana Coletti, West Islip Public Library
Death Among the Stitches is a cozy craft/food mystery by Betty Hechtman published in 2025. Hechtman is a well-established writer with over 30 cozy mysteries already published - this is her 31st. All of her books are cozy food or craft mysteries. It received a starred Kirkus review and clocks in at 200 pages.
The main character of Death Among the Stitches is Annie Sara Hart, the daughter of a respected Los Angeles talent agent. She spends most of her time in her agent father’s orbit, helping to take care of the personalities he manages. Since she was a teenager, she has been a companion to Gray, the daughter of one of his biggest clients. Most of her life revolves around taking care of Gray and Gray’s retail store, and she doesn't have much time for her own goals. We soon learn that Annie Sara’s uncle has died and left her a piece of property in his will. She leaves LA to see the property in rural Indiana, which turns out to be a yarn shop - that the previous owner had been murdered in! Hijinks and mild romance ensue - will she be able to solve the murder and sell the shop before she has to go home to LA? Read and find out!
The book itself is very sweet. Except for the murder, everyone in the book treats each other well. The romance itself is very innocent, and the community feeling of the town is nice. It feels like a typical cozy - very comforting and without any high stakes. While I appreciate that, I found that the book itself was rather bland. The story moved slowly, and there wasn’t much in the way of plot twists. If you’re a reader of mysteries, you’re able to predict the end of the story practically from the first chapter.
I think this book is a perfect comfort read for when you’re looking for something that doesn’t demand anything of the reader. It’s comforting in the way that a warm, unfashionable, oversized sweatshirt is - it’s very basic but comfortable. If you’re looking for a mystery that challenges your intellect or ends with a twist, this is not for you. I think this book would be popular with adult women, or even older YA readers.
Read-alikes:
Murder in a Scottish Shire by Traci Hall
Murder at the Beacon Bakeshop by Darci Hannah
Hems & Homicide by Elizabeth Penney
Up to No Gouda: A Grilled Cheese Mystery by Linda Reilly
Carolyn Brooks, The Smithtown Library - Commack Building
This is the author’s first novel. If all goes well, I’m sure it’ll be a series.
The Wolf Tree stars Glasgow detectives George (female) and Richie. This first outing puts them on the 206 person-populated rock island of Eileen Eadar. It’s a routine investigation into a teen’s suicide near the de-commissioned lighthouse, where curiously enough, three lightkeepers disappeared from back in 1900.
George and Richie face a cast of unfriendly and unsympathetic islanders. None believe the teen’s death was anything but suicide and they seem weary of the detectives and want the detectives gone.
The islanders’ talk of tradition and self-sufficiency put up George’s hackles, and though Richie just thinks them an eccentric lot, George feels sure there’s more going on. She especially doesn’t trust the Catholic priest of the island, who seems to be the unofficial mayor/sheriff. Everyone listens to and does what he says, no questions asked.
Almost a Gothic setting, the island plays a major part in the story. It’s a tough place to live with no phone service (just a satellite phone at the post office) and boats coming to the island only every two weeks. The only exports are seafood and wool, kids are home-schooled and urged to never leave the island, and the weather is harsh.
The relationship between George and Richie is similar to a father/daughter relationship. Richie is much more patient than George, who is oftentimes too impetuous for her own good. It will be nice to see how the relationship grows and changes if this becomes a series.
The pacing is a bit slow, but the setting and ending make it worthwhile. Good for those who enjoy domestic thrillers with their mystery.
Read-alikes:
Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
The Darkness by Ragnar Jonasson
Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse
Silence of the Sea by Yrsa Sigurdardottir
Lori Ludlow, Babylon Public Library
What happens when a parent’s worst nightmare, the disappearance of their child, occurs again more than a decade later? That is the central question of Liz Moore’s (Long Bright River, Heft) excellent new book; The God of the Woods. Set in the Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York in 1975, the story is about the sudden disappearance of Barbara Van Laar from her summer camp one morning. It sets off a search eerily reminiscent of when her brother, Bear Van Laar, had disappeared from the same area 14 years earlier. Complicating all of this, is that the Van Laar family owns the summer camp and all the surrounding property; including the massive summer house that overlooks the grounds, which is currently hosting various Manhattan elites for the Van Laar’s annual party. Moore hooks the reader in immediately, beginning with one of the central characters, Barbara’s counselor Louise, discovering the missing bed in her cabin. As the scope widens, Moore explores themes of class, gender, our relationship with nature, and parenthood; all while leading the reader on a frantic search for Barbara.
The first section of the book introduces three of the main characters on the morning of Barbara’s disappearance; her counselor Louise, friend and bunk-mate Tracy, and her mother Alice. Interwoven with these moments are flashbacks to earlier in the summer that give great insight into the characters. Later sections of the novel go back to describe Bear’s childhood and his subsequent disappearance; but the majority of the time is spent following the investigation into Barbara’s vanishing in 1975. The mixed time-lines work in building suspense and fleshing out the characters' backstory bit-by-bit, but it can be hard to follow at times. The only indicator is a series of dates at the top of each chapter heading, with the chapter’s timeline bolded. However, this bolding does not come through at all on the e-book, making it impossible to tell the difference for e-readers.
The novel’s greatest strength, of which there are many, are the four female leads; the three mentioned earlier, and Judyta Luptack, the relatively new investigator for the New York State Police. Judy carries the latter-half of the book, as the focus tightens into her work interviewing the staff members at the camp, the house workers for the family, their connections to the small upstate town nearby, and the Van Laar’s themselves. The heart of the story though, is Barbara’s mother Alice. At first, she comes across as a self-absorbed, cold and distant mother. A woman who seemingly makes no effort to connect with her daughter. As the story unfolds and we see Alice’s life as she joins the Van Laar family, her full backstory reveals the trauma she has endured. By the end of the novel, she is a deeply tragic character, one that any reader will feel tremendous sympathy for. As Barbara has no point-of-view chapters, it’s through her bunkmate Tracy that we learn the most about her. Anyone who went to a summer camp will see themselves in the newfound friendship the two girls build over their eight weeks together.
The only real drawback of the novel was that the antagonists, the men in the Van Laar family and their business associates, felt very one-note. They have no real redeeming qualities, they don’t feel like fully formed characters, and their motivations seem to go no deeper than “make more money and retain power.” Moore even teases an interesting background detail about why the Van Laar’s are like this, a connection to the family of the enigmatic camp director TJ Hewitt, but never expands upon this further. It’s especially jarring in contrast to how well-crafted every other character is. Not just the four leads, but the supporting characters, TJ especially, also come across fully developed. Even those who only appear in just a few pages of text seem more fully developed than the Van Laar men. Another 50 pages fleshing out the Van Laar’s themselves, who drive so much of the book, would have helped the novel overall. As it stands, it still feels like a minor nitpick considering how well crafted the rest of the book is.
The God of the Woods is a mystery that doesn’t revolve around one big twist, or a super-detective putting all the pieces together at just the right moment. Instead, small revelations that build upon one another, and unglamorous but dedicated police work, bring the story to a satisfying conclusion; for the dueling mysteries of Barbara and Bear. Keen eyed readers may pick up on aspects of the ending but the full picture doesn’t reveal itself until the final pages. The pacing is great although some impatient readers might find the middle parts slow. The God of the Woods is a fantastic book that should be recommended to all fiction readers, whether they tend to gravitate towards mysteries or not.
Read-alikes:
The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood
What Wild Women Do by Karma Brown
When the Stars Go Dark by Paula McLain
Connor McCormack, Northport-East Northport Public Library
Old Juniper Mysteries, Book 1
Returning to the small town in Georgia that she escaped from almost 20 years ago, Madeline Brimley has come home to take over the bookstore, Old Juniper Bookshop, that she inherited from her late Aunt Rose. Instead of the quiet restart she is hoping for, she is immediately thrust into intrigue. She hasn't even unpacked her bags when she discovers that the backyard gazebo is on fire. Then the phone threats start ... "Leave now, right now," he whispered fiercely. "Next time I'll burn down that whole house. Burn it down with you inside! You hear me?" This is soon followed by another fire and a murder in the bookstore itself. Who is making such vile threats? Ignoring the threats, Madeline takes up the challenge of discovering who the killer is.
This debut novel is a wonderfully engaging, atmospheric, cozy southern mystery that is filled with a cast of likeable characters. There is plenty of action and even a faint whiff of romance in the air.
If you like a lighthearted, cozy murder mystery with a dose of Southern charm, this book is for you. I look forward to returning to Enigma, Georgia once again.
Read-alikes:
Foe Whom the Book Tolls by Laura Gail Black
Murder Past Due by Miranda James
Murder at the Bookstore by Sue Minix
All My Bones by P.J. Nelson
Sue Ketcham, Retired
Unfortunately for Sara Masala, the hits just keep on coming. A once successful butcher and chef in Philly, her restaurant is going bankrupt, her husband has filed for divorce, and the most devastating of all, her great Aunt Rosie passes away. But, Aunt Rosie’s passing provides Sara with a plane ticket to Sicily, the deed to a possibly profitable plot of land and some extreme family drama that might include the mafia. Turns out, Sara’s great-grandmother Serafina did not die from the flu…she was murdered.
This story is told through dual timelines: with Serafina, a young Sicilian wife and mother, as the narrator in the early 1900s and Sara in present day Philly/Sicily. Well-paced with full reader engagement as each tale unfolds and eventually intertwines, this novel is recommended for readers who enjoy mysteries, historical fiction, family secrets, strong women and/or the notion of taking a mental trip to Sicily.
TW: death by suicide
Read-alikes:
The Venice Sketchbook by Rhys Bowen
The Good Left Undone by Adriana Trigiani
Hang the Moon by Jeanette Walls
Jessicca Weber, The Smithtown Library - Kings Park Building
Charlotte Illes was a detective when she was a kid. But that was then, and this is now, and she does not want to talk about it. Unfortunately, she doesn’t really have a sense of who she is now. But she’s not a detective, and watching her childhood friends figure out who they are as adults is giving her a crisis of confidence. Convincing herself that they don’t need or want her messy feelings in their lives, she begins to pull away from them, and from her older brother. But when her brother’s girlfriend starts getting love notes from an anonymous stranger, Charlotte agrees to poke around a little bit. Soon, she’s got two mysteries to solve, and her friends are eager to resume their roles as her trusty assistants. Can Charlotte figure out how to move into adulthood with her friends, and maybe still be a detective, a little bit, on the side?
Charlotte is a very sympathetic character, and readers will be rooting for her to not only solve the mysteries, but also to figure out how to be both a former kid detective and an adult. The best parts of the book, though, are Charlotte’s interactions with her best friends, Lucy and Gabe. The bond that they share, and the support they give to Charlotte, and that she’s relearning to give to them, is beautifully written, and comes wrapped in the best kind of snarky dialogue.
With a cast of diverse, likeable, and offbeat characters, and an intricate plot, this book will have instant appeal for fans of cozy mysteries.
Read-alikes:
The Spellman Files (Spellman Files) by Lisa Lutz
Under Lock and Skeleton Key (The Secret Staircase Mysteries) by Gigi Pandian
The Unfortunate Decisions of Dahlia Moss (Dahlia Moss Mysteries) by Max Wirestone
Mara Zonderman, Westhampton Free Library
The cozy mystery takes on a new look in this modern whodunit by Holly Stars. Joe is a mild-mannered accounts assistant at a local hotel by day. At night Misty Divine, their drag persona, lights up the stage at Lady’s Bar. Lady Lady, her drag mother, has been a long time guide in the drag scene. But one night after a show Misty enters Lady Lady’s dressing room to find her dead on the floor, apparently poisoned by a mysterious box of chocolates.
Misty wants to do the best she can for her dear friend and mentor, and becomes determined to solve the mystery of who killed Lady Lady, and why. Joe, mild mannered and shy, is too uncomfortable to ask tough questions. By Misty is bold, brash, and unafraid of what others may think. They’ve got the guts to walk into a room and interrogate a suspect.
The tables are turned when Misty finds themself at the center of the police investigation. Will Misty be able to find the real killer, and convince the police that they’re innocent? Will their boyfriend, Miles, support them as they delve into the risky business of a murder investigation?
Holly Stars has given us a light, fun read with just enough to keep readers engaged. Although the characters could be better developed, and the plot made to twist a little more, this promises to be a series starter. Join Misty as they share the secret world of drag with interested readers and solves a crime close to their heart.
This book will appeal to lovers of cozy mysteries, LGBTQIA+ communities and experiences, and amateur detectives.
Read-alikes:
A Killing in Costumes by Zac Bissonnette
Perfume & Pain by Anna Dorn
Death in Heels by Kitty Murphy
Cirque du Slay by Rob Osler
Ellen Covino, Sayville Library
This cozy mystery is a quick and entertaining read, centered around Vera Wong, a 60-year-old widow who owns a struggling tea shop. Life has become mundane and lonely for Vera, and she often vents to her sole customer, Mr. Chen, about how her son seems indifferent to her, despite her endless (and amusing) texts reminding him to stay hydrated to avoid dire health consequences. Vera's tea house is on the brink of closing, adding to her sense of isolation.
But when Vera discovers a dead body in her shop one morning, she is thrust into an unexpected adventure. The authorities quickly label it a drug overdose, but Vera, ever the skeptic, refuses to accept this explanation. She decides to investigate the death of Marshall Chen, and in doing so, finds herself entangled in a web of intriguing characters.
Among the suspects are Julia Chen, the widow of the deceased; Oliver Chen, Marshall's identical twin brother who once had a teenage crush on Julia; Rikki, an unpaid software designer; and Sanna, an art student whom Marshall swindled, leaving her in a creative rut. Each of them has a motive to resent Marshall, but could one of them truly have resorted to murder?
As Vera delves deeper into their lives, she forms unexpected connections with them and comes to enjoy their company, secretly hoping that none of them are the killer. The feeling is mutual, as they savor her comforting meals and cherish her presence. They slowly become a surrogate family, united by their shared experience.
The suspense builds to a thrilling dinner party reminiscent of And Then There Were None, where Vera invites all the key players in an attempt to unmask the true killer. But as the evening unfolds, Vera realizes that solving the crime may be more complicated and more heart-wrenching than she initially thought. The dinner turns into a complete bust as the guests turn on one another, leaving Vera to confront the reality that she is more isolated than ever.
It's not until Vera is hospitalized due to dehydration, an irony not lost on anyone, considering how often she warns her son about staying hydrated that her friends begin to come around. As she recuperates, they rally together to renovate her beloved tea shop as a symbol of their support. Sanna breathes new life into the space with a breathtaking mural, while Rikki updates the furniture, giving the place a fresh, welcoming atmosphere.
When Vera finally returns to the shop, her friends, are there waiting for her. It’s a moment of warmth and renewal until the unbelievable truth behind the murder is revealed.
Review:
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. Initially, I found the pacing a bit slow and wasn’t quite sure where the story was headed. However, as the plot progressed, the delightful personalities of the characters took center stage, and the pace quickly picked up.
Vera, in particular, is truly unsinkable, and she blossoms throughout the story. I loved her blunt nature and some of her remarks had me laughing out loud. The inclusion of Chinese medicine and tea preparation was a nice touch, and I appreciated learning about the different tea combinations featured throughout the narrative.
This book is perfect for fans of soft-boiled mysteries as there’s no gore or explicit content, just an enjoyable and thoughtful story.
Read-alikes:
Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manansala
The Thursday Murder Club By Richard Osman
A Glimmer of Death by Valerie Wilson Wesley
Karen McHugh, Harborfields Public Library
In the final installment of the 18 volume Maisie Dobbs mystery series by Jacqueline Winspear, four adolescent orphans with a dark wartime history are squatting in a vacant Belgravia mansion. Soon after a demobilized British soldier, ill and reeling from his experiences overseas, takes shelter with the group, Maisie Dobbs visits the mansion on behalf of the owners. Maisie is deeply puzzled by the children's reticence. The children’s stories are evasive, and they appear to possess the self-defense skills one might expect of trained adults in wartime. The novel begins with the funeral for Lord Julian Compton and eventually includes many characters that appeared previously in the series, some of whom are no longer alive. This book can be read alone without previously reading the series. A reader easily feels comfortable in Maisie’s life and immediately gets engaged in the plot, characters, and time period. The Comfort of Ghosts is both historical fiction and a mystery at once.
Jacqueline Winspear started the series with Maisie Dobbs in 2003, as she had a special interest in World War I, because her grandfather suffered from wounds and shellshock after the Battle of the Somme during the war. She set the series between the years 1929-1945.
Read-alikes:
Dead Dead Girls: A Harlem Renaissance Mystery by Nekesa Afia
Jane and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor by Stephanie Barron
Mr. Churchill's Secretary by Susan Elia MacNeal
The Bangalore Detectives Club by Harini Nagendra
A Killer in King's Cove: A Lane Winslow Mystery by Iona Whishaw
Jo-Ann Carhart, East Islip Public Library
