Love and Murder | Mid-Columbia Libraries

The family game : a novel

Steadman, Catherine, author.

From the Publisher

"A rich, eccentric family. A time-honored tradition. Or a lethal game of survival? One woman finds out what it really takes to join the 1% in this riveting psychological thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of Something in the Water. Harry is a novelist on the brink of stardom; Edward, her husband-to-be, is seemingly perfect. In love and freshly engaged, their bliss is interrupted by the reemergence of the Holbecks, Edward's eminent family and the embodiment of American old...

My Thoughts

"The Family Game" came across my radar because of the similarity to the movie "Ready Or Not." Both feature extravagantly wealthy families with a fondness for games and a girl marrying in who must win the game to survive. But, the execution of the story and ending are very different. The audiobook is read by the author, which was a fun twist. I look forward to reading this again in the future and seeing what I pick up on the second time around.

Daisy darker

Feeney, Alice, author.

From the Publisher

"After years of avoiding each other, Daisy Darker's entire family is assembling for Nana's 80th birthday party in Nana's crumbling gothic house on a tiny tidal island. Finally back together one last time, when the tide comes in, they will be cut off from the rest of the world for eight hours. The family arrives, each of them harboring secrets. Then at the stroke of midnight, as a storm rages, Nana is found dead. And an hour later, the next family member follows... Trapped on an island where...

My Thoughts

Daisy Darker has a little secret, and it ends up having rather large consequences. When the family gets locked on an island alone and start dying one by one, they have to struggle to survive until morning. While the twists and turns in this book were not the most original, I enjoyed how they played out. The characters all had their own flare, and (spoiler alert) the dog didn't die which is always a concern when there's one featured in a murder mystery.

The chemist : a novel

Meyer, Stephenie, 1973- author.

From the Publisher

In this gripping page-turner, an ex-agent on the run from her former employers must take one more case to clear her name and save her life. She used to work for the U.S. government, but very few people ever knew that. An expert in her field, she was one of the darkest secrets of an agency so clandestine it doesn't even have a name. And when they decided she was a liability, they came for her without warning. Now she rarely stays in the same place or uses the same name for long. They've killed...

My Thoughts

I was the target audience for "Twilight" when it came out, and "The Chemist" also appealed to me in other ways. An ex agent for a shady government agency who specialized in poisons and torture has been on the run from said agency, but is offered true freedom if she'll do just one more job. Torturing one more bad guy shouldn't be so hard, right? Unless the bad guy is a cute, cinnamon roll school teacher who never did a thing bad in his life.

You're Invited

Jayatissa, Amanda

From the Publisher

What could be worse than your ex-boyfriend marrying your childhood best friend? Getting accused of her murder… From the award-winning author of My Sweet Girl comes a dangerously addictive new thriller about a lavish Sri Lankan wedding celebration that not everyone will survive. When Amaya is invited to Kaavi’s over-the-top wedding in Sri Lanka, she is surprised and a little hurt to hear from her former best friend after so many years of radio silence. But when Amaya learns that the groom is...

My Thoughts

This book genuinely kept me guessing. From narrators that aren't always reliable, and so many different versions of the same story, it's so interesting to see how the story actually comes together. While most things are wrapped up in the end, there is still a slight question on if you are left with the actual truth, or just a version of it.

The zig zag girl

Griffiths, Elly, author.

From the Publisher

In the first installment of a compelling new series by Elly Griffiths, a band of magicians who served together in World War II track a killer who's performing their deadly tricks.Brighton, 1950. The body of a girl is found cut into three pieces. Detective Inspector Edgar Stephens is convinced the killer is mimicking a famous magic trick--the Zig Zag Girl. The inventor of the trick, Max Mephisto, is an old war friend of Edgar's. They served together in a shadowy unit called the Magic Men, a...

My Thoughts

I challenged myself to read through the alphabet this year, and "The Zig Zag Girl" was my choice for Z. With the setting being right after World War Two, and myself not usually reading period pieces, I was delighted by how much I enjoyed this story. The details were just gruesome enough to remember this was a murder mystery, but the stakes were low enough to not find myself scared. I look forward to continuing the adventures of Max Mephisto and Edgar.

Hide

White, Kiersten

From the Publisher

A high-stakes hide-and-seek competition turns deadly in this dark supernatural thriller from New York Times bestselling author Kiersten White. “The suspenseful plot combines elements of Thomas Tryon’s classic Harvest Home, Netflix’s Squid Game , and the social commentary of Jordan Peele’s film oeuvre and mixes these with a revelatory pacing reminiscent of Spielberg’s Jaws .”— Booklist The challenge: Spend a week hiding in an abandoned amusement park and don’t get caught. The...

My Thoughts

This was also recommended to me for similarities to "Ready or Not." There is no wedding or family fond of games in this one, but there is sacrifice and the willingness to do dark rituals to keep power. There's a humor to the darkness in this book, and an ending that will leave you wanting more.

The cartographers : a novel

Shepherd, Peng, author.

From the Publisher

"What is the purpose of a map? Nell Young's whole life and greatest passion is cartography. Her father, Dr. Daniel Young, is a legend in the field and Nell's personal hero. But she hasn't seen or spoken to him ever since he cruelly fired her and destroyed her reputation after an argument over an old, cheap gas station highway map. But when Dr. Young is found dead in his office at the New York Public Library, with the very same seemingly worthless map hidden in his desk, Nell can't resist...

My Thoughts

What would you do with the ability to turn any map into a door? What would you do if you were one of a handful that knew where a secret town existed, or where you could hide it? This book explores that, and the tangles of secrets and family, both the one you are born into and the one you choose.

Verity

Hoover, Colleen, author.

From the Publisher

"Lowen Ashleigh is a struggling writer on the brink of financial ruin when she accepts the job offer of a lifetime. Jeremy Crawford, husband of bestselling author Verity Crawford, has hired Lowen to complete the remaining books in a successful series his injured wife is unable to finish. Lowen arrives at the Crawford home to sort through years of Verity's notes and outlines, hoping to find enough material to get started. Lowen uncovers an unfinished autobiography Verity never intended anyone to...

My Thoughts

This one might be a surprise on this list, because I'm not sure I actually enjoyed it. This book gets pretty twisted at times. But, I have not stopped thinking about it since I read it, and I think that is a great mark of a mystery. The end will leave you asking is the manuscript real, or is the letter? I believe the manuscript.

Layla

Hoover, Colleen, author.

From the Publisher

"When Leeds meets Layla, he's convinced he'll spend the rest of his life with her--until an unexpected attack leaves Layla fighting for her life. After weeks in the hospital, Layla recovers physically, but the emotional and mental scarring has altered the woman Leeds fell in love with. In order to put their relationship back on track, Leeds whisks Layla away to the bed-and-breakfast where they first met. Once they arrive, Layla's behavior takes a bizarre turn. And that's just one of many...

My Thoughts

Another possible oddity on the list, another one I'm not sure I enjoyed. The story is told by the character of Leeds, and Leeds is not a likable character. Nor is he always the good guy. But, this story looks at love and death in new ways, and I liked that. If you're looking for something different, this certainly is.

My killer vacation

Bailey, Tessa, author.

From the Publisher

It was supposed to be a relaxing vacation in sweet, sunny Cape Cod-just me and my beloved brother-but discovering a corpse in our rental house really throws a wrench into our tanning schedule. Now a rude, crude bounty hunter has arrived on the back of his motorcycle to catch the killer and refuses to believe I can be helpful, despite countless hours of true crime podcast listening. Not to mention a fulfilling teaching career of wrangling second graders. A brash bounty hunter and an energetic...

My Thoughts

I first gained interest in this book because there was controversy around the cover. I'd heard a lot about Tessa Bailey, but hadn't read anything yet. This book mixing murder and romance seemed almost tailor made for me. It's cute. It's dirty. It's definitely more on the love side than murder in this list, but it can't be missed.

Reckless girls

Hawkins, Rachel, 1979- author.

From the Publisher

From Rachel Hawkins, comes Reckless Daughters , a deliciously wicked gothic suspense, set on an isolated Pacific island with a dark history, for fans of Lucy Foley and Ruth Ware. When Lux McAllister and her boyfriend, Nico, are hired to sail two women to a remote island in the South Pacific, it seems like the opportunity of a lifetime. Stuck in a dead-end job in Hawaii, and longing to travel the world after a family tragedy, Lux is eager to climb on board The Susannah and set out on an...

My Thoughts

This is not my favorite book, but it has stuck with me. I think the name and synopsis are a little misleading. The girls are not very reckless, and the thriller/murder mystery aspect is...not the most thrilling. But I was intrigued and curious what was going to happen, and though the murder did not happen until late in the book, it did satisfy.