Mysteries for March

I’ve read some great and twisty mysteries lately that I think you will enjoy. Check out these books and series for eclectic detectives and surprising culprits.

Chief Inspector Gamache series by Louis Penny (started 2005)

I really like this series. Armand Gamache is a detective in Francophone Canada. I’ve read three of the books so far and will definitely continue. So far all the books take place in the small town of Three Pines (these poor folks in their tiny town with all the murders!) so in addition to getting to know the sensitive and intelligent inspector and his team, we get to know the residents of Three Pines — the gay couple who run the inn and bistro, the artist couple, the reclusive poet, the former psychologist. Well written and thoughtful, these books are a pleasure to read.

Booked for Murder by P.J. Nelson (2024)

Madeline is a struggling actor in Atlanta when her aunt dies and bequeaths her a bookstore in rural Georgia. She moves back home to decide whether she keep or sell the store only to discover that the will stipulates she must live there for six months before selling. When a murder occurs under her roof, she dedicates herself to solving the mystery, not quite trusting the small-town police to get to the bottom of it. With her grandmother’s friend and a local female Episcopalian priest as her team, she begins an investigation. Nelson’s writing is often funny and consistently compelling.

The Treasure Hunters Club: A Mystery by Tom Ryan (2024)

A small town in Nova Scotia is famous for a pirate battle and a lost treasure. Years ago, five friends set out to find the treasure. Decades later their children and grandchildren work to solve the mystery of what happened to the treasure and to their relatives. Some of the folks involved start dying — are their deaths accidents or murder? Working to put the pieces together are a long long grandchild to the richest family in town, a teenage sleuth in mourning for her grandfather, and a housesitting writer hoping to turn this story into a book. I loved the setting and the twists.