Staff Picks: Thrilling Reads

Posted by dawn on 06 September 2016

Now that kids are back to school, the relaxed pace of summer has ebbed, and life has taken on its old routines, finding time to read may be more of a challenge.  With only a few minutes for reading each day, I like to be sure I’m reading something I’m really going to enjoy.  I no longer feel compelled to finish a book if it doesn’t grab me in the first few chapters (unless a trusted fellow reader has assured me that it’s worth perseverance).  Keeping all that in mind, some thrillers that might keep your attention this fall are recommended by some of our library administrators.

Missing, Presumed is a great mix  between literary and crime fiction. Listed as one of nine thrillers recommended by New York Times editors that should be read this summer, author Susie Steiner does not disappoint.  Detective Sergeant Manon Bradshaw charges through Missing, Presumed with two goals, to find the missing Cambridge student and to find long lasting love.

Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter  another mix of literary and crime fiction, pits African-American Constable Silas Jones against his former friend, Larry Ott, a white man.  After a young woman goes missing, Ott is under suspicion as the memories of a previous suspicious incident are dredged up in this small Mississippi community.  Written by Edgar award-winning author, Tom Franklin, Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter kept me hanging as I plowed through the chapters to discover the solution to the mystery.  (Oh, and if you like to listen to books, this one is a gem!)

Other titles in the literary mystery genre that you might enjoy follow.

The Name of the Rose, Umberto Eco

The Thirteenth Tale, Diane Setterfield

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night, Mark Haddon

Snow Falling on Cedars,  David Guterson

The Forgotten Garden, Kate Morton

∼  Maria Del Rosso, Library Director & Dawn Sowers, Public Services Manager, Library Administration 

Book lists, reviews from our book clubs and favorites from library staff are great resources when searching for your next book. Or stop by the reference desk at your local library.