For some reason, I am on a total mystery bender. All I want is to read about is murder and intrigue and things that go bump in the night. So I decided that I would just give in and wallow in as many mysteries as I wanted. Several of the books in my line up feature female sleuths in exotic places and times. If you want to follow some great women of mystery, I suggest:
River in the Sky by Elizabeth Peters. Once again, Amelia Peabody finds herself in dangerous circumstances. Emerson, Ramses and Nefret are determined to keep an inept adventurer from destroying precious archeological finds. This time, the group is not in their beloved Egypt, but instead has travelled to Jerusalem. The cast of characters is familiar, as is Amelia's brisk wit and deadly parasol. Although I would not quite characterize this as a "cozy", it is a fun and relaxing read.
The Mapping of Love and Death by Jacqueline Winspear. Maisie Dobbs returns to help an American couple track down the girlfriend of their son, a cartographer, who was killed in the war. Ms. Winspear captures the spirit of postwar England and the changes in society as she tells the tale of an investigation that combines both traditional and unusual techniques.
The God of the Hive by Laurie King. This story picks up from the end of the previous Laurie King book, The Language of Bees. Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes must somehow save Holmes' son and granddaughter while trying to locate a missing Mycroft Holmes. There are plenty of twists and turns and enough of Sherlock Holmes' famous deductions to satisfy the Arthur Conan Doyle fan. The aging of both Mycroft and Sherlock add an interesting twist to the story, as does the addition of an intriguing, shellshocked soldier from the Great War.
River in the Sky by Elizabeth Peters. Once again, Amelia Peabody finds herself in dangerous circumstances. Emerson, Ramses and Nefret are determined to keep an inept adventurer from destroying precious archeological finds. This time, the group is not in their beloved Egypt, but instead has travelled to Jerusalem. The cast of characters is familiar, as is Amelia's brisk wit and deadly parasol. Although I would not quite characterize this as a "cozy", it is a fun and relaxing read.
The Mapping of Love and Death by Jacqueline Winspear. Maisie Dobbs returns to help an American couple track down the girlfriend of their son, a cartographer, who was killed in the war. Ms. Winspear captures the spirit of postwar England and the changes in society as she tells the tale of an investigation that combines both traditional and unusual techniques.
The God of the Hive by Laurie King. This story picks up from the end of the previous Laurie King book, The Language of Bees. Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes must somehow save Holmes' son and granddaughter while trying to locate a missing Mycroft Holmes. There are plenty of twists and turns and enough of Sherlock Holmes' famous deductions to satisfy the Arthur Conan Doyle fan. The aging of both Mycroft and Sherlock add an interesting twist to the story, as does the addition of an intriguing, shellshocked soldier from the Great War.If you are in a mystery mood, I would recommend any of these good books. Keep turning those pages!
