Ann Arbor District Library Staff Picks Mysteries

Mon, 10/03/2011 - 9:57am by cecile

The Staff Picks shelf is downtown on the first floor. Fresh for October, here are a few selections that the mystery loving Ann Arbor District Library staff is recommending:

R. Austin Freeman was a British mystery writer unjustly overshadowed by his contemporary Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Don’t let that deter you from reading The Stoneware Monkey And The Penrose Mystery. His main character and crime solver Dr. Thorndyke is at least as interesting and cunning as Sherlock Holmes, just not as well-known. Freeman was a physician in the Colonial Service and served in Africa where he undoubtedly led an interesting life that led to a rich imagination.

John Burdett’s Bangkok Haunts is the 3rd outing with Thai police detective Sonchai Jitpleecheep and is well-written and fast-paced. “This is surreal Thailand where a devout Buddhist cop, speaking slick Chandler-eze, avenges the death of his partner and soul brother.“ Bangkok, man? "Great city, lousy traffic." – Guardian UK

City of Lost Girls is the story of Dublin detective Ed Loy once again trying to lay his demons to rest (think drink, etc.) by solving the murders of two young cast members gone missing while making a film in Dublin. Award-winning playwright and screenwriter Declan Hughes is for "Readers who enjoy their mysteries gritty, bitter and decidedly dark will undoubtedly enjoy this literary pint of extra stout noir." – Chicago Tribune

Heartwood by James Lee Burke takes place in the Texas Hill Country with a local criminal kingpin who has a wife that our hero, Billy Bob, is in love with. “Burke is a master at setting mood, laying in atmosphere, all with quirky, raunchy dialogue that’s a delight.” – Elmore Leonard