Mea Culpa and Spring Reads by Sian - The Missing Clue - June 2022

We must begin with the obvious and that is that this newsletter is late and it is my fault. There are lots of moving pieces getting this newsletter into your digital hands and we are planning some back end changes that require new ways of working. And we did not work those out in advance of this newsletter because, I’ll be very honest, I was very busy. But I have been reading.

I’ve talked a little bit in this newsletter about how grief and COVID made it hard to read at times. But I think we’ve all had other life events that have made it either easier or harder to read. As many of you know, my daughter Penelope was diagnosed with Type One Diabetes almost two years ago. Medical caregiving has fundamentally changed my brain and the exhaustion that comes with it leads to a lack of bandwidth for certain kinds of tasks. Fortunately, lately, reading has not been one of them. Before I tell you what I’ve been reading though, I do just want to acknowledge that we all go through phases of reading. Sometimes we can and sometimes we can’t. Sometimes it’s books we’ve read a million times and sometimes it's devouring a brand new (to us) series. Sometimes we want something we can sink into and sometimes we need something with short chapters because we can’t focus much longer. And regardless of your mood, I know that Whodunit has something for you. We can help you find a new series. We can help you find that book you read 20 years ago and only remember some key details. We can email you when the next book in your favorite series comes in. If you’d rather listen, you can support us through buying an audio book with Libro.FM. If you can’t fathom words at all, we can even help you with a puzzle or mind game. (This puzzle is one of my favorites.)

But onto the books! Sherry Thomas’ ‘Lady Sherlock’ series is one of my favorites, so if you’re in a mood to devour a new to you series, this should be high on your list. Book #7, A Tempest at Sea, will appeal particularly to those who love a locked room mystery. It feels like this series might be transitioning story lines and this book felt like maybe it was putting the right people in the right places. That said, book #8 has not yet been scheduled.

I read a couple of series that are creeping up there in terms of series length, but in these two cases, it has not impacted the quality of the storytelling at all. C.S. Harris’ ‘Sebastian St. Cyr’ series is onto book #18, Who Cries for the Lost. But I believe wholeheartedly that you could start this series at any point and still be captivated, and then want to go back in time to catch up. Set in Napoleonic England, and sometimes France, the attention to detail and finding fascinating but obscure historical events in this series is unmatched. You’ve got a rogue-ish investigator, his very modern wife, and her politically connected and maybe somewhat evil father. No paperback scheduled as yet, nor book #19.

Another lengthy but still excellent series is Will Thomas’ ‘Barker & Llewelyn’ series. On it’s face this series should not have appealed to me, with two male main characters, but the books are so well written and researched that I cannot help but be captivated. Plus the author has started to include some interesting female characters. Heart of the Nile will appeal to anyone with a love of the British Museum or Egyptology. The trade paperback is due in April for those who prefer to wait. Book #15 is scheduled for next year.

I clearly love a long series as much as anyone, but I have a ton of respect for authors who plot out a three-book arc and stick to it. Darynda Jones has done such a thing with her ‘Sunshine Vicram’ series, featuring a female Sherriff in New Mexico. A Hard Day for a Hangover, book #3, was just released in paperback. The series would be excellent for both adults and precocious teen readers alike, as Sunshine’s daughter is one of the main characters. The trade paperback will be out in December for those who prefer to wait.

I came to Deanna Raybourn with her ‘Lady Julia Grey’ series and found myself re-reading book #1 the other week (Silent in the Grave). It turns out, I remembered nothing about it, so I have a whole series to re-read. It’s mean of me to mention because it’s no longer available, but, we have been getting some amazing and complete collections of series in used, so it is worth keeping an eye open for. Book #8 in her ‘Veronica Speedwell’ series, A Sinister Revenge is now available in hardcover and like the Sherry Thomas, will appeal to lovers of a locked room mystery. The trade paperback is not yet planned, but book #9 is due in 2024.

Whodunit doesn’t just carry mysteries anymore, as you know, so it is a pleasure to get to recommend some of my other favorite recent reads. I have not read a lot of Curtis Sittenfeld, but I devoured her most recent Romantic Comedy on a trip to Calgary last week. This is not your average romance, featuring a late-night comedy show, a very smart sketch writer, and a very handsome pop singer. It is also the first book I’ve read to feature COVID as a major plot point, which was really interesting. I wouldn’t call it light reading, exactly, as Sittenfeld’s prose is dense, but a very fun read all the same. This one is already in trade paperback, so perfect to sling into your bag for your upcoming travels.

It is very nearly officially summer, although my understanding is that it has felt like summer for much of June in Winnipeg, so some summer reading recommendations seem appropriate.

Not unlike Romantic Comedy, Nora Goes Off Script imagines if a famous movie star can fall in love with the suburban single mom who wrote the screenplay for his latest movie. This one was very fun, very touching, and a very easy read. We’ve got her newest book Same Time Next Summer in store, also in trade paperback, which I will be picking up when I am home in July.

Who among us has not watched any of the Oceans movies and wondered if we might not have made an excellent con artist? Moorewood Family Rules by HelenKay Dimon is a really fun and easy read about a woman who takes the fall for her family’s crimes and then intends to rehabilitate them, against their wills. A little family drama. A little romance. A lot of fun. Already in paperback.

Also romantic and fun is Emily Henry’s Book Lovers. I am certainly late to the party on this one, but as someone who used to work in publishing and is a lover of a good rom com, it is was right up my alley. We’ve also got her Happy Place and People We Meet on Vacation in store, all in trade paperback, and all the very definition of the perfect beach reads.

In terms of what I’m looking forward to this summer and have waiting for me on the shelf at Whodunit: Andrew Cartmel’s new series The Paperback Sleuth: Death in Fine Condition (available now in trade paperback), Love Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood (available now in trade paperback), and A Lady’s Guide to Scandal by Sophie Irwin (coming in trade paperback on July 11th).

Eight Books Ahead! Spring Reads by Sian - The Missing Clue - April 2023

I have been doing a lot of reading, which is the great news, but a lot of it is ancient backlist titles of authors I’ve recently gotten into, which is hardly useful to right about. But!

I enjoyed, as ever, the newest Tasha Alexander Secrets of the Nile. It had Elizabeth Peters vibes, which I can only assume was not accidental, and was a good reminder to maybe dip back into that series again. This is the 16th ‘Lady Emily’ mystery and I will confess I don’t particularly enjoy the ‘historical’ mysteries woven in. In fact, I just…skip those chapters. Which is all to say there is no wrong way to read a series you like. The TP of this one is coming in October and book #17, A Cold Highland Wind, will also be released in October.

I always have trouble explaining why I like Will Thomas’ ‘Barker & Llewelyn’ novels since I generally don’t read many books written by men with male protagonists but I keep buying them in hardcover. I was behind on A Fierce Poison, book #13 in the series, but it is good news for you as the trade paperback will be in store mid-April. Book #14, Heart of the Nile, will also be on sale in hardcover mid-April. This one isn’t set in Egypt but the British Museum.

Finally, we were sad at our house to learn of the passing of Ian Falconer, the author and illustrator of the Olivia books. There are eight proper Olivia stories and a few other related books. What I love about these is that there are proper picture books, but also board book versions of many of the stories. That meant they were early favorites at our house and now Penny can read them herself. This is also a great series to invest in the audio books so kids can follow along with the story. This series is narrated by Dame Edna, which makes the audio books fun for everyone. Don’t forget you can support Whodunit through your audio purchases at Libro.fm.

Wendy’s (Mostly London Based) Recent Reads by Wendy - The Missing Clue - April 2023

Spring seems a very long way away right now. Maybe that is why the cover of Kayte Nunn’s The Botanist’s Daughter caught my eye. The birds and blooms are certainly spirit raising and make me think of Spring. Kayte Nunn lives in Australia, although she is not Australian by birth and has lived and worked in both the United States and the United Kingdom. The book has two story lines one set in the present, well 2017, and the other in the late nineteenth century starting c 1886. A box discovered when Anna is renovating a house, in Sydney, left to her by her grandmother sets her off on a journey to the U.K. and the high temple of plants and gardens, Kew Gardens. This is the reverse journey of Elizabeth who left Cornwall in 1886 and arrived in Sydney via Valparaiso. Lots of interesting information about plants and wonderful descriptions of the physical locations. I have never really taken to the style of two parallel stories separated by time but I did enjoy these stories and thought that they were skilfully merged. A good read.

Ron Base and Prudence Emery, once again take us back to the swinging sixties in London. Scandal at the Savoy sees Priscilla Tempest, the Canadian head of the Savoy’s press office, embroiled in another murder. As in the previous novel Priscilla is in a somewhat ambiguous position. Although not a serious suspect, Priscilla is unable to fully clear her name because of a dalliance with a glamorous, unnamed, Canadian Prime Minister (I wonder who?) who is staying at the hotel. The larger-than-life celebrity guests add to the general chaos. The London in this novel is, as in the previous novel, Death at the Savoy, very realistic even if the plot is far fetched. If you want a serious read this is not for you but it is a very enjoyable escape from reality.

One thing I really enjoyed about, A Spoonful of Murder, J.M. Hall’s first mystery novel with retired schoolteachers, Liz, Thelma, and Pat, was how real it felt. The characters seemed real, the locations seemed real and certainly the issue at the heart of the novel is one which is very prevalent in today’s society. In A Pen Dipped in Poison, the issue is poison pen letters which are tearing apart St. Barnabus, the local school and then by extension the local community. We learn a lot more about the background and lives of the three detectives. This is a very good read, well written and well plotted.

I don’t read a lot of fantasy but I am always looking for books that I will enjoy. Back in 2020 I came across Garth Nix’ The Left-Handed Booksellers of London, and I really enjoyed it. Set in London in 1983, art student, Susan Arkshaw is trying to find the father that she has never met. During her search she meets Merlin, a left handed bookseller, part of a community that straddles the present world and the Old World. The second title in the series has just been released. I must be honest I did not enjoy, The Sinister Booksellers of Bath, quite as much as the first one. But the plot moves along nicely and the characters are very engaging.

In case you think I only read books set in London or the United Kingdom, I have just finished Jesse Q Sutanto’s Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers which is set in San Francisco. At 60 years of age Vera Wong fits very neatly into a demographic which is becoming a driving force in mystery fiction. The owner of a rather dilapidated tea house in San Francisco, where customers are few and far between, Vera’s rather lonely life is up-ended when one morning she discovers a dead body in the middle of the tea room. She is disappointed with the lackadaisical and off handed way that the police deal with the death. Vera knows that this was not just a heart attack! Well, it turns out that she was right! A good read with an interesting twist at the end.

2023: Sian's Year of Reading - The Missing Clue - February 2023

There isn’t much space for me this month, because we’re so lucky to hear from Aaron and Laura. It’s exciting to be able to provide you new perspectives on the books we sell, as the Bumsteds can sometimes get a little stuck in our lanes. The heart wants what the heart wants, after all.

I am 9 books into 2023 already, which puts me ahead of schedule for my 2023 reading goals. It was a variety of romantic suspense, romance, mystery, and fantasy, so there is lots to talk about. I started reading Sarah J. Maas’ ‘Court of Thorns and Roses’ series on Christmas Eve in Winnipeg with a very sick kid. Over the next two weeks, I devoured all five books. It’s fantasy. It’s romance. It’s twisty and turn-y. Equally perfect for angsty teenage girls as angsty 40 year old mothers. We’ve got all five books in stock in paperback, starting with A Court of Thorns and Roses, and four of them are satisfying doorstops. If you need something to get stuck into on these cold winter days, this is it.

A read The Body in the Garden, the first book in Katharine Schellman’s ‘Lily Adler’ series in the summer. The second book, Silence in the Library, just came out and is equally enjoyable. This is very much for fans of Deanna Raybourn or Tasha Alexander. Respectable widow uses her society connections to solve crimes, some light romance.

What Aaron's Reading - The Missing Clue - February 2023

This year I started off the New Year as I usually do, with copious amounts of horror. I was given a handful of books over the holidays, and the one that I enjoyed the most may have been What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher. This relatively brief (sitting at 158 pages) reimagining of The Fall of House Usher by Poe is something I devoured quickly but has definitely stuck with me since. Told from the first-person perspective of Alex Easton, it follows them as they travel to visit House Usher after receiving a letter from an ailing Madeline Usher, and the subsequent unsettling time spent on their waterlogged property. Kingfisher creates an excellent, sickly atmosphere that might have ended up my pick for book of the year, if I had actually read it when it came out in July.

And for those interested, two honourable mentions go to the manga I read over the holidays, Solo Levelling by Chugong and Uzumaki by Junji Itoh. Both of which feature very creepy visuals, with Uzumaki having some especially grotesque moments. Obviously not for everyone's tastes, but I loved the structure of a larger narrative built on smaller, connected horror stories centering around a cursed town.

Moving forward, I'm excited to take a look at this year's Canada Reads selections and picking up the fan-written sequel to the Three Body Problem trilogy, titled The Redemption of Time by Baoshu, which is technically fan-fiction that has been acknowledged as a cannon sequel by the original author!

What Laura is Reading - The Missing Clue - February 2023

Between isolating during the holidays and then a more celebratory week in Cuba, I managed to get through several Advance Readers on my list. I had forgotten how much reading you can get done at the airport, in flight, on the beach, by the pool…

The first I read was Cradles of the Reich by Jennifer Coburn (HC, $39.99) which focuses on three women in Nazi Germany connected to the Lebensborn maternity project- a young woman who was part of the resistance; a Hitler Youth dedicated to the cause; and a nurse attempting to support young girls. While the plot was interesting, sometimes the characters did not feel completely filled out. I would still recommend to people looking for a slightly more romantic thriller option than Kate Quinn.

The newest release from Emma Donoghue, Haven (HC, $32.99) is a historical fiction set in seventh century Ireland. Three monks set out to establish an isolated monastery, away from human influence. This is a very slow burning saga, putting these three men against nature and eventually, at odds with each other.

A Dangerous Business by Jane Smiley (HC, $37.99) is another slightly slow burning historical fiction, but this time two bordello workers investigate the disappearances of their colleagues during the 1850s California gold rush. The women draw influence from Edgar Allen Poe to deduce who is responsible for the crime spree.

Finally, I was completely absorbed with Janice Hallet’s The Twyford Code (HC, $36). The book is prefaced with a note from a police inspector to a professor, asking for their expertise in the deducing hidden meaning in the transcripts of a missing person’s voice memos. The entire book is presented through these stream of consciousness transcriptions, including spelling mistakes and grammar errors from where the transcription software has “misheard” the speakers. They unravel an unreliable narrator’s personal mission to discover where his elementary school teacher disappeared after a field trip- involving a conspiracy around a controversial children’s book series, shadowy organizations, and a scavenger hunt spanning decades.

British Cozies by Wendy - The Missing Clue - February 2023

North American cozies are usually easily recognizable, they have pastel covers and the title is often a pun. The plot also runs along somewhat predictable lines. The main character, always female, leaves her regular occupation to take up something else because of a change in family circumstance or a crisis caused by the breakup of a marriage or long-term relationship or a job loss. This transition is often but not always accompanied by a change of residence sometimes back to a hometown, sometimes to a new area where they have inherited a bed & breakfast or a bookshop. If it is a return to somewhere familiar there may be an old beau hovering around. If it is a new location, there is a policeman or a fireman or a lawyer with whom our heroine clashes. Be they new relationships or the rekindling of an old relationship the course of friendship or true love does not go smoothly.

This month I am going to talk about some new British titles and authors that we have in the store which would fall within the cozy genre. The first author is Kate High, her main character is Clarice Beech, who is a successful potter and is also involved in animal rescue work. She is the founder of Castlewick Animal Welfare and their premises adjoin her pottery. Clarice’s estranged husband, Rick, is a Detective Inspector. In the first book one of Clarice’s rescue cats has escaped from it’s new owner and Clarice becomes involved in the search. During the course of the search Clarice trips over a body. As the body turns out to be a murder victim it brings her estranged husband on to the scene. At the moment we have the first two titles in stock, The Cat and the Corpse in the Old Barn and The Man Who Vanished and the Dog Who Waited. There will be two more titles over the course of this year. This is a really good series which I have enjoyed very much. The books have really striking, non-pastel, covers.

Glenda Young has a series based in the Seaview Hotel in Scarborough. Helen Dexter is recently widowed and is now the sole owner of the Seaview Hotel. At the start of the first title in this series, Murder at the Seaview Hotel, the hotel has been closed for some months following her husband’s death and Helen is ambivalent about continuing by herself. The hotel has a good reputation and ranks highly on the various travel sites, but the décor is beginning to look a little tired and dated. Helen’s hand on opening is forced when a weekend long Elvis celebration means a shortage of accommodation and she ends up hosting The Thirteen Elvises. After hurriedly recruiting her previous staff she is ready to open the hotel to all thirteen Elvises, their guitars and of course their blue suede shoes. Unfortunately, by the time the weekend is over there are only twelve Elvises. We have copies of both this first title and the second title Curtain Call at the Seaview Hotel in stock and further titles are scheduled for publication.

Olga Pushkin, Railway Engineer (Third Class) lives in the small isolated town of Roslazny in Siberia. Her dream is to become a best-selling author and to escape Roslazny. At the beginning of Death on the Trans-Siberian Express Olga has just received a poison pen letter, up until this point she has avoided the scourge that has been afflicting her small, snow bound town. Her humdrum life is further upset when the body of a dead American tourist falls from the Trans-Siberian Express and knocks her unconscious as she goes about her duties at her signaling post. We have copies of the first title, Death on the Trans-Siberian Express, which is written by C.J. Farrington and will have copies of the second title Blood on the Siberian Snow in March.

Louise Penny - The Missing Clue - December 2022

This week will see not only the release of Louise Penny’s 18th Gamache novel, A World of Curiosities but also the launch of a new television series based on her characters.  The series is called ‘Three Pines’ and begins with two episodes on Friday, December 2nd on Prime Video. There are eight episodes in total and the finale will be on Friday, December 23, 2022.  This is not the first attempt to bring Gamache to the small screen and previous attempts have not been successful so hopefully this attempt will fare better. Much of the previous criticism has revolved around casting, particularly of the main character. However, it is worth remembering that the first series of Ann Cleeves’ Shetland series faced a similar problem as actor Douglas Henshall, tall and fair haired, bore no physical resemblance to the swarthy, dark haired, dark eyed Jimmy Perez described in the novels. Cleeves herself, addressed this issue saying that while there was no physical resemblance, she felt that Henshaw’s performance projected her perception of Jimmy Perez’s character. So we will see how this new incarnation of Three Pines and its inhabitants fares.

A World of Curiosities is in stock in Hardcover at $39.99.

2022 Bestsellers

Although 2022 is not technically over yet and we could certainly have a runaway December bestseller (Louise Penny *cough*), here are the bestselling books sold at Whodunit from January to November 2022.

Mass Market

1.      Laura Childs, Haunted Hibiscus

2.      Delia Owens, Where the Crawdads Sing

3.      Joanne Fluke, Triple Chocolate Cheesecake Murder

4.      Sofie Kelly, Hooked on a Feline

5.      Sofie Ryan, Totally Pawstruck

6.      Shelton Paige, Deadly Editions

7.      Carlene O’Connor, Murder in an Irish Bookshop

8.      Lauren Elliott, A Margin for Murder

9.      Marie O’Regan, Cursed: An Anthology

10.  Victoria Thompson, Murder on Wall Street

Trade Paper

1.      Jane Pek, The Verifiers

2.      Philipp Schott, Fifty Four Pigs

3.      Ann Cleeves, The Rising Tide

4.      Richard Osman, The Thursday Murder Club

5.      Kate Quin, The Diamond Eye

6.      S.J. Bennett   All the Queen’s Men

7.      Lucy Foley, The Paris Apartment

8.      Thomas King, Deep House

9.      Susan Algie, Osborne Village: An Architectural Tour

10.  Iona Whishaw, Framed in Fire

Hard Cover

1.      Richard Osman,   The Bullet That Missed

2.      Ian Rankin, A Heart Full of Headstones

3.      Gretchen Rue, Steeped to Death

4.      Robert Galbraith, The Ink Black Heart

5.      Agatha Christie,   Marple

6.      Donna Leon,   Give Unto Others

7.      Elizabeth George, Something to Hide

8.      Catherine Macdonald, So Many Wildings

9.      Andrew Sniderman, Valley of the Birdtail.

Ben Aaronovitch, Among Our Weapons

Hannah's Pick - The Missing Clue - December 2022

The books of Katherine Addison:

The Goblin Emperor, MM, $10.99

The Witness for Dead, TP, $22.99

The Grief of Stones, HC, $34.99

The Angel of Crows, TP, $26.99

I discovered Katherine Addison this year, much to my delight. Her writing is beautiful and elegiac. The alternate universes she creates are rich and complex and a little bit mysterious (in a good way). Her characters are complex and thoughtful. I first read the Goblin Emperor, which is a gorgeous book, largely about court politics in an alternate world populated by elves and goblins. Subsequent books set in the same world feature an elf who solves mysteries in his role as witness for the dead. The Angel of the Crows is set in a steampunk London where vampires and angels and hellhounds exist alongside humans. It features many characters inspired by or familiar to fans of Victorian London crime fiction (Sherlock/Watson/Moriarty/the Baker Street Irregulars and Jack the Ripper) and a lot of plot twists!

Aaron's Pick - The Missing Clue - December 2022

Suburban Dicks by Fabian Nicieza, TP, $23

Suburban Dicks, by comic book writer Fabian Nicieza (co-creator of the Deadpool character), called to me at first both because of the name and the promise of a comedic foray into the mystery genre. While the story is undoubtedly funny, I hesitate to call it "light hearted", as things get pretty dark pretty quickly. It follows a former FBI analyst turned mother of 4 (soon to be 5), and a disgraced journalist tracking a murder in a small New Jersey suburb. While it may seem like a by the books, yet comedic, take on a murder mystery soon evolves into a look at what lies just under the surface in this small, suburban neighbourhood and it weaves a message of social awareness deftly into the narrative.

Laura's Pick - The Missing Clue - December 2022

The Marlow Murder Club by Robert Thorogood, TP, $24.99

Keen observers around the store may have noticed an increase in books featuring “golden years” detectives, particularly those set in the UK. In this past year, I have read three other titles on this theme. The Marlow Murder Club holds its own among comparable titles, including Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman and A Spoonful of Murder by JM Hall. The central protagonist, Judith Potts, is an eccentric elderly woman living a self-isolated life in a mansion when she witnesses her neighbour’s murder. When the police refuse to see the death as suspicious, Judith puts her mind to finding the killer - only to find herself drawn into several other unconnected deaths. Teaming up with a well-intentioned dog-walker and the high-strung vicar’s wife, the three ladies of Marlow use their individual strengths to catch the killer.

This title is light while still providing lots of twists and turns for the reader, likeable characters, and happens to be the first in Thorogood’s series.

Michael's Pick - The Missing Clue - December 2022

The Verifiers by Jane Pek, TP, $23.00
Over a year ago, I loved reading this book in its advanced form before its February release.  While I was certain that I was not going to allow it to slip through the gaps for me, I thought it would be hard for a book I first consumed over 18 months ago to be the one that would stand up against anything else I read.  And yet it has.  Jane Pek has written a book that I can confidently say is genre breaking, unique and poised, more than any other book that have EVER recommended on this list, to become a runaway sensation.  Take this opportunity, if you have not yet, to buy it for yourself, or for your most digital friend/relative, so that you can prove that you were in on it before it becomes a darling of #booktok.

That said, there were a number of other books that I should say really impressed me this year.  Meredith Hambrock brought a great deal of fun, and a lot of madcap energy to Canadian crime fiction with her debut Other People's Secrets.  Winter is not often the time for a cabin country caper, but if late night, lake life antics are in your wheelhouse, this may be a perfect warm up on those cold nights to remind you that cottage season is never that far away.

For those seeking a more severe tome, John Teschner is another name to watch. Project Namahana, is his Hawai'i set, corporate agriculture noir, and a book that offers the promise of an author just touching the bare beginnings of his talent. The beauty of his prose, and the power of what remains unsaid in this first novel suggest that there is another great American thriller writer living in the MidWest.

Sian's Pick - The Missing Clue - December 2022

Blitz by Daniel O’Malley, HC, $38

The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood, TP, $22

Grief is a funny thing, as many of you know. You think you’re managing and something knocks you back out of nowhere. I think one of the reasons I’ve had so much trouble reading these last few years is that the very act of reading is so inexorably linked to my father. The last time I saw him a week before he died, we sat quietly together reading for hours in his hospital room. I was reading The Rook by Daniel O’Malley, a book that Hannah had brought to Dad, and that Dad had loved. And one of things that still stuns me about death is all the things I’ll never tell him, all the books I’ll never know if he would have liked, and all the (unpopular) opinions he might have had.

So look, I’m sorry. Blitz by Daniel O’Malley is the third book in a series. It’s in hardcover. It’s 688 pages. It weighs 2 pounds. It is an extremely awkward book to cart around (just ask Michael who flew two copies across North America). But O’Malley has created this incredibly detailed world that I cannot get enough of. There are two stories here, both in the world of the Chequy, one set during The Blitz in London, and one in modern day Britain. You’ll recognize some characters in both story arcs, but there are lots of new characters too. Whenever I get to settle down and read it, I cannot believe I am so lucky to have a life where I can read books and tell you about them. Probably Dad would have complained it was too heavy and awkward.

Old friends of the store know the rules for Book of the Year are pretty simple. You can only pick one. It’s gotta be published this year. Maybe don’t pick the 14th book in a series in hardcover. You also all know that I’m the editor and I ultimately get to do what I want. (I will note that other family members have ALSO gotten pretty fast and loose with the rules this year.)

I have read 47 books this year, the most I’ve completed since 2018. But if I had to pick my favorite reading experience, it was reading The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood, curled up in a hotel room chair in Vancouver overlooking the water. SO WHAT if it was published last year. It was such a smart and funny book about a world I am semi-familiar with (academia). It reminded me how much I love reading and that reading is about the opportunity to disappear into another world for a little while. Whodunit is so much more than just crime fiction now and I’m delighted to have the opportunity to tell you about more of the books I love reading, particularly romance novels.

Wendy's Pick - The Missing Clue - December 2022

1979 by Val McDermid, TP, $24.95

My book this year is Val McDermid’s 1979.  This is the first title in her new series. The main character is Allie Burns, a young Scottish journalist. Set against the background of the newspaper wars in the UK, where the newspaper owners seemed to be constantly at war not only with each other but with their employees, journalists and printers.  The turmoil in the business echoing the turmoil in the UK itself, the miner’s strikes, the failure to effectively address the HIV/AIDS and burgeoning drug use issues.

September 2022 Bestsellers - The Missing Clue - October 2022

Hard Cover

1.      Sniderman, Andrew Valley of the Birdtail

2.      Ru, Gretchen Steeped to Death

3.      Osman, Richard The Bullet That Missed

4.      Raybourn, Deanna Killers of a Certain Age

5.      Smith, Alexander McCall Song of Comfortable Chairs, A

6.      Mann, Michael Heat 2

7.      Atkinson, Kate Shrines of Gaiety

8.      King, Laurie R. Back to the Garden

9.      Gray, Alex Echo of the Dead

10.  McEwan, Ian Lessons

Trade Paper

1.      Cleeves, Ann The Rising Tide

2.      Galbraith, Robert Ink Black Heart, The

3.      Christie, Agatha Marple: Twelve New Mysteries

4.      Brightwell, Emily Mrs. Jeffries and the Midwinter Murders

5.      Perry, Anne A Darker Reality

6.      Lagercrantz, David Dark Music

7.      Reid, Taylor Jenkins Carrie Soto is Back

8.      Vermette, Katherena Strangers, The

9.      Banville, John April in Spain

10.  Donoghue, Emma Haven

11.  Woman

Mass Market

1.      Grisham, John The Judge’s List

2.      Beaton, M.C. Down the Hatch

3.      Jance, J.A. Nothing to Lose

4.      Kelly, Sofie Hooked on a Feline

5.      Davis, Krista A Good Dog’s Guide to Murder

6.      Owens, Delia Where the Crawdads Sing

7.      Meier, Leslie Halloween Party Murder

8.      Crais, Robert Suspect

9.      Evanovich, Janet The Bounty

10.  Brady, Eileen Last But Not Leashed

Fall Reading by Sian - The Missing Clue - October 2022

As most of you know, I have edited the newsletter with an iron fist for many years now. I always write my piece last because I never know how much space there will be. This is also why you don’t see me in every newsletter, since if there is no room, I just save it. This month, there was lots of space, but it’s ok, because I’ve got lots to write about. I am in fact 7 books ahead of schedule to complete 50 books this year and given my ‘To Read’ pile, I think I’m going to more than hit it.

So, in the order that I finally read them…

April always provides the double-whammy of a new C.S. Harris ‘Sebastian St. Cyr’ book alongside a new ‘Lady Darby Mystery’ from Anna Lee Huber. Harris did not disappoint with Sebastian and Hero involved in some Bourbon intrigue in France in When Blood Lies (content warning if you’re squeamish about explicit descriptions of the guillotine). We still have copies in hardcover. It turns out I got behind on Anna Lee Huber and was missing book #10 in the series (A Wicked Conceit) so her newest, A Perilous Perspective is still on my to-read pile. We’ve got new and used copies of A Perilous Perspective in store. Who Cries for the Lost, St. Cyr #18, is coming in hardcover in April and A Fatal Illusion, Lady Darby #11, is scheduled for June.

(Brief pre-order side bar: Did you know you can pre-order any scheduled release on our website? Follow the links above and click ‘pre-order’. We’ll never take your money when you order online, but you’ll know that we’ll have a copy waiting for you on the shelf when the book is released, even if the date changes.)

I am having a big romance moment, so I love it when romance and mystery paths cross. Manda Collins’ An Heiress’s Guide to Deception and Desire was a delight just like the first book in the series, A Lady’s Guide to Mischief and Mayhem. Both are available in store in mass market and trade paperback respectively. Book #3, A Spinster’s Guide to Danger and Dukes is coming in March 2023.

I’m so delighted that we carry pure romance novels now though and we’ve got some of my recent favorites. I loved Sophie Irwin’s A Lady’s Guide to Fortune Hunting. This was a fun twist on a young lady being forced to marry for money. This is the perfect book for a quiet weekend inside. I was going to tell you it’s a standalone, but A Lady’s Guide to Scandal is coming in June, which looks like it might be in the same world?

But speaking of a fun weekend read, I don’t think you could do better than The Love Hypothesis and Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood. These are such fun and smart modern romances, set in novellas in the same vein, Loathe to Love You, is coming in January.

That’s what I’ve read, but my To Read pile is constantly toppling. Did you know you can buy three floor to ceiling bookcases and still have books piled on the floor? Highest on the pile, in no particular order…

I think Jasper Fforde is tragically underappreciated but his writing is just so right on the edge of too smart and I love him. The fourth book in his ‘Last Dragonslayer’ series, The Great Troll War, is available in store in trade paperback. This is a great series for a grown up but it is technically YA and would be great for any precocious readers in your life. Such a fun series with Fforde’s trademark absurd world building.

Andrew Cartmel’s ‘Vinyl Detective’ books are also always a fun read. I’m looking forward to Attack and Decay, book #6, which is in store. But also Death in Fine Condition, which is a new series called ‘The Paperback Sleuth’, coming in March.

And then in titles coming soon, but much coveted, are Secrets of the Nile by Tasha Alexander (Lady Emily #16, releasing October 4th) which is apparently an homage to Agatha Christie (although we can hope for some Elizabeth Peters vibe too, no?) and A Hard Day for a Hangover by Darynda Jones (Sunshine Vicram #16) in December.

One of the hard things about losing my father is the constant reminder of the books he’ll never read. My sister Hannah brought us Daniel O’Malley’s The Rook, which he loved and is now one of my very favorite books. Book #3 in the series, Blitz, is coming at the end of October in hardcover. It looks like it’s in the same world although as yet unclear if my beloved Myfawny makes an appearance. We’ve got both The Rook and Stiletto (book #2) in store in both new and used trade paperback, so there is still lots of time to catch up. Please note the TV series is VERY different, so don’t judge a book by it’s TV series if you’ve seen it but not read it.

Reading Notes by Wendy - The Missing Clue - October 2022

The third title in the Thursday Murder Club, The Bullet That Missed, (hc $37) has been released and the good news is that Richard Osman has signed a new contract so that there will be at least three more titles in the series. Osman’s contract also includes another book which will not be part of the series. 

J.M. Hall’s A Spoonful of Murder,(tp.$24.99) is set in Thirsk, Scotland. Three retired primary school teachers out for coffee unexpectedly meet a former colleague who seems to be in distress. Although not unsympathetic they do not want to get involved, but despite their best efforts one by one they are drawn in. Much of the plot revolves around the financial dangers that seem prevalent for seniors these days. I really enjoyed the book and hope that this will be a series.

Beatriz Williams, is not Stella Rimington, but I really enjoyed her Our Woman in Moscow, (tp$21). It is a Cold War spy thriller with an interesting twist.  I thought it got off to a bit of a slow start but well worth persevering. On the subject of Stella Rimington there is still no sign of a Canadian release of The Devil’s Bargain, which is the first in a new series. 

Deanna Raybourn’s new novel, Killers of a Certain Age  (hc$37) combines both my themes this month age and espionage. Four 60-year-old female agents of Museum, a clandestine international organization, are given a once in a lifetime trip to celebrate their retirement. But maybe it is a once in a lifetime event because they are not expected return! When Natalie, Billie, Mary Alice and Helen realise this, will they be able to use their well-honed skills to save their own lives? 

Fall Events - The Missing Clue - October 2022

There is a LOT going on at Whodunit this autumn, although the details of some of the events need to have the I s dotted and the t’s crossed. Please stay tuned to our Facebook page, and also the event calendar (https://whodunitbooks.ca/?q=h.calevents), to keep track of all the things that are happening. As a reminder, now that authors are back on tour, if you see a listing that an author is in Winnipeg but are not scheduled to be here, there is a possibility they might make a surprise appearance at Whodunit?

October 5, at 19:30, Zoom Event - Mur Lafferty, author of Station Eternity (Link -https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87370746608).

October 13, 19:30, Zoom Event - Meredith Hambrock author of Other People's Secrets, with special guest Brent Butt (Link - https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87837414867)

October 16, 15:00, In-Store Event - Kevin Fournier, Launch of the new book Brief Life, Refreshments will be Served

October 20, 19:30, Zoom Event - Marcie Rendon, author of Sinister Graves (Link - https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82279325624)

November. 1, 19:30, Zoom Event - Ann Claire author of Dead and Gondola (Link - https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82087840897)

Nov. 16, 1930, Zoom Event - Christina Romeril, author of A Christmas Candy Killing (Link - https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88272340974)

Nov. 21, 2000, Zoom Event - NeWest Press author event, Details and Link to follow

Michael's Intro - The Missing Clue - October 2022

In September I went to Bouchercon, the Mystery Writers of America Convention. 

Back in person for the first time in 3 years, the event was hosted in Minneapolis, and the geographic proximity made it impossible for us to ignore. So, prepared to host some panels and meet some authors, I drove down to the Twin Cities unsure exactly what to expect upon arrival. 

What I came across was a wild collection of writers, readers, and book professionals from all across North America and further afield, thrown together in a hotel, each with their own sense of COVID safety, own sense of propriety, and own expectations on an event long delayed in person. Minneapolis too, in this post-pandemic, post-George Floyd reopening, is also figuring out what it is, an unexpected wrinkle that left the city around the hotel feeling empty, but not unwelcome. From our perspective, the conference went well, and several the events that we will be hosting in the coming weeks and months are a result of the meetings that took place in coffee lines, (or at bar tops) during the four days. We also learned, quite excitingly, that Calgary will be hosting the world for Bouchercon 2026, certainly something in which we hope we will have the opportunity be very involved.

Getting back to Winnipeg on the Sunday evening, on Monday I was off to Rossburn, Manitoba to help launch Valley of the Birdtail by Andrew Stobo Sniderman and Douglas Sanderson (Amo Binashii), [an event the latter author had to miss as his wife had tested positive for COVID prior to their flight]. This was quite a different event in tone from Bouchercon, an audience from the town and Waywayseecappo reservation coming together in a curling club to hear about how their communities managed to come together despite the barriers, historical and cultural, that all too commonly create tension between communities like theirs. To visit a place with both such pride in what they have accomplished to this point, and such a sense that there is still a long way to go towards an equal life for all, was fascinating to experience after the tumultuous and metropolitan clash of perspectives and lifestyles that was the conference, I had been part of only a day before. 

I have, for most of the rest of this month, been trying to reconcile these two experiences in my own mind, to best reflect you, our customers, what they might mean to Whodunit? moving forward. Becoming not just the place where you buy your mysteries, but also indulge your interest in politics, or mushrooms, bubble tea, maps, or puzzles, has been an overwhelmingly positive force for us. To be the spot you stop for a children's birthday present, or a professional requirement, or a personal indulgence is something that creates the sense of community that we find is growing around us on Lilac Street, and something that we can only hope will continue to grow. We are thrilled to continue to be your crime fiction specialists, but we are also happy to sometimes be the store you buy a book about bicycles from because some guy carried a yellow velour sectional out onto the sidewalk for a street concert, and it caused you to stop. 

As a result, as we aim to find a new equilibrium in what is a relatively unpredictable 3rd COVID winter. We are going to be moving back to having more events and welcoming more opportunities to go afield as they become available. Both actions are great for getting new and different authors to you in new and interesting ways. A relatively chance meeting with Meredith Hambrock, for example, has led us to learn that Brent Butt of television's "Corner Gas" fame will have a mystery book next year, and he is going to appear with Meredith at her Zoom event on Thursday, October 13th. 

We hope to continue to be, not just in what we stock, but in how we act, a store that reflects the wants and needs of you, who put your trust in us. Whether it be for books that provide a thrill, or make you think, or make you laugh, or cry, or scream, we intend to do our best to provide them as best we can, whether it be in person, on Zoom, or, through a closed door. Please know we are smiling with every visit, even if you cannot see it through our masks.