Michael's Pick - Bumsted Picks of 2017 - The Missing Clue - December 2017

Righteous by Joe Ide

(HC, $34.00, order here)

Joe Ide has had quite enough acolades in 2017 for his first novel IQ, having been nominated for the Anthony, the Barry, the Edgar and the McAvity for Best Debut Novel.

His second book, Righteous, is better. 

Untethered from the shackles of origin story and protagonist introduction, Ide is freed in his sophomore effort to expand his scope and paint a picture of Los Angeles as complex melange of cultures and classes.  Ides’ obvious, and open adoration of Conan Doyle has allowed him to present a modern, African American hyper-intelligent character that evokes Holmes honestly and effectively, and surrounds him with characters that compliment him admirably. 

For those who are reluctant to start with the second book, we do have the first in trade paperback ($20.99).  However, it is in Righteous that Joe Ide has made a world I cannot wait to revisit. 
 

Sian's Pick - Bumsted Picks of 2017 - The Missing Clue - December 2017

Strange Practice by Vivian Shaw

(TP, $19.49, order here)

I rated 12 books with 5 Stars last year and 6 of those are books we sell at Whodunit. Mum already picked Party Girls Die in Pearls, one was published in 2016, two were the second in a series, and one isn’t technically available in Canada yet. So I was feeling a little unsure about what to pick as my book of the year. But when I was in the store in November, a book kept catching my eye. I looked at it a few times. I started to read the first chapter, but with Bookstore Baby on the loose it was hard to get very far. Then, one day, Penelope was napping in the store and I remembered the book and…I couldn’t put it down. I even reported to Mum after the first chapter that I was pretty sure it was going to be my book of the year. And here we are.

Strange Practice by Vivian Shaw is everything I want in a book. A strong female protagonist. A fantastical spin. A little bit of smouldering romance in the background. The first in a series. And, most importantly, spectacularly well-written. Dr. Greta Helsing is a London doctor who’s Harley Street practice specializes in the monstrous undead. Vampires, demons, mummies, and ghouls to name a few. But a serial killing sect of murderous monks has trained their mania on the monsters and Dr. Helsing and her friends (living and undead), must get to the bottom of it and keep London’s monstrous population safe (and healthy).

This is truly a special book that is not only unputdownable, but also makes you insanely jealous that you didn’t come up with the idea first. I cannot wait to see where she takes the story in the follow-up due in July of 2018 called Dreadful Company.

Wendy's Pick - Bumsted Picks of 2017 - The Missing Clue - December 2017

Party Girls Die in Pearls by Plum Sykes

(TP, $22.99, order here)

My book of the year is Plum Sykes, Party Girls Die in Pearls. This is a fun read. Set in the 1980s the plot centres around a disparate pair of students Ursula Flowerbottom, a studious girl from rural England and Nancy Feingold, an American exchange student from Saddle River, New Jersey. Neither of whom are really au fait with the lifestyle and expectations of the group of wealthy and/or aristocratic students with whom they are mixing. Sykes adds a few footnotes to inform readers who do not remember that far back e.g. comparison of outfit to one Sue Ellen might wear, Sue Ellen Ewing from the prime-time soap Dallas, which was the epitome of 80s glamour.

Jack's Pick - Bumsted Picks of 2017 - The Missing Clue - December 2017

The Last Days of Night by Graham Moore

(TP, $23.00, order here)

My choice for Book of the Year is a combination of two of my favourite genres: legal and historical thrillers. Curiously enough, this book, which has no violence in it, is really a lot more exciting than 99% of the books we carry at Whodunit. It is the story of the real-life struggle between two American geniuses for control of the light and power business throughout the world. I read this book in one sitting, being unable to put it down. The legal question is a fascinating one involving how much of the construction of an electric light bulb is generic and therefore protected under Thomas Edison’s patents. I’ll leave the rest for the reader to discover. I will say this though; The Last Days of Night is not just my favourite book of 2017 but one of the best books I’ve read.