A Game of Cat and Killer by Jirō Akagawa, Haydn Trowell (Translator)
For fans of Japanese murder mysteries, humor, and cat and human detective duos!
Detective Yoshitaro Katayama is not self-assured and has many phobias, which makes him less than thrilled to take on a case at Hagoromo Women’s University. Maybe what this detective eventually needs is the help of the Dean’s cat, Holmes.
Justice for Jehanne: The Tale of a Medieval Survivor by Sara McDougal
For readers of history, forensic analysis, and true crime.
In Dijon, France, in the late Middle Ages, a woman named Jehanne made a criminal complaint that she’d been sexually assaulted. Jaques Borestel was ordered by the mayor to investigate. In Justice for Jehanne, Sara McDougall uses forensic analysis of the witness testimony to paint a picture of Jehanne, the investigation, and the community.
Goldie Vance Book One by Hope Larson, Brittney Williams (Illustrator)
For fans of fun upper-middle-grade graphic novels!
Goldie Vance is a teen in the 1960s working as a valet at a Florida resort where her father works. But Goldie doesn’t want to be a valet, nor a performing mermaid like her mother; she wants the in-house detective job at the hotel. So naturally, she constantly goes sleuthing and butts heads with the detective in order to solve cases! (Goldie Vance #1-8 are collected in this book.)
New In Mystery Series You Should Be Reading
Before You Were Anne (Chelsey Calhoun #2) by Emiko Jean: Chelsey Calhoun is a detective who, in The Return of Ellie Black, was busy trying to figure out why an escaped kidnap victim wasn’t helping with her own investigation. Now, detective Calhoun has had a life update and is on a new case: a murdered mother and her missing teenage daughter.
We Chase Shadows (We Solve Murders #2) by Richard Osman: The Thursday Murder Club author started a fun new odd-couple (though it’s technically three people) series last year with We Solve Murders. Now Amy, Rose, and Steve are once again solving a case. This time, it involves a ruthless killer and them traveling from Italy to Palm Springs.
The Swifts: A Garden of Vipers (The Swifts #3) by Beth Lincoln: An utterly delightful middle grade mystery series about words, a zany family, and, of course, solving mysteries! In the newest entry, Shenanigan Swift and her family travel to New York, where they end up on a murder case in a snowstorm! The two preceding books are A Dictionary of Scoundrels and A Gallery of Rogues.
The Vanished Sister (Lady Sherlock #9) by Sherry Thomas: This reimagined Sherlock series is filled with adventure, mystery, witty banter, and romance, and it is one of the best ongoing historical mystery series, which begins with A Study in Scarlet Women. Now, in The Vanished Sister, Charlotte Holmes and Mrs. Watson travel to see Watson’s estranged sister, only for her to disappear…
The Velvet Knife (Truly Devious #6) by Maureen Johnson: YA murder mystery series set in a unique school that understands and loves the mystery genre. The first three books—starting with Truly, Devious— are a trilogy. The fourth book, The Box in the Woods, can be read as a standalone, and the newest release begins with the fallout from the ending of the 4th book, Nine Liars, and Stevie traveling to NY where a resident of the apartment building she’s staying in suddenly dies.
No Song for the Dead (Department Q #11) by Jussi Adler-Olsen, Stine Bolther, Line Holm, and Caroline Waight (Translator): The latest in a long-running procedural series set in Copenhagen, where a task force is in charge of cold cases, beginning with The Keeper of Lost Causes. Also, absolutely watch the Netflix series adaptation, Dept. Q, starring Matthew Goode.
The Dying Light (Two Rivers #4) by Anne Cleeves: Cleeves is known for her atmospheric procedural series, which have each gotten TV series adaptations: Shetland, Vera, and The Long Call. The latter is based on the first book of this series. Now in The Dying Light, there’s a heatwave in Devon, and DI Matthew Venn has a puzzling new murder mystery to solve.
Mystery James Returns from the Grave by Ally Russell: The conclusion to a great middle grade horror mystery duology, which begins with Mystery James Digs Her Own Grave. In the final book, Mystery James suspects her home is being haunted by a ghost of a recently buried resident at her aunt’s Garcia Graves & Funeral Home…
Browse the books recommended in Unusual Suspects’ previous newsletters on this shelf and see 2026 and 2027 releases! Until next time, come talk books with me on Bluesky, Goodreads, Litsy, and Multitudes Contained.
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