A James Patterson book named "Swimsuit"? Was it developed in a lab trying to create the perfect beach read?
June is going to be big for mystery lovers, with Janet Evanovich’s Finger Lickin’ Fifteen and James Patterson’s Swimsuit releasing late in the month. Evanovich and Patterson frequently top the NY Times bestseller list, fueled by loyal fans who keep coming back for more. But with the mystery genre growing, there are scores of new, talented authors just waiting to be discovered. Mystery review site Reviewed by Liz has challenged fans of the genre to spread their wings this summer and read at least 6 books by unfamiliar authors. Participants can sign up on the site for discussions and possible prizes, or simply challenge themselves to find a new author worthy of pre-ordering. For reading suggestions, see below for a range of new, recent, and classic mysteries.
- NEW: There are dozens of mysteries releasing in June, and New Mystery has a list of 33 big ones. The site also features lists for the previous 2009 months, so you can check to make sure you haven’t missed anything!
- BEST OF 2008: December brings the “best of” lists in full force, and crime novels are no exception. NPR picked 5 books with riveting plots that also address “the big mysteries: love, death, the problem of God, the presence of evil in the world.” These are good picks for both seasoned fans and literary readers who are new to the genre. The NY Times also weighed in with a longer “Notable crime fiction of 2008″ list.
- CLASSIC: If you’re looking for old school favorites like The Maltese Falcon and The Talented Mr. Ripley, this top 100 list by author and reviewer H.R.F. Keating could come in handy. Note, however, that the most recent book on the list was published in 1986, so don’t expect much computer-aided crime solving.
And, if after reading this all you can think is, “I don’t care! Give me Finger Lickin’ Fifteen!”, we will appease you with this (not so glowing) review from Publishers Weekly…
Happy Friday!
