Category Archives: Mysteries & Thrillers

Spotlight on Author Stuart Neville

If you like Irish crime fiction, or you just want to find a new author, you should give Stuart Neville a try. Neville is a staff favorite (especially for one particular staff member), and has a great backlist to choose from. His newest, THE HOUSE OF ASHES, is last on this list, but certainly not least. Here are a few titles you can find at the Fairfield Public Library.

THE GHOSTS OF BELFAST

“Stuart Neville’s tightly wound, emotionally resonant account of an ex-IRA hit man’s struggle to conquer his past, displays an acute understanding of the true state of Northern Ireland, still under the thumb of decades of violence and terrorism.” ~Los Angeles Times

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

COLLUSION

“Neville’s deft style builds mounting tension, and his characters, all tragic figures, are skillfully developed. The collusion he describes sounds all too plausible; it’s devious and endemic enough to impress even descendants of the infamous Borgias. The violence, administered up close and personal—and the rage of those who commit it—is almost operatic. A feast for thriller fans.” ~Booklist

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

STOLEN SOULS

“Neville slowly ratchets up the tension—and the violence—until each page practically twangs with suspense.” ~Publishers Weekly

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

RATLINES

“Thrilling…. Readers will hope to see more of Ryan, a formidable yet damaged hero.”
~Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

THE HOUSE OF ASHES Published September 7, 2021

“[A] gut-wrenching novel of psychological suspense with ghostly undertones . . . This unforgettable tale of servitude and subservience, domestic abuse, and toxic masculinity builds to a resolution offering redemption and heartfelt solace. Neville has outdone himself.”
~Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

“Spellbinding . . . Neville hooks his reader with the opening sequences of his story, mystery, and horror emerging prominently. The multi-narrative structure that plays out is effective and gripping. Impressive just begins to describe Neville’s latest offering.”
~Seattle Book Review

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

Spotlight on Author Belinda Bauer

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Thriller writer Belinda Bauer is a Fairfield Public Library staff favorite. Here are a few of her books you can find or reserve at the library.

BLACKLANDS

“Blacklands is leading the pack of profound new mysteries. . . . Atmospheric . . . . bewitching . . . . a brilliant analysis of an exceedingly twisted mind.” ~Chicago Tribune

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

DARKSIDE

“Bauer joins such contemporary masters of psychological suspense as Ruth Rendell and Minette Walters with her twisted and tricky second novel . . . The shattering conclusion pulls no punches and will leave many readers stunned, even as they realize how everything fits together.” ~Publishers Weekly

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

FINDERS KEEPERS

“A remarkable achievement . . . The story rushes along on a tide of suspense.” ~Independent (UK)

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

RUBBERNECKER

“Breathtaking. I read this and wished I’d written it.” ~Val McDermid

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

THE BEAUTIFUL DEAD

“This is one exclusive that Eve Singer, an attractive iWitness News crime reporter, doesn’t want, in this taut thriller from British author Bauer . . . Readers will root for Bauer’s spunky heroine on this suspenseful slay ride through a snow-globe London.” ~Publishers Weekly

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

SNAP

“Bauer deftly interweaves a West Country cold-case murder, a teenage master burglar, some ill-assorted coppers and a pregnant wife, knowing exactly when the turn the dial to humor, pathos or something darker. Intelligent entertainment that keeps you guessing.” ~Sunday Times Crime Club (UK)

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

EXIT

“[Exit] not only unearths deception and greed, but also shows readers that kindness and yearning for good sometimes undergird everyday life . . . Readers who enjoy explorations of the underside of human nature are the perfect audience for this one.” ~Booklist

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

Summer Reading is Here!

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This week’s featured author is Paul Doiron, whose Mike Bowditch series is a staff and patron favorite.

THE POACHER’S SON

First in the series, the Down East Editor-in-Chief received great reviews for his debut: “Equally a story of relationships and an outdoor adventure, this evocative thriller is sure to put Doiron on several 2010 must-read lists.” ~Publisher’s Weekly

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

TRESPASSER

“Doiron’s plot is heart-pounding, filled with startling twists and turns. The main characters, some lovable and others despicable, are all multidimensional. And the stylish prose is pitch-perfect, especially in its evocative descriptions of the beauty, and occasionally the ugliness, of coastal Maine in early spring. The story’s slam-bang ending leaves Mike’s life in tatters, and the reader anxious to know what the author has in store for him next.”~Associated Press

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

BAD LITTLE FALLS

“A high-stakes, high-tension yarn in which you keep wishing everything would turn out fine for the deeply flawed, deeply sympathetic hero even though you know it won’t.” ~Kirkus

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

MASSACRE POND

Booklist starred review: “This series follows Bowditch from the start of his warden career, and his evolution creates a constantly fresh perspective, nicely paired with solid procedural details and an outdoors education. Massacre Pond, arguably the best yet, boasts fair-minded exploration of Maine’s conflicting environmental and economic interests and marks a turning point for Bowditch, who questions his fit with a career that constantly requires suppressing his instincts.” ~Booklist

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

THE BONE ORCHARD

“Massacre Pond is a tough act to follow, but Doiron avoids series stagnancy by placing Bowditch outside of the law-enforcement circle he once loved and treating readers to another round of top-notch outdoors-Maine description. Highly recommended for fans of C.J. Box and Craig Johnson.” ~Booklist

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

THE PRECIPICE

“Doiron brings his gift for making the Maine woods live and breathe to a taut whodunit in his stellar sixth novel featuring game warden Mike Bowditch…Multidimensional characters and a high level of suspense help make this a winner.” ~Publisher’s Weekly

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

WIDOWMAKER

“A violent, suspenseful, fast-paced tale written in Doiron’s customary tight, vivid prose, with his keen eye for both idiosyncratic Maine characters and the beauty of the natural landscape.” ~Associated Press

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

KNIFE CREEK

“Doiron maintains a high level of suspense while adding new insights into the character of his complex lead.” ~Publisher’s Weekly

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

STAY HIDDEN

“Doiron captures the stark beauty of his setting without averting his eyes from the sick and starving wildlife, the rancorous feuds among the lobstermen or the homicidal impulses that push islanders off the deep end.” ~New York Times Book Review

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

ALMOST MIDNIGHT

“Almost Midnight twists between two crises like a braid being drawn ever tighter…each storyline reveals deeper truths about Bowditch and what ties him to people and things he loves…Doiron’s storycraft is razor sharp.” ~Maine Sunday Telegram

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

ONE LAST LIE

“Before you read this book, clear your schedule. It’s the kind of story best read in one gulp…[Doiron] keeps getting better.” ~New York Journal of Books

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

DEAD BY DAWN

“Brilliant characterizations and a compelling narrative…this series just keeps getting better.” ~Booklist (starred review).

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

Popular Titles For June

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What your friends and neighbors are reading this month:

THE LAST THING HE TOLD ME by Laura Dave

“Dave pulls off something that feels both new and familiar: a novel of domestic suspense that unnerves, then reassures. This is the antithesis of the way novels like Gone Girl or My Lovely Wife are constructed; in The Last Thing He Told Me, the surface is ugly, the situation disturbing, but almost everyone involved is basically good underneath it all. Dave has given readers what many people crave right now—a thoroughly engrossing yet comforting distraction.”~ BookPage

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

GOLDEN GIRL by Elin Hilderbrand

“This sweeping love story is Hilderbrand’s best ever. . . Her stories are relatable in an aspirational way, but her attention to detail is what makes her characters feel like living, breathing people you want to know. They would never skimp on citronella candles; they would save the least creaky rocking chair for you.”~ Elisabeth Egan, New York Times Book Review

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

MALIBU RISING by Taylor Jenkins Reid

“It’s 1983 in Malibu, and the famous Riva siblings are hosting their annual end-of-summer party—a legendary affair. By morning, the house is in flames, a blaze fueled by smoldering secrets and long-simmering drama. [Taylor Jenkins] Reid has once again crafted a fast-paced, engaging novel that smoothly transports readers between decades and story lines.” ~The Washington Post

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

HOUR OF THE WITCH by Chris Bohjalian

“Bohjalian blends historical fiction with a thrilling courtroom drama. . . A fascinating and immersive read… What makes this novel remarkable and compulsively readable is Bohjalian’s uncanny ability to capture the Puritan perspective… Hour of the Witch is at once brilliantly idiosyncratic while also recognizable. This genre-defying thriller is sure to become a staple of book clubs and a favorite of historical mystery fans.”
~BookPage

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

Settle In With These Digital Thrillers

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Looking for some thrillers to read or listen to while you’re staying home and staying safe? Here are a few suggestions that you can download from Overdrive with your Fairfield Public Library card.

PLEASE SEE US
By Caitlin Mullen

“At last, a “woman in peril” thriller that doesn’t involve a handsome, psychopathic husband or a seemingly sympathetic but ultimately homicidal neighborhood kid. What Mullen’s debut gives readers is a wrenchingly detailed, utterly credible story of women whose peril comes from poverty, either a slow slide or a sudden slip.” ~Booklist

For more information, please click here.

JUST WATCH ME
By Jeff Lindsay

“This terrific series launch from bestseller Lindsay (Darkly Dreaming Dexter) opens with master thief Riley Wolfe, an antihero Dexter fans will relish, using a helicopter to steal a 12-ton statue in broad daylight during its installation ceremony in Chicago.” ~Publisher’s Weekly

For more information, please click here.

DARLING ROSE GOLD
By Stephanie Wrobel

“Propulsive pacing, a claustrophobic setting, and vividly sketched characters who are equal parts victim and villain conspire to create an anxious, unsettling narrative. Psychological suspense fans will be well satisfied.” ~Publisher’s Weekly

For more information, please click here.

THE WHISPER MAN
By Alex North

“North’s first novel explores the life of a father raising his young son after the tragic death of his wife mixed with a town in turmoil owing to kidnappings in the area… The terrifying villain and characters who seem authentic only add to the horror. Lyrical writing also helps make the story truly haunting.” ~Library Journal

For more information, please click here.

THE SUN DOWN MOTEL
By Simone St. James

“In this engrossing supernatural thriller from St. James (The Broken Girls), 20-year-old Carly Kirk sets out from her Illinois hometown determined to find some answers 35 years after her aunt Viv Delaney vanished while working the night shift at a seedy upstate New York motel.” ~Publisher’s Weekly

For more information, please click here.

THE POACHER’S SON
By Paul Doiron

“Doiron’s debut crime novel is set on the coast and in the North Woods of Maine, the home of rookie game warden Mike Bowditch. As tensions rise across the state with the impending sale of huge tracts of paper-company forest land to an out-of-state developer, Mike receives a strange message from his father, left on the same night the paper company rep and a state trooper are shot and killed after a heated town meeting… One hopes this fine novel is the first in a series starring Warden Bowditch, who could quickly become the East Coast version of C. J. Box’s game-warden hero Joe Pickett, who patrols the range in Wyoming.” ~Booklist
*This is the first in a staff favorite series. Sure to please mystery, suspense and thriller lovers.

For more information, please click here.

THOSE PEOPLE
By Louise Candlish

“This fiendishly twisty and suspenseful tale of secrets, lies, jealousy, and intrigue keeps readers guessing until the very end. Fans of Celeste Ng and Leila Slimani will be pleased with this contemporary take on families and violence.” ~Booklist

For more information, please click here.

DECEPTION COVE
By Owen Laukkanen

“Deception Cove, Wash., “a rainy-day kind of place” that’s the atmospheric setting of this superior standalone from Thriller Award finalist Laukkanen…
a crackerjack plot enhances the moving portrayals of the leads’ inner lives. Laukkanen has never been better.” ~ Publisher’s Weekly

For more information, please click here.

“Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny.”
~C.S. Lewis

Cozy Mysteries-Digital Downloads

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Looking for a cozy mystery to read or listen to while you’re staying home and staying safe? Here are a few suggestions that you can download from Overdrive with your Fairfield Public Library card.

MURDER CUTS THE MUSTARD
By Jessica Ellicott

“Witty prose, distinctive characters, and an enchanting setting all make for a winner.” ~ Publisher’s Weekly

For more information, please click here.

A MURDER FOR THE BOOKS
By Victoria Gilbert

“Gilbert’s series kickoff offers an intricate mystery, an interesting look at the past, and a clever and determined heroine.” ~Kirkus

For more information, please click here.

THE CRACKED SPINE
By Paige Shelton

“This spotlessly clean, fun-filled read takes plenty of twists and turns on the way to the satisfying ending.” ~ Publisher’s Weekly

For more information, please click here.

MURDER IN MORNINGSIDE HEIGHTS
By Victoria Thompson

“A fantastic historical with a wonderfully plucky amateur female sleuth.” ~Library Journal

For more information, please click here.

GRACE UNDER PRESSURE
By Julie Hyzy

“Launching the Manor of Murder series with plenty of thrills and laughs, Hyzy creates the well-researched and believable estate of Marshfield Manor, part mansion and part museum.” ~Publisher’s Weekly

For more information, please click here.

“Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise.”
~Les Misérables by Victor Hugo

Check Out These Mystery Series!

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Scottish Bookshop Mystery Series by Paige Shelton

For fans of contemporary or cozy mysteries, this series features Delaney Nichols, an American who has left home for a job in Edinburgh, Scotland at The Cracked Spine. So much more than just a bookshop, the Cracked Spine has a secret room full of antique treasures that her boss, Edwin, has been collecting for years. Murder and intrigue are never very far from Delaney and the mysterious Cracked Spine.
A great cast of characters and a terrific setting make this a mystery series not to be missed.

THE CRACKED SPINE please click here.
OF BOOKS AND BAGPIPES please click here.
LOST BOOKS AND OLD BONES please click here.
THE LOCH NESS PAPERS please click here.

Wrexford & Sloane Mystery Series by Andrea Penrose

For fans of historical mysteries, this series features the Earl of Wrexford, a wealthy lord, and Charlotte Sloane, a political cartoonist who writes under the pseudonym A.J. Quill. Charlotte and Wrexford move in different social circles so each has their own web of informants and spies. This makes them a formidable team when it comes to solving murders. Regency London has never seemed as dark and sinister as in this riveting series.

MURDER ON BLACK SWAN LANE please click here.
MURDER AT HALF MOON GATE please click here.
MURDER AT KENSINGTON PALACE please click here.

International Mysteries

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MURDER IN AN IRISH PUB
By Carlene O’Connor
“Fourth in the series, this is a delightful combination of Irish village life, family dynamics, and romance.” ~Booklist

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

AUNTIE POLDI AND THE VINEYARDS OF ETNA
By Mario Giordano
“…Munich-born Giordano continues the story of the Prosecco-guzzling Auntie Poldi, who has retired to Sicily from Germany only to find mayhem amid the gaudy melon-flowers. Here, a dog’s poisoning and a neighbor’s disrupted water supply presage trouble from the Mafia, and soon there’s a corpse in the vineyard.” ~Library Journal

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

DEVIL’S FJORD
By David Hewson
“As grim as the bleakest of Nordic noir. If you think the solution to the crime will produce a happy ending, just wait till the chilling final pages.” ~Kirkus

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

THE SATAPUR MOONSTONE
By Sujata Massey
“Perveen Mistry is tasked with planning the education of a young crown prince after the sudden deaths of his father and older brother. Unfortunately, she finds the Satapur palace full of icy-cold intrigue.” ~Library Journal

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

Political and International Thrillers

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THE KILLER COLLECTIVE
By Barry Eisler
“In this crackling-good thriller from bestseller Eisler, Seattle PD sex crimes detective Livia Lone, assassin John Rain, and former Marine sniper Dox form a testy alliance to combat a vile conspiracy involving corrupt and toxic government agencies.” ~PW

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

THE KREMLIN CONSPIRACY
By Joel Rosenberg
“The nonstop action will keep readers turning the pages. Rosenberg is known for basing his novels on tomorrow’s news, and readers will likely recognize some fictionalized characters inspired by public figures.” ~LJ

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

KEEP YOU CLOSE
By Karen Cleveland
“This fast-paced tale makes a great recommendation for fans of high-stakes poltical thrillers. Cleveland is a former CIA analyst whose debut novel, Need to Know (2018), was a New York Times best-seller, with rights sold to Universal Pictures for Charlize Theron.” ~Booklist

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

THEIR LITTLE SECRET
By Mark Billingham
“This is a fantastic thriller, combining a gripping plot and lead characters of remarkable depth. Billingham is a multiple-award winner, and his books have sold more than six million copies. Readers who grab this one but aren’t familiar with its predecessors will be seeking them out. A series to savor.” ~Booklist

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

FINDING KATARINA M.
By Elisabeth Elo
“Fascinating historical details encompass uranium mining, the gulags, and cultural life in the Soviet era. Natalie’s tense and illuminating journey will enthrall readers.” ~PW

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

Psychological Thrillers and the Adult Summer Reading Code!

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The Adult Summer Reading Code is: Penny
For more information about our Summer Reading Programs for all ages, please click here.

MY LOVELY WIFE
By Samantha Downing
“Happily married to the love of your life but, yeah, after 15 years getting a little bored? Here’s a solution from the couple at the heart of Downing’s debut: getting away with murder.” ~Library Journal
A Staff Favorite!

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

GONE TOO LONG
By Lori Roy
“Seven years after ten-year-old Beth vanishes from her Georgia home, Imogene Coulter is burying the Klan leader father she has tried to deny. On the day of the funeral, she finds a child locked in the basement of his hideout, a discovery that links her to the long-gone Beth.” ~Library Journal
Another Staff Favorite!

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

BEFORE SHE KNEW HIM
By Peter Swanson
“Her bipolar disorder under control, illustrator Henrietta and her husband enjoy a new house outside Boston with a nice little studio for her out back. But she’s a bit obsessed with unsolved crimes, and she can’t help but notice that a sports trophy perched on a shelf at the neighbors’ house looks just like one that vanished from the home of a young man killed two years earlier…” ~Library Journal

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

IF SHE WAKES
By Michael Koryta
“Slowly emerging from the coma she’s been in since a black cargo van rammed the car she was using to transport a visiting professor, killing him, Maine college senior Tara Beckley is targeted by a ruthless young hit man.” ~Kirkus

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

The Right Book at the Right Time

Fairfield Public Library Reader’s Advisory – Recommendations, Reviews and More

Category Archives: Mysteries & Thrillers

Spotlight on Author Stuart Neville

Spotlight on Author Belinda Bauer

Summer Reading is Here!

Popular Titles For June

Settle In With These Digital Thrillers

Looking for some thrillers to read or listen to while you’re staying home and staying safe? Here are a few suggestions that you can download from Overdrive with your Fairfield Public Library card.

Cozy Mysteries-Digital Downloads

Looking for a cozy mystery to read or listen to while you’re staying home and staying safe? Here are a few suggestions that you can download from Overdrive with your Fairfield Public Library card.

Check Out These Mystery Series!

International Mysteries

Political and International Thrillers

Psychological Thrillers and the Adult Summer Reading Code!