Rapid Readers' Advisory: Murders, Mysteries & Whodunnits

A provocative exploration of the murky borderland between sanity and madness, justice and tradition, and autonomy and fate. In a remote Polish village, Janina devotes the dark winter days to studying astrology, translating the poetry of William Blake, and taking care of the summer homes of wealthy Warsaw residents. Her reputation as a crank and a recluse is amplified by her not-so-secret preference for the company of animals over humans. Then a neighbor, Big Foot, turns up dead. Soon other bodies are discovered, in increasingly strange circumstances. As suspicions mount, Janina inserts herself into the investigation, certain that she knows whodunit. If only anyone would pay her mind... (Winner of the Noble Prize in Literature) #Murder #Eccentrics

When seventeen-year-old Jay Reguero learns his Filipino cousin and former best friend, Jun, was murdered as part of President Duterte's war on drugs, he flies to the Philippines to learn more. #Murder #Cousins #Family #DrugTrafficking #Phillippines #eBook

"1873. At an abandoned château on the outskirts of Paris, a dark séance is about to take place, led by acclaimed spiritualist Vaudeline D'Allaire. Known worldwide for her talent in conjuring the spirits of murder victims to ascertain the identities of the people who killed them, she is highly sought after by widows and investigators alike. Lenna Wickes has come to Paris to find answers about her sister's death, but to do so, she must embrace the unknown and overcome her own logic-driven bias against the occult. When Vaudeline is beckoned to England to solve a high-profile murder, Lenna accompanies her as an understudy. But as the women team up with the powerful men of London's exclusive Séance Society to solve the mystery, they begin to suspect that they are not merely out to solve a crime, but perhaps entangled in one themselves..." #Murder #Investigation #Paranormal #Occult

"The Witch is dead. And the discovery of her corpse--by a group of children playing near the irrigation canals--propels the whole village into an investigation of how and why this murder occurred. Rumors and suspicions spread. As the novel unfolds in a dazzling linguistic torrent, with each unreliable narrator lingering details, new acts of depravity or brutality, Melchor extracts some tiny shred of humanity from these characters that most would write off as utterly irredeemable, forming a lasting portrait of a damned Mexican village." #Violent #Grisly #Dark #Psychological #Murder

Conan Doyle first published his fictional character of Holmes in 1887 followed by a series of short stories in the Strand Magazine in 1891. The public could not get enough of Holmes and his popularity still continues. This ebook contains 12 adventures. #Murder #Mystery #CrimeInvestigation #Detective #eBook #Compilation #ShortStories

"Eden, Kentucky, a town unremarkable for a surprising amount of unexplained bad luck and natural disasters and the only known sightings of E. Starling, a nineteenth-century author whose only published book was considered almost as shocking as the author's mysterious disappearance. But Starling left behind one other thing: the imposing house that bears her name. Opal can't resist a chance to see inside. So when an opportunity arises, she jumps at it. But sinister forces are digging into the secrets of Starling House. As Eden itself seems to be drowning in its own ghosts, Opal realizes that she might have found a reason to stick around. And now she'll have to fight." #YoungWomen #HauntedHouses #MissingPersons #WorkingPoor #Siblings

"A searing satire set amid the mayhem of the Sri Lankan civil war. Colombo, 1990. Maali Almeida--war photographer, gambler, and closet queen--has woken up dead in what seems like a celestial visa office. His dismembered body is sinking in the serene Beira Lake and he has no idea who killed him. In a country where scores are settled by death squads, suicide bombers, and hired goons, the list of suspects is depressingly long, as the ghouls and ghosts with grudges who cluster round can attest. But even in the afterlife, time is running out for Maali. He has seven moons to contact the man and woman he loves most and lead them to the photos that will rock Sri Lanka." #Mystery #Murder #LGBT #Ghost

Containing one of the best known and best loved detective novels of all time - The Murders in the Rue Morgue - this entertaining collection of Poe's work shows why he was considered a master of mystery. Also included in the book is The Mystery of Marie Rogêt, which was a sequel to the thrilling Murders in the Rue Morgue, as well as three other tales of detection and adventure, including 'Thou Art the Man!', 'The Purloined Letter' and 'The Unparelleled Adventure of One Hans Pfaall'. Such was the influence of these works that the Mystery Writers of America named their awards after Poe and called them the Edgars. #Compilation #Detective #Mysteries #eBook

"When Cora Lansquenet is savagely murdered with a hatchet, the extraordinary remark she made the previous day at her brother Richard's funeral suddenly takes on a chilling significance. At the reading of Richard's will, Cora was clearly heard to say, 'It's been hushed up very nicely, hasn't it ... But he was murdered, wasn't he?' In desperation, the family solicitor turns to Hercule Poirot to unravel the mystery." #20thCentury #English #Murder #Mystery #MurderInvestigation #Detective

Under cover of darkness, Kate flees London for ramshackle Weyward Cottage, inherited from a great aunt she barely remembers. With its tumbling ivy and overgrown garden, the cottage is worlds away from the abusive partner who tormented Kate. But she begins to suspect that her great aunt had a secret. One that lurks in the bones of the cottage, hidden ever since the witch-hunts of the 17th century. 1619: Altha is awaiting trial for the murder of a local farmer who was stampeded to death by his herd. As a girl, Altha's mother taught her their magic, a kind not rooted in spell casting but in a deep knowledge of the natural world. But unusual women have always been deemed dangerous, and as the evidence for witchcraft is set out against Altha, she knows it will take all of her powers to maintain her freedom. 1942: As World War II rages, Violet is trapped in her family's grand, crumbling estate. Straitjacketed by societal convention, she longs for the robust education her brother receives--and for her mother, long deceased, who was rumored to have gone mad before her death. The only traces Violet has of her are a locket bearing the initial W and the word weyward scratched into the baseboard of her bedroom." #Women #Mystery #Magic #Witchcraft

Agatha Christie was a British author of crime fiction. Christie's career spanned over 50 years and featured over 60 novels. Christie's book The Mysterious Affairs at Styles, was the first to feature the legendary character Hercule Poirot. This collection includes multiple novels. #Mysteries #DetectiveStories #eBook

A dreamy reimagining of The Island of Doctor Moreau set against the backdrop of nineteenth-century Mexico. Carlota Moreau: A young woman growing up on a distant and luxuriant estate, safe from the conflict and strife of the Yucatán peninsula. The only daughter of a researcher who is either a genius or a madman. Montgomery Laughton: A melancholic overseer with a tragic past and a propensity for alcohol. An outcast who assists Dr. Moreau with his experiments, which are financed by the Lizaldes, owners of magnificent haciendas and plentiful coffers. The hybrids: The fruits of the doctor's labor, destined to blindly obey their creator and remain in the shadows. A motley group of part human, part animal monstrosities. All of them live in a perfectly balanced and static world, which is jolted by the abrupt arrival of Eduardo Lizalde, the charming and careless son of Dr. Moreau's patron, who will unwittingly begin a dangerous chain reaction. For Moreau keeps secrets, Carlota has questions, and, in the sweltering heat of the jungle, passions may ignite. #AnimalExperimentation #FathersandDaughters #FamilySecrets #Mexico #Mexican #Scientists