Every month, we’re profiling new-ish releases that are getting critical and commercial buzz. For July, we’re looking at a puzzle-style mystery about books and codes, a gothic mystery set in the Victorian era, a contemporary Canadian literary horror novel, a nonfiction story about an infamous environmental disaster in the 1970s, a guide to composting, and audiobooks about romances.
If you love mysteries:
Janice Hallett’s The Twyford Code (2023)*
In this Agatha Christie-esque tale, a newly released prisoner named Smithy tries to unravel a mystery that’s haunted him for 40 years–the disappearance of his childhood teacher. She went missing after telling him about a code in the books of a children’s author named Edith Twyford. He’s increasingly convinced she was right and is determined to crack the code . . . and the case.
*Ebook and audiobook also available on Libby.
Recommended for fans of Anthony Horowitz, Ruth Ware, and Agatha Christie.
If you prefer gothic mysteries with a Christian romance twist:
Joanna Davidson Politano’s The Lost Melody (2022)
Vivienne, a concert pianist, is startled upon her father’s death to learn he had an adult ward whose care she has inherited. However, the mystery woman is in an asylum, and when Vivienne reaches out, she’s told there’s never been a patient with that name. Vivienne finds herself going undercover at the asylum in the Victorian-era book to find out what’s happened, a quest that makes her begin to doubt her own sanity.
Recommended for Christian historical fiction readers who like stories with a darker, scarier turn.
If you enjoy thoughtful literary horror:
Jessica Johns’s Bad Cree (2023)**
Mackenzie has moved to Vancouver to put her past behind her. Haunted by her sister’s death, she’s also left her Cree family behind in rural Alberta, but moving to the city hasn’t helped with the grieving process. If anything, things are worse as she’s plagued with horrific nightmares that seem to start intruding into her daily life as well. She feels compelled to return home to confront whatever it is that’s haunting her, but will she put her family in danger in the process?
**Ebook and audiobook also available on Libby.
Recommended for those who enjoyed Stephen Graham Jones’s The Only Good Indians.
If you want nonfiction:
Keith O’Brien Paradise Falls: The True Story of an Environmental Catastrophe (2022)*
In 1977, mothers in a community east of Niagara Falls became concerned about a pervasive chemical odor that seemed to permeate their otherwise picturesque neighborhood. They soon learned their neighborhood had been built upon tons of toxic waste that was now seeping to the surface. This book chronicles the mothers’ fight to have their concerns addressed and taken seriously. Our adult book club read Paradise Falls several months ago. If you’re interested in joining the book club, let us know–they read a pretty eclectic mix of books. This month, they’re reading a Shirley Jackson book. Previous reads have also included Pachinko and The Gentleman of Moscow.
*Ebook also available on Libby.
Recommended for those who enjoy the work of Kate Moore and Brian Alexander.
Robert Pavlis’s Compost Science for Gardeners: Simple Methods for Nutrient-Rich Soil (2023)
Garden season is well into full swing here in the Ozarks, but if you’re interested in learning more about how composting can improve your soil (and your garden), this book is the perfect resource. The author is a master gardener who breaks down in a clear and easy-to-follow way the science and logistics of composting, as well as the various methods of composting and how to choose the right one for you.
Recommended for anyone interested in learning more about composting.
If you like audiobooks (and romances):
Emily Henry’s Happy Place (2023)***
Harriet and Wyn are that couple who’s always seemed perfect for each other. Together for years, it’s unfathomable to their friends that they would ever not be together. So, when they do actually split, they keep it to themselves. And when the friend group’s annual summer vacation to Maine comes around, they decide to pretend to still be a couple to avoid ruining things since it looks like the rental property they always use won’t be available again. What could possibly go wrong?
***Ebook and audiobook also available on Libby. Physical book also available in library.
Recommended for those who enjoy the work of Abby Jimenez and Tessa Bailey.
Angelina M. Lopez’s After Hours on Milagro Street (2022)****
Alejandra “Alex” Torres hates Professor Jeremiah Post. She has big plans for renovating her family’s bar, but he’s a tenant in an upstairs room. Her Mexican-American family adores him, but she sees him as an obstacle to expanding the business into the profitable entity she knows it can be. That is, until something else threatens the bar’s future and makes them both join forces and start to wonder if they can be more than not-friends. First in a series.
****Ebook and audiobook also available on Libby.
Recommended for those who enjoy the work of Alexis Daria and Akwaeke Emezi.
What’s your favorite new-ish books? What books are you buzzing about these days? Have you read any of these books? Tell us in the comments! As always, please follow this link to our online library catalog for more information on any of these items or to place them on hold.
Berryville Book Buzz 