Nine of my favorite go-to authors who might not be on your radar
In addition to sending you the Japanagram every month, I also write mystery novels, and because I’ve been wondering how to help readers discover my new book that’s coming out in April, I’ve been thinking about what a delight it is when I discover a new favorite author. I don’t know about you, but when I find an author I like, I don’t dread getting to the end of the book because I know there are more great reads where that came from!
In this month’s Japanagram Book Review & Giveaway, I’m going to take a rare break from Japan-centric books and give away the opportunity to discover a new favorite mystery author!
These are series that aren’t all over BookTok, but they are well-written reads with appealing characters, and always deliver a clever puzzle with a satisfying conclusion.
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This month, one lucky subscriber will get their pick!
If it’s your email that pops out of the hat, you can choose any one of these authors’ books—ebook or paperback—and I’ll send it to you. Clicking on the book photo will take you to the Amazon list of all the author’s works, so dive in and choose your favorite (doesn’t have to be the one in the picture) in case you get lucky.
All Japanagram subscribers as of Feb 28 will be entered to win, so check the March Japanagram to see if you’ve won.
And if you know someone who’d like a chance to win the mystery book of their dreams, send them this link and tell them to subscribe to Japanagram before Feb 28th!
Without further ado, here are the series I hope you’ll be delighted to discover. Click on the book cover to see all the books in the series:
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The Samuel Craddock mysteries
by Terry Shames
Setting: Jarrett Creek, Texas, USA
Main character: Sherriff Samuel Craddock, whose investigation of crimes is always smart and fair, and is both helped and hindered by the close-knit ties in his small-town community.
These are a great comfort read when you need to be reassured that there are still good people in the world who care about fairness and doing things by the book.
Something I especially love about this series: The characters have their foibles and are endearingly imperfect, but most of them are decent people who we’d love to have as neighbors.
First in series: A Killing at Cotton Hill
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The Polizei Bern mysteries with Linder & Donatelli
by Kim Hays
Setting: Bern, Switzerland
Main characters: Giuliana Linder is a senior Swiss investigator and Renzo Donatelli is a Swiss-Italian junior detective. Both of them have families and children—a rarity in the world of crime fiction sleuths—and how they handle their personal and professional chemistry makes for excellent crime solving and the occasional temptation to jeopardize their other relationships.
These are a great comfort read when you’re craving an intriguing puzzle, set in a place you’d like to know more about, investigated by detectives who struggle with the same temptations and loyalties as we do in real life.
Something I especially love about this series: The city of Bern, with its deep culture and customs, adds delightful depth to these well-written police procedurals. I always enjoy learning the differences between justice systems around the world, and this series is especially good at demonstrating what’s the same and what’s different by a riveting storyline that keeps me turning the pages to the very end.
First in series: Pesticide
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The Spice Shop mysteries
by Leslie Budewicz
Setting: Seattle, USA
Main character: Pepper Reece, owner of The Spice Shop in Seattle’s Pike Place Market
These are a great comfort read when you’re looking for a cozy mystery that mixes tart with the sweet, and features good food, good friends, and Arf, the faithful terrier.
Something I especially love about this series: Written by a lawyer, the legal bits and police investigation tactics are spot on, and as the characters juggle everyday challenges along with murder, the warmth of their friendships balances out many a cold-blooded crime.
First in series: Assault and Pepper
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The Hiro Hattori mysteries
by Susan Spann
Setting: 16th Century Japan
Main characters: Hiro Hattori, a samurai warrior trained as a ninja assassin, and Father Mateo, a Portuguese priest, who is one of the handful of foreigners in Japan.
These are a great comfort read when you need to be transported far, far, from the here and now
Something I especially love about this series: The skills of this Portuguese priest and the Japanese warrior assigned to be his bodyguard complement each other perfectly as they pursue the truth in feudal Japan. I love how much Japanese history and how many details of 16th Century life I accidentally learn every time I read one of these, while flipping the pages faster and faster to find out whodunnit!
First in series: Claws of the Cat
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The Life We Bury and other mysteries
by Allen Eskens
Setting: Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Main character of this trilogy: Joe Talbert, a student at the University of Minnesota, whose class project turns into an investigation into whether the subject of his paper is a hero or a villain.
These are a great read because Allen Eskens writes trilogies with a cast of characters who make minor appearances in his other books, but each three-book arc focuses on one of them. It’s easy to care about the complex characters as they pursue the truth, and the plots are unusual and nuanced.
Something I especially love about this author’s books: They always reach a satisfying conclusion after navigating the human frailties of investigator and victim alike, and because they’re written by a criminal defense attorney, the legal and police work is trustworthy and accurate.
First novel: The Life We Bury
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The Hugo Marston series
by Mark Pryor
Setting: Paris, France
Main character: Hugo Marston, head of security at the US Embassy
These are a great read when you want a fast-paced crime novel set in a fabulous city featuring an investigator who is equal parts crack tactical crimestopper and sympathetic human being
Something I especially love about this series: Pursuing the evildoers takes Hugo all over Paris, into little-known but fascinating corners of the city, and always grants a peek into the lives of the victims, who come from all walks of Parisian life. Through the eyes of an ex-pat who must investigate far from his home turf, they’re an eye-opening view of what it’s like to be utterly at home in a place that also sometimes treats you like a stranger in a strange land.
First in series: The Bookseller
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New Sherlock Holmes mysteries featuring famous figures
by Timothy Miller
Setting: Victorian London, England
Main character of this trilogy: Sherlock Holmes
These are a great read because Timothy Miller gets the Conan Doyle tone and plot pace pitch-perfect while pointing the famous detective at mysteries surrounding historical or literary figures
Something I especially love about this author’s books: The writing is snappy and witty, and his Holmes hits zero wrong notes while pursuing the truth behind Eliza Doolittle’s miraculous transformation, the death of Van Gogh, and the curse of King Tut.
First novel: The Strange Case of Eliza Doolittle
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The James & Kincaid mysteries
by Deborah Crombie
Setting: London, England
Main characters: Scotland Yard Sergeant Gemma James and Detective Superintendent Duncan Kincaid
These are a great comfort read when you need a page-turning murder mystery where the detectives’ private lives and relationship with each other permeate their jobs, and they have to juggle their responsibilities on all fronts, just like real people.
Something I especially love about this series: All the characters in this series have personal quirks and endearing traits that make them easy and interesting to spend time with. As James and Kincaid’s relationship changes throughout the series, the characters grow and deepen as well.
First in series: A Share in Death
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The Rev. Merrily Watkins mysteries
by Phil Rickman
Setting: Ledwardine, England
Main character: Rev. Merrily Watkins, the Church of England’s first female exorcist
These are a great comfort read when you need a mystery set in a cozy English village with characters whose sense of humor and endearing human frailties never grow old
Something I especially love about this series: Even though Merrily is a priest, she has a wicked sense of humor, and her faith is always being tested by human shortcomings and brushes with the paranormal. Every character in this series is memorable and believable—despite their eccentricities—and her ongoing tug of war with her tart-tongued and doubting teenage daughter is one of my favorite relationships in all of literature.
First in series: The Wine of Angels
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You can any of these right now (click on the book covers or links) or check out the March Japanagram to see if you won a copy. All subscribers are automatically entered to win—if you’re not yet a member of this lucky group, click this button to subscribe, and be automatically signed up to enter.
How I pick the book giveaway winners: At the end of March, I will load all the email addresses of current Japanagram subscribers into an online random name picker and ask it to choose one lucky subscriber to get the book from this month’s review. I’ll publish the winner’s email in the next Japanagram (obscured in a way so only the subscriber will be able to recognize it as their own, of course) so check your March Japanagram to see if you won!
If you’d like to be automatically entered to win the book or Japan swag giveaway, subscribe!
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Jonelle Patrick writes novels set in Japan, and blogs at Only In Japan and The Tokyo Guide I Wish I’d Had
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