Category: Genre

A Meditation of Murder – Susan Jubey

Helen is an extremely efficient butler to a super-rich couple in Vancouver. Her calm demeanor is enhanced because she is a practising Buddhist. Helen is “loaned” to help a young woman, an internet influencer, get her life in order. Helen is reluctantly exposed to the toxic work of social media, and then there are murders. Helen’s ability to be a calm observer is tested by people without sound judgement. And finally, the setting is contemporaryy Vancouver and a ranch in BC’s interior. Often hilarious because of contrasting lifestyles, this is a pleasant read.

In The Upper Country – Kai Thomas

The context in this important story is key. It is 1859 in a Candian town, a terminus of the underground railway. A recently arrived Black woman shoots dead an American slave hunter, and surrenders to be imprisoned for murder. A young journalist want to collect the testimony of the old accused woman but what evolves is a remarkable barter, a story exchange. What is revealed is a tapestry of interwoven stories, including relationships between blacks and indigenous peoples. This is a seriously fine book.

Red Queen – Juan Gomez-Jurado

A mystery-thriller set in Madrid features an odd investigative couple: a disgraced police detective and a brilliant female forensic analyst with an uncanny ability to reconstruct crimes. A secretive organization directs their investigation into a ritualistic murder and a kidnapping. This is a very entertaining story with many plot twists, and happily, this investigative team will return in a second book. Thanks Renee, for this recommendation.

The Mystery Guest – Nita Prose

In the four years since the events outlined brilliantly in the best-selling The Maid, Molly has been promoted to Head Maid at the Regency Grand Hotel. Her dedication to superior cleanliness and etiquette has to be balanced with her atypical abilities, with both observed and hidden behavioural quirks. What will happen when a renowned author is murdered in the hotel? Will secrets be revealed? What is unique about this new novel is that a major element is Molly’s backstory when she was 10-years-old and living with her Gran. This mystery is a delight to read.

Roaming – Jillian and Mariko Tamaki

The Tamaki cousins have created a brilliant graphic novel about 5 days in New York city in 2009, experienced by three 19-year-old Canadian women. Initial euphoria is tempered by reality as friendships are tested. Overall, an immersive slice-of-life, in part a love letter to a great city. This book was a chance discovery at the October Word Fest, a true find.

Superfan – How Pop Culture Broke My Heart – Jen Sookfong Lee

A non-linear memoir of Ms. Lee’s search for a Chinese-Canadian identity, where pop culture (Anne of Green Gables, Bob Ross, etc.) is used as an escape from her fractious family life and as a means of fitting in. She has provided a candid account of her struggles and failures; her insights are tender, often hilarious and always profound.

Starling House – Alix E. Harrow

This is an excellent modern gothic fantasy. There is a spooky mansion that may be sentient. Can dreams and nightmares create monsters? What constitutes bad luck? Opal is a 26-year-old survivor who is fighting to create better future opportunities for her younger brother. And finally, the Kentucky setting provides a sinister background to a tale of worlds within worlds. Highly recommended.

The Spoon Stealer – Lesley Crewe

Be advised: this is an emotional tear-jerker so have tissues nearby, especially for the end of the story. The book is presented in two parts. In 1968, 74-year-old Emmaline reads her poignant life story to a group of English women as part of a memoir-writing class. In the second half, Emmaline returns to Nova Scotia to confront her fractured family. Her personality is a fascinating blend of brassiness and abrasiveness, but also generosity. The core of the story, however, is friendship between women.