PENINSULA PAGES

By Patrice Riordan McCannby McCann

Can you believe we are in the back end of July already? Summer is flying by! Hopefully, you are staying cool. Here are a few mysteries for you to read with a frosty beverage as you sit by the pool or the beach!

“Listen For The Lie” by Amy Tintera

This Young Adult author released this novel, her first adult work, in March and it’s gotten lots of buzz. Lucy is from a small town in Texas, and after her best friend Savvy is murdered and Lucy is discovered covered in blood, the court of public opinion deems her guilty. Lucy can’t remember a thing, but her parents and her husband seem to think she’s guilty. Lucy leaves Texas vowing to never return. Five years later, her spunky grandmother wants a birthday party, and she wants Lucy there. Who cares about the very handsome true crime podcaster interviewing everyone in town? Ben is determined to solve this mystery, and he wants to expose the murderer. I am so over Gone Girl-esque psychological thrillers, and I was not looking forward to this one. However, the wry sense of humor of our possible murderer and narrator had pulled me in from the get-go. I raced through this fast-paced novel, and I predict this is going to be a big hit! Thumbs up!

“The River We Remember” by William Kent Krueger

What a novel! I could not put this one down. In Minnesota, in 1958, Jimmy Quinn is found dead in the Alabaster River. He was the wealthiest man in town; he also had no shortage of those who wished him dead. Sheriff Brody Dern is tasked with figuring out how Quinn ended up in the river. Suicide? Murder? Does anyone care? People in this small town are nursing old wounds. World War II is still very much on people’s minds. Local Sioux resident Noah came home from his military service with a Japanese wife, and there are some who didn’t take too kindly to that. Grudges abound in Alabaster. Many assume that the angry Sioux Noah did it over a decades-old land squabble. The town simmers with distrust and anger as we get to know so many terrific characters. William Kent Krueger is one of the best authors of our day. His books are filled with emotion, empathy and lyrical writing. This one did not disappoint! Five stars!

“Granite Harbor” by Peter Nichols

This mystery kept me flipping the pages into the wee hours of the morning. It places us in Maine where a local teen turns up gruesomely murdered. Thwarted novelist Alex is the town’s only detective, and he is pretty new to the job. The victim also happens to be friends with Alex’s daughter. Alex is not making much headway when a second body turns up in the same location. This atmospheric novel really highlights small town living with great character development. This was a great read which I could not put down! Highly recommend!