Ursina's Shelf - Mystery repeating
Issue 52
Dear readers,
This month is all about mysteries for me. Several of my favorite detectives will be back in action. First up, Cormoran Strike and Robin Ellacott, who already featured in issue 3 Mystery Edition. They will be followed by Sabine Nemez and Maarten S. Sneijder later this month and Charlotte Ritter and Gereon Rath of the Great Pairings issue. Today I will share three more crime books, where not only the mystery, but also the protagonists are fascinating. And if you are thinking, didn't she just write about mysteries, you are correct! In issue 47, I introduced three European crime authors (and in Berlin for Book Lovers I featured a crime-only book store!)
Three mysteries
Long Bright River by Liz Moore (2020)
Description: In this story, a young cop discovers the first victim in a series of killings of sex workers in a Philadelphia neighborhood marred by the opioid crisis. Even more suspenseful than the murders is the cop's search for her missing sister. The chapters jump back and forth between the present and the sisters' childhood.
My take: Of course, I love Philadelphia and I love a mystery, but what drew me in was the considerably crafted story of the family where one sister becomes a cop, while the other is plagued by addiction. The close-up view of addiction and drugs and the lives of those surrounded by and struggling with these was heart-wrenching but also portrayed in a way that was both eye-opening and considerate. (Link to buy.)
Bonus tip: Barack Obama liked this book too.
Maarten S. Sneijder and Sabine Nemez series by Andreas Gruber (7 books to date in German)
Description: Maarten S. Sneijder is known as the best profiler in Germany and a complete a**hole. Together with his protégé Sabine Nemez, he solves gruesome mysteries all over Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and beyond. Serial killers beware!
My take: These are traditional Nordic noir style novels with one serial killer's obsession worse than the next. They are absolute page-turners, and you are quickly invested in the main characters and their lives. The murders often touch on cultural or societal problems. Don't get too invested in any character, there will be casualties.
Bonus fact: The newest book comes out on September 19th.
Rabbi Klein books by Alfred Bodenheimer (5 books to date in German)
Description: These novellas center around serious crimes. But as our Zurich-based Rabbi sets out to solve them, he is also handling the members of his community and minor family dramas with his wife and two daughters, preparing upcoming services ad holding scripture studies and and office hours.
My take: Neither Nordic noir nor beach read mystery, the Rabbi Klein books are short, suspenseful mysteries, interspersed with wonderful Zurich scenery and philosophical musings about life with a loveable—though at times clumsy—main character.
Currently reading: Carrie Sotto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid (buy here).
Mystery month is still on and, who am I kidding, this might well turn into a whole mystery fall... Send me your criminally good recommendations and have a wonderful weekend.