It is not an uncommon cozy theme for a young woman to inherit an unusual bookstore from a nearly unknown relative. And of course, a mystery must ensue with an equally unusual bookstore-connected assistant in sleuthing, like a ghost of a sort. Zoey finds in inheriting her uncle’s Lonely Gnome Bookshop in scenic Loon Bay, Vancouver Island, that the somewhat-scruffy gnome statue that graces the shop comes alive after dark. 450 years ago, in the Black Forest, Ludwig fell afoul of a witch and, thought already a gnome, was cursed to this half-day existence. In the charming greenhouse at the back of the property, Ludwig works his magic on all and sundry plants to earn extra income. Zoey’s Aunt Barb, a realtor, wants only to sell the store, demolish it, and build condos, but can’t because of its landmark status. She does, however, want to paint, refurbish, and sell(!) the gnome. There are civic senior citizen groups to get caught up in, to say nothing of the shambles of Zoey’s life left back in New York looming over her. Readers will also get hints of a really, really rare book amid the chaos, gnome assisted match-making, and lobster-costumed tap dancers on parade that make this extra interesting. As Zoey decides to stay in Loon Bay, there are more gnome adventures to come!—Danise Hoover
Brilliant though he is, Charles Labelye despairs that his years-long toil, the construction of the second bridge over London’s Thames, will ever be finished. Cracks and falling masonry have bedeviled Westminster bridge and public rumors abound that it is cursed. That seems true when a girl’s body is found in an alcove on the bridge, her forehead split. The crime could be swept away—just another street urchin who met an anonymous, grisly end—but it comes to the attention of a poor yet genteel young woman, Sarah Fielding, novelist and sister of the more-famous Henry. At the same time, her walks around London with her shameful umbrella—it shows that one cannot afford transportation when it rains—lead her to another desperately poor child. Soivitur ambulando, “it is solved by walking,” is Sarah’s motto, but in this case, running is the key, as the child is being pursued for murder. Finding out who is behind the crimes drops Sarah and readers into a dangerous, stinking, chaotic nineteenth century London and a fast moving mystery with a whip-smart and kind protagonist striding toward justice. For all who love historical fiction underpinned by thorough research and for fans of Tracey Enerson Wood’s The Engineer’s Wife, which stars Emily Warren Roebling, who oversaw construction of the Brooklyn Bridge after her husband became ill from working in the caissons invented by Charles Labelye.—Henrietta Thornton
Detective Chief Inspector Conny Sjöberg and the Hammarby police squad have been pushed to the limit before, but the case before them could be the breaking point. What is the connection among an abused naked woman, a dead infant, and what appears to be a murder in a quiet suburb of Stockholm? Working amid a disturbing secret that involves influential men in the community, Sjöberg must find out why the young woman, Veronica, ran to the home of John Gideon, a local piano tuner, after she was assaulted—but Gideon’s not answering the door. Neighbors tell the police there are always young women coming and going from Gideon’s home, raising suspicions and theories. Gerhardsen expertly weaves into the story the complicated personal traumas of the squad’s members, adding layers to this Scandi-noir psychological thriller. Gideon’s Ring combines the best of police procedural with taut suspense, keeping readers rooted in the emotional aspects of these crimes as the Hammarby police tighten the noose on the bad guys—and they are really bad. Though fifth in the Hammarby Mysteries series, this title reads as a stand-alone, but readers may find themselves wanting to go back to where it all began with Gerhardsen’s 2012 (translated from Swedish) The Gingerbread House.—Dodie Ownes
Book of the Week October 15, 2026
After the traumatic events of The Wonder Test, FBI agent Lina Connerly and her teenage son move from California to Paris, where she is posted to the American Embassy as a liaison between U.S. and French counterintelligence agencies. Mother and son are also dealing with their lingering grief over the death of Lina’s husband in a car accident two years ago. Still, the Paris they find is not a romantic refuge but a gritty and dirty metropolis (“you can almost smell the French Revolution”). The French present Lina with a 20-year-old unsolved case—the Train Fantôme—involving the bloody deaths of nine passengers in a single metro car. Could it be connected to a mysterious device found in a tunnel wall, which might be linked to a secret weapons program in Eastern Europe? Covertly, Lina is also tracking an Edward Snowden-like American intelligence agent who leaked classified documents, fled to Russia, and is now rumored to be hiding in France. Her need to find him becomes urgent when her sources start turning up dead. Richmond skillfully weaves two complex espionage plots into a touching family drama about rebuilding a life after a tragedy. Fascinating spycraft details are mixed with amusing observations about expatriate life and Franco-American cultural differences. Fans of Chris Pavone’s The Expats will enjoy this.—Willy Williams
Small towns like Geneva Bay, Wisconsin shouldn’t be the source of so much murder and mayhem, but alas, this town is seeing more than its share. Delilah, our intrepid and creative chef and restauranteur, is stuck catering a posh wellness retreat. The fascinating and compelling guru leading the retreat seems to have everyone but Delilah following her mindlessly, but there is a personal connection to consider. The new love interest of Sonya, Delilah’s partner and sous chef, is working for the guru, so Delilah takes on the job. As usual, chaos and murder ensue, and it is up to her to help police detective/boyfriend put the pieces together. Old boyfriend and landlord, Sam, is also on the scene to complicate everything. Clues along with really tasty-sounding menus abound. With fun characters, and recipes at the end, this is sure to please.—Danise Hoover
Emerald Lodge was bought by Jane Weber’s grandparents and she’s summered at the lake house all her life. Now she’s in her 80s, enjoying the relative peace with grandchildren underfoot, when one of them brings home what is clearly a human bone. Found on the lakeshore, it dredges up a past Jane thought she’d gotten away with. It also brings readers back to Jane’s early years at Emerald Lake, when her genteel-sleaze stepfather took advantage of powerless locals to enrich himself while they fell further into poverty. As chapters alternate perspectives between Jane and Officer Mundy, the steely woman who sees through Jane’s forgetful-old-lady facade, readers are taken on a tour of the gentrifying past meeting the present while generational secrets slowly unfurl. Prose has taken quite a detour here from her Maid books, but the same steely eye for character and spot-on inner voices remain. One for fans of Jodi Picoult and Barbara Kingsolver.—Henrietta Thornton
Book of the Week October 1, 2026
A man is found dead in his home, his body devoured by some kind of animal. Bank surveillance footage from nearby captures what looks unmistakably like a zombie, a detail that, if real, matches the wounds on the victim. FBI Agent Ella Penrose heads the Paranormal Crimes Unit and handles cases that defy science and logic, and this one lands squarely on her desk. The strangeness only deepens as extinct beetles turn up, a severed arm surfaces belonging to a second victim, and another attack follows, leaving Ella and her partner, Holden, questioning everything they thought they knew. Meanwhile, the pair are fighting a personal battle, too: helping Ella’s relative Celest win parole for a killing that was self-defense—but someone is determined to keep her locked away. Berman’s debut novel blends the eerie mystery of The X-Files with the procedural rigor of CSI, and it succeeds on both fronts. The author spent years as a writer and producer on CSI, which shows in the book’s richly detailed forensic work, but he also understands when to hold back and let a mystery stay unexplained. Berman’s characters are sharp and memorable, and readers will be eager to see them in future installments.—Jeff Ayers
New York’s North Country is under siege from a drug crisis and a missing girl in Wegert’s gripping follow-up to In the Bones. You don’t need to have read the first book to get pulled straight into this mystery and its relentless, lights-on suspense. Police officer Tim Wellington has his hands full. A young man’s fatal overdose triggers a raid that nets a major drug seizure, but when lab results reveal that the seized drugs don’t match what killed him, Wellington and his team realize that a second, more dangerous supplier is flooding the area. Then, a young woman, barely dressed and moving like a zombie, bolts the instant she hears the word “police.” Not long after, another young woman, the daughter of a fellow officer, vanishes. What follows is a breathless race against time to find her and take down the dealer poisoning the community before the death toll climbs any higher. Wegert’s story is told through multiple perspectives, and the novel’s characters, heroes and villains alike, feel vividly real, grounding the story in an atmosphere that never rings false. The tension ratchets up with every chapter, making this a must-read for any thriller fan.—Jeff Ayers
Calla Rowe knows fire. She is a long-time, accomplished investigator for ATF, but PTSD after the terrible death in a fire of her partner has forced her to retire. Trying to stay under the radar, in Pinecrest OR, she is also trying to work through her unspeakable fear and guilt, while the method of the fire that caused her trauma works itself in the back of her brain. She doesn’t accept that it was an accident. The local sheriff seeks her help in solving a wildfire, and she reluctantly agrees, bringing in her last professional contact, an FBI friend. Calla is a heroine like few others. Strong and indominable, but also with a need to know that is overwhelming. She does find the truth in the end, but at what cost to herself? The final third of the book will keep you on the edge of your chair, with the hint at the end of more to come. An accomplished thrill ride from a strong author.—Danise Hoover