Books like Fox Creek — picked by fans

Dual-timeline, legends, and folklore drew me to this story. While it was co-authored, the dual story blends perfectly as if written by a single person. Past and present come together, and an age-old mystery is solved.

If you enjoy stories with a bit of supernatural, this one is for you. 

My interest in stories involving Native Americans and my love of the southwest drew me to Hillerman’s Leaphorn and Chee books. Once I read the first one, I was hooked on the series.

I feel as if I’ve come to know more about the Navajo people in reading this series. It’s hard to pick a favorite, but The First Eagle is at the top of my list. Not only do we have classic Leaphorn and Chee, but the author also delves deeper  into their personal lives.

Did I mention setting? I always feel as if I’m transported to the American Southwest when reading a Hillerman novel. 

Real-life mysteries intrigue me, and one of the strangest unsolved cases involved a group of nine Soviet hikers in the area known as Dyatlov Pass. Preston and Child took this story, set it in the mountains of New Mexico, and weaved an enticing tale that kept me turning the pages and guessing right up to the end.

This is the fourth book of their Nora Kelly series, but it can easily be read as a stand-alone. 

This is a twisted romantic suspense that delivers a gripping read.

Romance and suspense merge when a decade-old secret turns deadly. The opening chapter thrust me into the murder of Reagan Asher’s grandmother. Not getting what they wanted, the culprits set their sights on Reagan. Passed events become the premise of this novel, and Reagan must come to terms with her grandmother’s death and her father’s betrayal to stay alive and uncover the truth.

The unpredictable nature of this story was a winner for me.

Even while pursuing the nastiest criminals Detective Lucas Davenport and his sardonic sense of humor make me laugh. A deranged man wants to punish the female psychiatrist who once put him in a mental hospital. When he kidnaps the woman and her two young daughters, Lucas focuses on who stands to benefit. The combative resentful husband she's divorcing, her business partner, and her elderly father's trophy wife who will inherit his fortune if his daughter dies. 

The kidnapper inflicts harsh punishment on the psychiatrist and plays mind games with Lucas. He telephones Lucas, taunts him and threatens to kill his captives. Lucas has no idea where they are, but he can play mind games too. An emotional roller-coaster ride until the last page of this gritty suspense thriller.

Ok, fine…you caught me. I admit it: I’ve got a ginormous sweet tooth and gooey caramel is my downfall…so, you can see why I’d naturally gravitate to a cozy mystery that features a small-town cookie shop owner and amateur sleuth like Hannah Swenson. In this book, Hannah gets asked for her help in baking pastries at the local inn for a flashy fishing competition with big prizes and even bigger names. While at the fishing tournament, Hannah spots a runaway boat on the local lake and, on board, the lifeless body of the event’s renowned celebrity spokesperson. Hannah joins forces with her younger sister and sidekick, Andrea, to catch a clever culprit before another unsuspecting victim goes belly up. The two sisters are like night and day. I love how their differences not only help solve the murder, but are the spice that adds zing to the plot.

This is the first book I’ve read by William Kent Krueger, but it made me want to read the whole series. Set during a miserably cold winter in the northeast corner of Minnesota, a stone’s throw from Lake Superior, this mystery about a brutal murder and a missing native American boy will make you fear frostbite just from turning pages. 

Cork O’Connor is a complicated character in a seemingly downward spiral. Once the sheriff of this small town, he’s since lost his wife, his job, and is worried about losing his children. His mixed heritage of Irish and Ojibwe makes him see things a little differently than the new sheriff, but not having a badge won’t stop him from taking action when people he cares about are in danger.

Because I love Douglas Adams’ Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy five-book trilogy (trust me!), his down-to-earth detective Dirk Gently was an immediate attraction. The layers of mystery take quite a bit of untangling, and I was hooked all the way through. This is my reliable go-to when I need a break from reality that won’t take me too far from home. Or does it? Somehow, with the help of Thor’s hammer, his characters travel from London to the Great Hall of Valhalla and back again. But Avengers, this is not! 

I read this more than once before parts of the intricate plot really made sense, but what a journey! And its precursor, Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency, has a permanent spot on my bookshelf, too.

Never Forget, Never Forgive really draws the reader in. This is a debut novel by a new writer and the first in a proposed series and I am eager for the next. This well-crafted novel is beautifully written, in an engaging way, almost conversational, and very easy to read. There is just the right amount of description and a believable protagonist, likable, strong, and capable. The novel has plenty of intrigue, twists, and turns. As a murder mystery it is to be commended. It’s thoroughly enjoyable and primes you for the next in the series as there is an ongoing thread to be picked up in the second. Ms. Smith looks to be an excellent author.

Move over, Miss Marple. Agatha Raisin is on the job. The story takes place in a quaint English country village. Agatha, the protagonist, is a bull in a tea shop. I like that Agatha is not perfect. Perfect is boring. In this story, she lets her jealousy get in the way and becomes the prime suspect. M.C. Beaton is a master at descriptions; in a few words, you can see the character and the surroundings. ‘If you want to write, you must read.’ A great piece of advice. I learned a lot from M. C. Beaton.