Staff Picks: Mysteries and Thrillers | Mechanics' Institute

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Staff Picks: Mysteries and Thrillers

Although summer isn't exactly beach weather in our fair city, I still like to spend the summer reading books that are, above all, entertaining.  What better fits the bill than a juicy mystery?! If you're like me, you tend to read the same tried-and-true authors, and it can be tough to figure out what, in the vast ocean of mystery stories, is worth the elbow-grease (turning pages that fast can be mildly athletic!) required to finish it.  This is where your friendly Mechanics' Institute staffers come in...

In August, we're recommending our favorite mysteries and thrillers to keep you on the edge of your seat. Here's just a taste of what we're suggesting this month:

Erika recommends Bangkok 8 by John Burdett

Although his ethnicity is half American, Sonchai Jitlicheep is one of the only honest policemen in Bangkok.  He is determined to find the person whose murder weapon - a cobra - managed to catch his partner in the crossfire.  Welcome to Bangkok, where the good guys and the bad guys are almost indistinguishable from one another...

Matt recommends House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz

This is the first novel approved by Conan Doyle's estate to be included in the Sherlock Holmes canon, and deservedly so. It is rife with Victorian mores (and secrets) and is written in a style faithful to the original Holmes stories. A sequel to this critically lauded novel is expected in October 2014.

Heather recommends Fred Vargas's Commissaire Adamsberg mysteries 

If you've been paying attention to my picks, you'll know that I am constantly trying to get you to read books by Fred Vargas. She's a Medieval Historian who also writes nicely plotted (but not too tricky) mysteries that read more like a novel - plenty of character and setting development with a side of criminal pursuit. The Ghost Riders of Ordebec is her newest addition to the series, but I recommend that you start from the beginning with The Chalk Circle Man, as these books comprise one cumulative story rather than an episodic series that can be picked up at any juncture.

Posted on Aug. 1, 2013 by Heather Terrell