For fans of the previous book in this duology or those interested in postapocalyptic stories of women regaining their power. This could work as a stand-alone, as Cast effectively recaps key events from the previous novel.
There are echoes of Patricia Highsmith and Margaret Millar, but this debut takes too long to get there and is not so much about detection as about obsession.
Some questions are never fully answered in Edwards’s sequel to Viviana Valentine Gets Her Man. Sexist male attitudes toward working women are on full display in this 1950s period piece, which might only appeal to fans of the earlier book.
Readers who have followed the story of Mattie’s family through Mizushima’s other “Timber Creek K-9” mysteries will enjoy this fast-paced, relentlessly tense installment.
Connelly writes an atmospheric, character-driven debut that’s amusing at times, with a quirky, spirited cast. It has a strong sense of place that should appeal to fans of Carlene O’Connor’s Irish mysteries.
Esden’s background in and extensive knowledge of antiques is evident in the follow-up to The Art of the Decoy. The complex story will appeal to fans of Jane K. Cleland’s “Josie Prescott Antiques” mysteries.