It’s Mid-Summer Murders Week, Part 2

An all-mystery edition, plus thoughts on the NYT top 100 list

Hi friends,

I hope you had a great weekend. The big book news of last week was the New York Times released a list of the 100 Best Books of the 21^st Century based on votes from “novelists, nonfiction writers, poets, critics and other book lovers — with a little help from the staff of The New York Times Book Review.”

Readers were invited to submit their own ballots (and view their favorite authors’ picks). I had a lot of fun looking at people’s choices but found filling out my own too stressful, so I didn’t try.

Some quick hot takes:

1. Glad to see some of my faves, including Say Nothing, Stay True and Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow on the list.
   

2. How did Gone Girl not make it? It transformed an entire genre (and ushered in the era of The Twist). Since the Times released the list in installments, I kept thinking it would be in the top ten— instead, it was snubbed!
   

3. I would have loved to see some genre fiction on this. Not including S.A. Cosby, Tana French or Alyssa Cole’s Civil War series feels like an oversight.

Have some feelings on the Times list you want to share? Let me know!

This week is my second annual Mid-Summer Murders edition. Named for the British crime show, “Midsomer Murders,” I’m spotlighting three mysteries that embody the show’s ethos (think puzzle books, not gore).

Now, with a super long intro done, what to read if…

You’re Looking for Sherlock Holmes – Or Kung Fu

The Murder of Mr. Ma by John Shen Yen Nee and SJ Rozan

The Murder of Mr. Ma places Judge Dee, the hero of a series of popular 20^th-century Chinese mysteries, in 1920s London. It combines the tradition of Gong’an crime fiction, a subgenre of Chinese detective fiction featuring government magistrates solving cases, and the hallmarks of Sherlock Holmes stories.

Indeed, the opening of The Murder of Mr. Ma is reminiscent of Arthur Conan Doyle’s A Study in Scarlett, the first story starring his famous sleuth. A quiet academic, Lao She has his life turned upside down after meeting Judge Dee, who is in London to investigate the murder of a man he served with in World War I. As Lao recounts, Dee suspects the police’s anti-Chinese bias will prevent them from taking the murder seriously — a suspicion confirmed when the authorities arrest him. As more members of the same battalion are found dead, Dee and Lao’s efforts to find the killer become increasingly urgent.

The Murder of Mr. Ma is a fun read, with a well-plotted mystery and unbelievably choreographed kung fu scenes. As a lifelong Sherlock Holmes fan (kudos to my dad for passing down that gene), I’ve read a number of retellings over the years. This one ranks right up there with the Lady Charlotte series as one of my favorites.

You’re Dreaming of the English Countryside

How to Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin

Of my three picks this week, How to Solve Your Own Murder has the strongest “Midsomar Murder” vibes. Set in a quaint English village, Castle Knoll, with the titular murder taking place on a sprawling country estate, Kristen Perrin’s adult debut puts a fresh take on traditional countryside mystery.

In 1965, a fortune-teller predicted Frances Adams, then a teenager, would be murdered. Frances then spent the rest of her life obsessively attempting to identify the culprit, even as her loved ones mock her obsession. More than five decades later though, Frances is found murdered, just as she always insisted she would be.

When Frances’ niece Annie Adams learns her aunt — whom she never met — named her as one of the heirs of her estate, she’s surprised. She’s more shocked to learn that whoever solves the murder will inherit everything. Armed with Frances’ teenage diary and the notes she took on potential suspects during her life, Annie sets out to finally solve the murder, even though it seems her aunt’s killer is targeting her as well.

Writing this, I learned a sequel, How to Seal Your Own Fate, is coming early next year, meaning now is the perfect time to read it, so you can prepare to return to Castle Knoll in 2025.

You’ve Wondered What a “Gilmore Girls” with Murder Would Look Like

Mother-Daughter Murder Night by Nina Simon

High-powered L.A. real estate broker Lana Rubicon was once close with her daughter Beth, but years of resentment have driven them apart. When Lana has a health scare, she moves in with Beth and her teenage daughter Jack in their small home on an estuary off Monterey Bay. Tensions run high and reach new heights when Jack finds a dead body while kayaking alone one morning — and law enforcement homes in on her as a suspect.

Lana, driven by a need to protect her family and prove she’s still a force to be reckoned with, decides to draw on the crime-fighting knowledge she gleaned from watching “Columbo” to clear Jack’s name. The three generations of Rubicon women come together to uncover a conspiracy spanning everyone from local conservationists to ranchers. As the danger ratchets up, they’re forced to rely on each other on a way they’ve avoided for years.

The mystery at the core of Mother-Daughter Murder Night is great, but it’s the relationship between the three women that kept me reading. As Kellye Garrett, author of Like A Sister, said, “Mother-Daughter Murder Night is the perfect mix of family drama and murder mystery. Nina Simon's debut is a spot-on look at the complicated relationship between parents and their children. I can't wait to spend even more nights with her characters. Simon is a writer to watch."

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Thanks for reading! I’ll be back next week with a special Olympics edition (cue the iconic John Williams theme).

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