Thanksgiving is just around the corner! Bring on the turkey, the pumpkin pie, the cranberries, and… a good book. Let’s be real, we don’t feel like doing much besides reading after the dinner is done!
I managed to dig up a list of books you might like. I haven’t read these yet, but I liked the sound of them all! After each book, I’ve written why they caught my eye.
P.S., by clicking the links in this post, I might earn a little moolah. (Which I think is awesome, but you may feel differently. That’s okay.)
At Death’s Door
Juniper Grove Cozy Mystery, Volume 3
by Karin Kaufman
Thanksgiving in Juniper Grove is a time for family, good friends, and good food. But at Nora Barberton’s home, Thanksgiving ends in tragedy when one of her dinner guests is murdered and a precious artifact disappears from her house—seemingly vanishing into thin air.
When Nora pleads for help, Rachel agrees to tackle the case. Soon she uncovers a web of deception wove by those Nora trusts most. In a race against time, and as her relationship with James Gilroy, the town’s police chief, takes a surprising turn, Rachel must solve the mystery before the killer strikes again.
This light, cozy mystery offers a clean read with a female amateur sleuth in a small-town setting. No foul language, sex, gore, or graphic scenes of any kind.
Danielle’s thoughts: I love cozy mystery! So light-hearted and fun. And what’s this? A murdered guest?! A missing artifact?! These remind me of classics like Agatha Christie. I love a mysterious artifact to find and explore! Also, I swear I read one of Karin Kaufman’s books before. I just don’t remember which one.. Maybe it’ll come to me…
Cornucopia
Chloe Boston Cozy Mysteries Book 16
by Melanie Jackson
The sixteenth book in Melanie Jackson’s bestselling Chloe Boston Cozy Mystery Series is a 27k word collection of 5 holiday short stories.
“Melanie Jackson is a talent to watch.”
–WritersWrite.com
In “Mystery in the Footlights” someone is trying to sabotage the Hope Falls Halloween production of Macbeth. Fortunately Chloe is working on constructing the sets so she is available to apprehend the villain.
In “Over the River” Chloe and Alex must battle the local wildlife for their dinner when they decide to celebrate Thanksgiving in an aunt’s remote cabin in the woods.
In “The Dentist” Chloe has to make an emergency visit to the dentist to fix a cracked molar. While in the dentist’s chair she uncovers a mystery which could endanger more than her dental work.
In “A Christmas without Carol” Chloe, Alex, and her parents spend Christmas with Chloe’s uncle who is recently widowed. Through three encounters, past, present, and future, he learns the meaning of Christmas and changes his life forever.
In “For Whom the Bells Toll” Chloe and Alex spend New Years Eve solving a mystery in a secluded castle which has been redecorated for charity.
Come spend the holidays with Chloe this year. You’ll be happy you did.
Danielle’s thoughts: This is great if you’re not down for a full-length read! Maybe dipping in and out of some short stories while basting the turkey is what you need right now. I also love how this story collection spans the entire holiday season, from Halloween to New Year’s. The stories sound sweet, and yet intriguing. And c’mon! The final one takes place in a castle! What more do you need?
Thanksgiving
by Michael Dibdin
Thanksgiving is a moving portrait of the profound effects of love when all that seems to remain is loss and grief. Unhinged by his wife’s unexpected death, Anthony, a middle-aged Seattle journalist, becomes obsessed with her past. He drives through the Nevada desert to locate her ex-husband looking for some unnamable solace. But, what awaits him is a bizarre and violent encounter with the past that entangles Anthony with his half-estranged stepchildren, the police, and his own disquieted mind and that only makes Lucy’s ghostly presence seem all the more real. The crisp dialogue, shadowy atmosphere, and sharp pacing of a master crime writer work to great effect in this arresting story that toys with the precipice of insanity and the extremes of passion and loss. This is a splendid shadow play on the enduring human mystery of love.
Danielle’s Thoughts: I thought we’d turn it daaaaark for this last one! My own books are somewhere halfway between cozy and dark, so I had to make sure to provide for whatever mood you were in! Bizarre encounters? A ghostly presence? I’m feeling that November chill in the air. Brrrrrr…
And that’s it! A list of books that might temp you this Thanksgiving more than a second slice of pie. If you read any of these, be sure to comment what you thought of them!
~ Danielle
Danielle Lincoln Hanna is the author of the Mailboat Suspense Series. “All she wanted was a family of her own. Instead, she found a body at the end of the pier…”
