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THE MYSTERIOUS BOOKSHOP PRESENTS THE BEST MYSTERY STORIES OF THE YEAR 2025

Editor Grisham points out that as “mankind’s first crime,” murder holds a fascination for readers that no other misdeed can match. So it’s appropriate that no less than 18 of the 20 stories include a killing, contemplated or committed. But murder is not always the main event. Often the tricky part is figuring out how […]

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LIGHT BENEATH ASHES

Now in his late-30s, author Anglade notes in the book’s opening lines that he “had a relatively good life, despite being born in one of the poorest countries in the world.” As recounted in the memoir’s harrowing opening chapters, the author’s childhood home was broken into twice by armed burglars during the night, prompting his […]

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EDGAR ALLAN POE

Poe is everywhere. The Raven’s “nevermore” echoes as a memory and a meme. His arch detectives invite us to see the weird behind the everyday. Police procedurals and horror tales would not exist today without his work. Poe’s name has become shorthand for a personal universe. This book by Leland, who leads a Poe walking […]

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THE SISTERHOOD

Victoria Goldsborough is about to vastly improve her family’s fortunes by marrying Peregrine, Marquess of Harrington. The Goldsborough girls are admired and envied because of their grandmother’s plans to marry them off to great advantage, and Victoria’s death is a terrible blow to the family. Emily and Colin have solved many crimes, and given all […]

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THE HOPE NOT PLOT

It’s 1965 and Churchill, the former prime minister of the United Kingdom, is near death. As the nation, and much of the world, prepares to mourn him, some nefarious elements see an opportunity: The funeral will certainly attract powerful figures from all over the world, and it creates a fine opportunity for chaos—or so goes […]

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YAYA AND THE DAN-TATS

“Every Saturday, me and Mom bring Yaya a small box of dan-tats to share,” the young narrator informs readers. The child’s grandfather, who lives in a nursing home, uses a wheelchair and has memory issues. Though Yaya speaks only Chinese, the two bond over their love of egg tarts. But today, Yaya promptly takes the […]

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MURDER IN MINIATURE

Her work as a consultant to the local police, along with what she earns selling custom-made dollhouses, has helped widowed Maple Bishop stabilize her financial situation. But it’s clear that the miniature crime scene recreations that she makes for Elderberry Sheriff Sam Scott are a source not only of income but of professional pride and […]

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A STEEPING OF BLOOD

Arthie Casimir and her brother, Jin, managed to uncover the real identity of—and steal a ledger with incriminating evidence about—the Ram, monarch of Ettenia, but their crew, a mix of vampires and humans, is irrevocably changed. The revelation of a secret leads to a rift between the siblings, the Ram is still in power, and […]

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UNDER THE DRAGON’S SHADOW

It’s 1978, and Jon Fenton, the courier for New York City’s notorious Flying Dragons gang, is on the run. After getting wind of gang leader Sifu Qiu’s plan to kill him, he took the money he was supposed to deliver and faked his own death. However, the gang still wants a measure of revenge, and […]

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THE PATCHWORK CLOAK OF KAMAL BEY

Zada opens his memoir with a terrifying scene: Yanked off a bus at a military roadblock on the way to Mardin, Turkey, in 2015, the seasoned journalist wondered if the men with semiautomatic weapons would ever let him go. The author then flashes back to his very first trip to “the East” at age 24, […]