A poignant closer that will please fansand newcomers alike.
In this conclusion to Bidulka’s mystery trilogy, detective Merry Bell investigates the death of her first love’s father.
In twin prologues, the author introduces John Whatley, a car dealership owner who’s freezing to death while locked out of his company car in the bitter Saskatchewan countryside, and reintroduces private eye Merry, a trans woman who’s long been estranged from her family but has just begun to reconnect with them by phone after years of silence. For readers new to the series, this quick introduction will effectively get them up to speed; for those familiar with the first two books, it provides fresh, new details about Merry’s early years, particularly about how her mother kicked her out of the house after broaching the topic of transitioning. Merry starts investigating the death of Whatley after running into his son, Evan, whom she dated in high school before her transition, and who’s now a famous singer. Although the local police ruled Whatley’s case a “death by misadventure,” Evan is convinced that it was no accident. Thus begins Merry’s investigation into Whatley’s life, including inquiries into his former co-workers, his secretive social life, and allegations that he may have harbored antigay sentiments. As with the double prologue, the investigation runs parallel to an exploration of Merry’s past. In a story set during the week before and after Christmas, Merry must decide whether to spend the holiday with her family members, including her mother who’s now slipping into dementia, and come to terms with how she truly feels about her first love. She’s also compelled to seek assistance from Det. Sgt. Veronica Greyeyes, who previously arrested Merry on suspicion of murder. Over the course of this novel, Bidulka skillfully pulls off a delicate balance between the past and present, and ably handles both the murder investigation and the exploration of his main character’s social and emotional life. The tale is told at a fast pace, and by the end of it, readers will not only want to know who committed the crime at its center, but also how Merry will steer her future.
A poignant closer that will please fansand newcomers alike.Pub Date: June 1, 2025
ISBN: 9781988754642
Page Count: 300
Publisher: Stonehouse Publishing
Review Posted Online: Feb. 3, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
A fresh and clever whodunit with an engaging twist.
A 16-year-old savant uses his Groundhog Day gift to solve his grandfather’s murder.
Nishizawa’s compulsively readable puzzle opens with the discovery of the victim, patriarch Reijiro Fuchigami, sprawled on a futon in the attic of his elegant mansion, where his family has gathered for a consequential announcement about his estate. The weapon seems to be a copper vase lying nearby. Given this setup, the novel might have proceeded as a traditional whodunit but for two delightful features. The first is the ebullient narration of Fuchigami’s youngest grandson, Hisataro, thrust into the role of an investigator with more dedication than finesse. The second is Nishizawa’s clever premise: The 16-year-old Hisataro has lived ever since birth with a condition that occasionally has him falling into a time loop that he calls "the Trap," replaying the same 24 hours of his life exactly nine times before moving on. And, of course, the murder takes place on the first day of one of these loops. Can he solve the murder before the cycle is played out? His initial strategies—never leaving his grandfather’s side, focusing on specific suspects, hiding in order to observe them all—fall frustratingly short. Hisataro’s comical anxiety rises with every failed attempt to identify the culprit. It’s only when he steps back and examines all the evidence that he discovers the solution. First published in 1995, this is the first of Nishizawa’s novels to be translated into English. As for Hisataro, he ultimately concludes that his condition is not a burden but a gift: “Time’s spiral never ends.”
A fresh and clever whodunit with an engaging twist.Pub Date: July 29, 2025
ISBN: 9781805335436
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Pushkin Vertigo
Review Posted Online: July 4, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2025
A top-class cozy infused with dry wit and charming characters who draw you in and leave you wanting more, please.
Four residents of Coopers Chase, a British retirement village, compete with the police to solve a murder in this debut novel.
The Thursday Murder Club started out with a group of septuagenarians working on old murder cases culled from the files of club founder Elizabeth Best’s friend Penny Gray, a former police officer who's now comatose in the village's nursing home. Elizabeth used to have an unspecified job, possibly as a spy, that has left her with a large network of helpful sources. Joyce Meadowcroft is a former nurse who chronicles their deeds. Psychiatrist Ibrahim Arif and well-known political firebrand Ron Ritchie complete the group. They charm Police Constable Donna De Freitas, who, visiting to give a talk on safety at Coopers Chase, finds the residents sharp as tacks. Built with drug money on the grounds of a convent, Coopers Chase is a high-end development conceived by loathsome Ian Ventham and maintained by dangerous crook Tony Curran, who’s about to be fired and replaced with wary but willing Bogdan Jankowski. Ventham has big plans for the future—as soon as he’s removed the nuns' bodies from the cemetery. When Curran is murdered, DCI Chris Hudson gets the case, but Elizabeth uses her influence to get the ambitious De Freitas included, giving the Thursday Club a police source. What follows is a fascinating primer in detection as British TV personality Osman allows the members to use their diverse skills to solve a series of interconnected crimes.
A top-class cozy infused with dry wit and charming characters who draw you in and leave you wanting more, please.Pub Date: Sept. 22, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-98-488096-3
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Pamela Dorman/Viking
Review Posted Online: June 30, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2020
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