Miss Pym Disposes

Miss Pym Disposes is by Josephine Tey. A fantastic historical fiction mystery by the author of the Inspector Grant series. Miss Pym is a popular English psychologist, she goes to a private girls' school run by an old friend as a guest lecturer. She stops a girl from cheating on her final exam by destroying her crib notes - but her cover up of one crime leads to another. When another girl is found dead in the gym, Miss Pym does not believe it is an accident. But when she believes she has solved the crime, she may not have fingered the correct killer. A fascinating novel with a twist ending that will leave you wondering if Miss Pym does the right thing. It does start off slowly, but picks up later on. This would be an interesting book club selection. 

Ratings: 11th grade - 9 out of 10. 

The Chill

The Chill is by Ross Macdonald. The eleventh in the classic historical fiction Lew Archer mystery series. A frantic young man convinces Archer to help him find his new bride who ran away on their honeymoon. He swears she loved him and that a man who came to see her while he was out scared her into running away. Archer finds the "bride" only to find himself involved in two murders - one twenty years old and another much more recent. The ending of this book is a twist I never saw coming. Classic noir fans will love this one. Archer is a much more relatable, less hard-boiled version of Sam Spade. 

Ratings: 11th grade - 9 out of 10 - V (violence) - AC (mature thematic content).  

The White Priory Murders

The White Priory Murders is by Carter Dickson. A Golden Age classic; the second in the Sir Henry Merrivale series. James Bennet is over from America and has been invited to spend Christmas with Marcia Tait, a Hollywood star working on a play in England, and several of her business partners and "friends." James arrives to find Marcia murdered in a out building with one set of prints leading in and none leading out. When his cantankerous uncle, Sir Henry Merrivale arrives to solve the mystery, even the police are baffled and eager for the help of the amateur sleuth. Fans of classic mysteries will enjoy this tale. 

Ratings: 9th grade - 8 out of 10. 

Scent of the Missing

Scent of the Missing is by Susannah Charleson. An interesting memoir of a rescue dog handler and her dog. After the Oklahoma City bombing, Susannah decides to work Search and Rescue. She begins to volunteer with a local team and finally becomes eligible for a dog of her own. In comes Puzzle, a blonde lab with an aptitude for search and rescue. Susannah already has a houseful of rescue animals, both canine and feline, and Puzzle must be trained to get along with the animals at home, as well as for her search and rescue jobs. The book walks through cases Susannah and her team were called in on, both with and without Puzzle. It also focuses on Puzzle's training and what it is really like to work Search and Rescue from both the human and dog perspective. Dog lovers will enjoy this one, as the dog doesn't die. An interesting look at a world we tend to glamorize and not appreciate for its danger and difficulty. 

Ratings: 10th grade - 7 out of 10 - AC (mature thematic content) - P (profanity). 

A Killer in the Wings

A Killer in the Wings is by Benedict Brown. The 11th installment in the historical fiction Lord Edgington mystery series. When an actor is killed during the performance of a play, the other actors don't believe it's an accident and Lord Edgington and Chrissy must solve the mystery. However, all of the other actors are suspects in the murder with secrets they don't want discovered. Lord Edgington has decided that this will be the first case Chrissy solves on his own and begins to arrange his grandson's "coming out." Fans of the series will enjoy this book. 

Ratings: 9th grade - 8 out of 10.