We just shared Oline Cogdill’s list of Best Mysteries of 2024. Now, with her permission, we’re sharing her Best Debuts and Story Collections of 2024. First, debuts, in alphabetical order. (Links to the Webstore for your convenience are included.)
A couple expecting their first child in two weeks moves to a small Cotswolds town they’ve never visited and into a house they only saw online in The Expectant Detectives. There, they are caught up in the murder of a local shop owner. Wry humor bounces on each page. To say the couple is unprepared for parenthood is an understatement. https://bit.ly/3ZqAbgr.
Two sisters whose lives stalled the night their mother disappeared without a trace 15 years ago face a new uncertain future when her skeleton is found in Knife River. The sisters’ investigation superbly mixes with a thoughtful look at family bonds as the two women begin to appreciate each other while dealing with grief and their mental health strides. https://bit.ly/3ZKm3jv.
A private detective is hired to find a missing businessman suspected of stealing millions of dollars from his construction firm. Twice the Trouble packs in the action as it explores the streets of Orlando, its myriad neighborhoods and the nearby small towns. Central Florida has long needed a new voice in mysteries. https://bit.ly/41nmsJC.
Smoke Kings is a bold, provocative and at times uncomfortable look at race, loyalty and the consequences of revenge as four friends decide to avenge the racially motivated murder of a teenager. They plan to kidnap the descendants of those who committed hate crimes, then force them to make reparations to the victims’ family. https://bit.ly/49fEVcg.
Sometimes, you don’t get what you want, but you get what you need. In Booked for Murder, a woman puts aside her failed career as an actress to move to a small Georgia town where her recently deceased aunt has left her a bookstore. Small-town grudges and feuds abound. https://bit.ly/4ijl9S5.
Blood in the Cut is a confident, hard-charging look at South Florida gentrification, family ties, Cuban-American culture and the changing landscape of Miami with a deep tour of the Everglades. A young man seeks redemption for his criminal past while grappling with who he is and how the three years he spent in prison have changed him. https://bit.ly/4g4Xxz2.
SHORT STORY COLLECTIONS
A rockin’ collection wrapped around the Australian band AC/DC’s album “Back in Black”. https://bit.ly/41idSMq.
The title alone predicts excellence, and the latest in this annual collection of “The Best American Mystery and Suspense 2024” delivers with superior tales by top and emerging writers. These include Megan Abbott, Tananarive Due, Jordan Harper, Gar Anthony Haywood, Toni LP Kelner, Lisa Unger, among others. https://bit.ly/4irjJ85.
These 11 stories use Hanukkah to shadow events that occur around the Jewish holiday rather than its religious significance. Hanukkah — like most holidays that invite family gatherings, personal reflection and uncomfortable realities — can bring out the best and worst in people. Savor the dark, yet energetic stories in Eight Very Bad Nights as you light the menorah. https://bit.ly/3ZkqTCu.
These chilling yet poignant 13 linked stories in Highway Thirteen deliver a unique look at how a small Australian community reels from the aftermath of a killer. The murderer, who died in prison, is named but never shown. Instead, the focus is on the aftermath of havoc, evil and, especially, the trauma of those left behind. https://bit.ly/41rLdED.