December Treasures in My Closet

As I said, I don’t have too many December book releases, only nine. Of course, once you mention some other titles, I’ll probably remember that I have copies of one or two elsewhere. I’ll always take reminders if you have them!

Christina Dodd introduces a brash female protagonist in her latest thriller, Wrong Alibi. Eighteen-year-old Evelyn Jones has a job in small-town Alaska, working for a man in his remote mountain home. But, when Donald White disappears, she’s accused of theft, embezzlement, and a double murder. She’s convicted, facing life in prison, until she’s able to escape. Now, she’s bent on justice, searching for a killer. When Donald White returns, she becomes the hunter. But, she has to untangle the threads of violence before she’s found with blood on her hands. (Release date is Dec. 29.)

You might remember the title of one of Michel Faber’s earlier books, even if you didn’t read The Crimson Petal and the White. His new book is D (A Tale of Two Worlds). It starts on the morning the letter D disappears from the language. First, it vanishes from Dhikilo’s parents’ conversation at breakfast, then from road signs and from her school dinners. Soon the local dentist and the neighbor’s Dalmatian are missing. Then, Dhikilo is summoned to the home of her old history teacher Professor Dodderfield. That’s where the story begins. It’s set between England and the wintry land of Liminus, a world enslaved by a monster and populated by fearsome, enchanting creatures. It’s a reminder of human capacity for strength, hope and justice. (Release date is Dec. 8.)

Tarryn Fisher’s latest thriller is The Wrong Family. Juno  was wrong about Winnie Crouch. She thought Winnie and her husband Nigel, had the perfect marriage, the perfect son, the perfect life. Now she’s living in their beautiful house, and sees the cracks in the crumbling facade. But, Juno isn’t one to judge. After her grim diagnosis, the retired therapist simply wants a place to live out the rest of her days in peace. However, that peace is shattered the day Juno overhears a chilling conversation between the couple. She shouldn’t get involved. But, it’s her chance to make a few things right. Because if you thought Juno didn’t have a secret of her own, then you’re wrong about her, too. (Release date is Dec. 29.)

I’m looking forward to the latest in Victoria Gilbert’s Blue Ridge Library Mystery series, A Deadly Edition. This series has complicated family secrets that takes it out of the extremely cozy genre. At a party celebrating their upcoming wedding in Taylorsford, Virginia, library director Amy Webber and her fiance Richard Muir discover the body of an art dealer who is a bitter rival of their host, Kurt Kendrick. The two men were in a heated battle for a rare illustrated volume. Although Amy knows Kurt has a closet full of skeletons, she doesn’t believe he’s guilty of murder. It’s an investigation and a case that hits painfully close to home. (Release date is Dec. 8.)

Sumi Hahn’s The Mermaid from Jeju is a debut novel. It’s inspired by true events on Korea’s Jeju Island in 1948. In the aftermath of World War II, Goh Junja is a girl just coming into her own. She’s the latest successful deep-sea diver in a her family. Confident she’s now a woman, Junja urges her mother to allow her to make the Goh family’s annual trip to Mt. Halla, where they trade abalone and other sea delicacies for pork. She’s never been to the mountains, and she falls in love with a mountain boy, Yang Suwol, who rescues her on her journey. But she returns home just in time to see her mother take her last breath, beaten by the waves during a dive she was taking in Junja’s place. Junja’s younger siblings are sent to live with their estranged father, and the ghost of her mother haunts their home. Junja has only her grandmother, a woman who lived through the Japanese invasion that led to Korea’s occupation. She recognizes the danger when the U.S. troops arrive. Now, the perils of post-WWII overtake Korea. (Release date is Dec. 8.)

Judith Little’s The Chanel Sisters tells the rags-to-riches story of a fashion icon. Antoinette and Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel know they’re destine for something better. Abandoned by their family, they grew up under the guidance of nuns who prepared them for lives as wives of tradesmen or shopkeepers. But, when they’re old enough, they set out together. Their journey takes them out of poverty to the stylish cafes of Moulins, the dazzling performance halls of Vichy-and to a small hat shop in Paris. When World War I breaks out, their lives are changed, and the sisters must gather the courage to fashion their own places in the world, even if they’re apart. (Release date is Dec. 29.)

Tara Lush’s Grounds for Murder is the first in a new Coffee Lover’s Mystery series set in Florida. When Lana Lewis’ best – and most difficult – employee abruptly quits and goes to work for the competition just days before the Sunshine State Barista Championship, her cafe’s chances of winning the contest is ruined. Lana loses her cool when she runs into the arrogant man. When he’s found dead the next morning behind Lana’s cafe, she becomes the prime suspect. It’s a mystery featuring an eclectic cast of characters, plenty of corpses, and the sunny town of Devil’s Beach. (Release date is Dec. 8.)

Rachel Mans McKenny’s The Butterfly Effect is the story of an introvert, her lack of social conduct, and empirical data-driven approach to people and relationships. Greta Oto is an entomologist who specializes in butterflies, and prefers the company of bugs to humans, except for her twin brother, Danny, though they’ve recently had a falling out. So she lands a research gig in the rainforest and leaves it all behind. But when she learns Danny has suffered an aneurysm, she returns home to be there for him. Coming home means confronting all she left behind, and working for her ex-boyfriend who runs the only butterfly conservatory in town. Everything is creating chaos of Great’s perfectly cataloged and compartmentalized world. (Release date is Dec. 8.)

I love debuts, so I’ll try Marion Lane and the Midnight Murder by T.A. Willberg. It takes readers into the heart of 1950s London, to the secret tunnels that exist far beneath the city streets. There, a mysterious group of detectives recruited for Miss Brickett’s Investigations & Inquiries use their cunning and gadgets to solve crimes that have stumped Scotland Yard. In April 1958, Michelle White, a filing assistant at Miss Brickett’s, receives a letter with a shocking warning. She goes to investigate, but is murdered. Marion Lane, a first-year Inquirer-in-traiing, finds herself being drawn into the case when a colleague is framed for the crime. To find the true killer, she must sort through the hidden alliances at Miss Brickett’s and secrets dating bak to WWII. (Release date is Dec. 29.)
That’s it, unless you have some December titles to add. Let us know if you have some December treasures on your list.

7 Comments

  1. Jeff Meyerson
    Jeff Meyerson on November 2, 2020 at 12:14 pm

    December mystery titles with dates of release:

    1 Caz Frear, Shed No Tears (Cat Kinsella #3)
    1 S. J. Rozan, The Art of Violence (Bill Smith/Lydia Chin)
    1 Thomas Perry, Eddie's Boy (return of The Butcher's Boy)
    1 Matt Coyle, Blind Vigil (Rick Cahill)
    8 Helene Tursten, Snowdrift
    8 Christopher Fowler, Oranges and Lemons (Peculiar Crimes)
    8 Max Allan Collins, Skim Deep (Frank Nolan)

    There are others, but these stood out for me, especially the Frear and the Perry.

    Reply
  2. SandyG265
    SandyG265 on November 2, 2020 at 1:42 pm

    I have an ARC of Ground for Murder. I just need time to read it.

    Reply
  3. Margie Bunting
    Margie Bunting on November 2, 2020 at 3:25 pm

    Lesa, I've added the Marion Lane book to my TBR list. Thank you.

    Others on my list that are releasing in December include Courting Can Be Killer by Amanda Flower, Hidden Treasure by Jane K. Cleland, Cold Wind by Paige Shelton, The Mystery of Mrs. Christie by Marie Benedict, and Closely Harbored Secrets by Bree Baker.

    Reply
  4. Kaye Wilkinson Barley - Meanderings and Muses
    Kaye Wilkinson Barley - Meanderings and Muses on November 2, 2020 at 5:07 pm

    I've read one book from your list, Lesa. And I was thrilled to read Paige Shelton's Cold Wind which was every bit as good as the first in The series. The Chanel Sisters, and enjoyed it. I'm looking forward to The Mystery of Mrs. Christie and The Art of Violence and Perestroika: a nove!.

    Reply
  5. Lesa
    Lesa on November 2, 2020 at 6:45 pm

    There are some titles on your December list, Margie, that I want to read.

    I appreciate everyone's contributions to the list of December books! I don't think December is going to be a big publication month, though.

    Reply
  6. Gram
    Gram on November 2, 2020 at 11:16 pm

    I see a few more to add to my ever lengthening list.

    Reply
  7. Lesa
    Lesa on November 3, 2020 at 1:40 am

    Oh, good, Gram. I'd hate to see you run out of books (wink).

    Reply

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