Michael P. King

Hard at work on a new Travelers book. This outing finds them on the run from the Orange Hill Cartel, a mob crew they’ve cheated more than once.

Meanwhile, I’m always on the lookout for exciting thrillers or mysteries that maybe you haven’t read yet. This month is no exception.

First, Hell With the Lid Blown Off (Alafair Tucker Mysteries Book 7, 2014) by Donis Casey. This is an historical mystery, which takes place in rural Oklahoma shortly before World War One.

I was a little put off by the organization of this book (each of the sections is named for the focus character), but once I got going, it was hard to put down. Lots of local color about family and small-town life in the 1910s, and one of the best descriptions of a tornado I’ve ever read.

After a terrible storm pummels the area, one of Alafair’s sons finds a man buried in muck. Initially, everyone thinks he died in the storm, but a knife wound is discovered on the body. Lots of likely suspects and believable red herrings make for a fun read as Alafair and the local sheriff each try to solve the case.

Also read I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai (2023). Bodie Kane, a 40-ish film professor and podcaster, returns to her prep school to teach in a short term, only to get caught up in reexamining the murder of one of her prep school classmates and the conviction of a school employee.

A beautifully complex murder mystery—Bodie’s reinterpretation of the relationships among her classmates and teachers and her reevaluation of her own behavior in the past and present make this book a real page turner that skillfully juggles several possible murder suspects. Named Best Book of 2023 by several newspapers. A high recommend.

Happy reading!