We continue our series of posts featuring some of the best books in the CA Library collection — today’s featured titles are all Mysteries! Follow the links for each book to learn more from the CA Library catalog — or follow the links to eBook and/or audiobook copies available in the Sora digital reading app.
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The Box In The Woods by Maureen Johnson (2021) — After solving the greatest unsolved mystery of the century, Stevie Bell goes undercover as a camp counselor to investigate the strange going-ons at Camp Wonder Falls — the site of the infamous ‘Box in the Woods’ murders. “It’s always a pleasure to watch smart, resourceful Stevie piece together a puzzle. Mystery fans will relish this standalone novel in the ‘Truly Devious’ universe” (School Library Journal). Get the eBook | Get the Audiobook (Sora login required)
Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley (2021) — Daunis, who is part Ojibwe, defers attending the University of Michigan to care for her mother and reluctantly becomes involved in the investigation of a series of drug-related deaths. “Hitting hard when it comes to issues such as citizenship, language revitalization, and the corrosive presence of drugs on Native communities, this novel will long stand in the hearts of both Native and non-Native audiences” (Publishers Weekly). Get the eBook | Get the Audiobook (Sora login required)
The Forest of Stolen Girls by June Hur (2021) — An historical mystery set in 1426 in the former Korean dynastic kingdom of Joseon. A year after her father vanishes while investigating the disappearance of thirteen girls, eighteen-year-old Min Hwani returns to the island of Jeju to pick up his trail with the help of her estranged sister. “Crafting a suspenseful, atmospheric historical mystery, Hur explores women’s lack of bodily agency during this time and the dangers of obsessive protection, adroitly interweaving the historical context of the real horrors that afflicted Korean women from the 13th-century Mongol rule until after 1435” (Publishers Weekly). Get the eBook (Sora login required)
Girl, Unframed by Deb Caletti (2020) — While spending a summer with her famous mother and her criminal boyfriend, 15-year-old Sydney Reilly finds love with Nicco, but her premonition of something bad coming proves dreadfully accurate. “Ultimately hopeful, this is one for fans of realistic contemporary dramas, with a side of mystery, and excellent writing throughout” (School Library Journal). Get the eBook (Sora login required)
The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Barnes (2020) — When a Connecticut teenager inherits vast wealth and an eccentric estate from the richest man in Texas, she must also live with his surviving family and solve a series of puzzles to discover how she earned her inheritance. “Fun and fast-paced, fans of Karen M. McManus’s One of Us Is Lying and Maureen Johnson’s Truly Devious will find a new home at Hawthorne House” (School Library Journal). Get the eBook | Get the Audiobook (Sora login required)
Lost In The Never Woods by Aiden Thomas (2021) — When children start to go missing in the local woods, eighteen-year-old Wendy Darling must face her fears and a past she cannot remember to rescue them in this novel based on Peter Pan. “A captivating mystery that will ensnare those who enjoy retellings and stories with a touch of magic” (School Library Journal). Get the eBook | Get the Audiobook (Sora login required)
The Mary Shelley Club by Goldy Moldavsky (2021) — Scholarship student Rachel keeps to herself at Manchester Prep, preferring the company of horror films to trust fund babies. When a prank puts her on the radar of a mysterious student society, ‘The Mary Shelley Club’, they subject her to a number of escalating Fear Tests which eventually puts them on the radar of a serial killer. “An atmospheric page-turner about loving scary movies, longing to belong, and uncovering the many masks people wear” (Kirkus Reviews).
One Great Lie by Deb Caletti (2021)– Charlotte’s dream of a summer writing workshop in Venice with her favorite author brings the chance to investigate the mysterious poet in her family’s past, meet fascinating new people, and learn truths about her idol. “Caletti leads her readers through intertwined stories of sexual harassment and misogyny with assurance and a fierce feminism, all while steeping her prose in sensory detail that creates an atmosphere of mystery” (Booklist). Get the eBook (Sora login required)
The River Has Teeth by Erica Waters (2021) — When her sister goes missing on the Bend, becoming the second girl to disappear from the wildlife preserve, Natasha turns to a local girl rumored to be a witch to find her. “This genre-blending contemporary thriller offers a searing indictment of men who prey on women while the book’s fantasy elements offer a form of revenge and resolution” (Kirkus Reviews).
Time Will Tell by Barry Lyga (2021) — A thriller that ricochets between the bigotry of the past and present as teens unravel their parents’ secrets. Four teens have dug up the time capsule that their parents buried in 1986 and never bothered to recover. But in addition to the expected ephemera of mixtapes, Walkmans, photographs, letters, toys, and assorted junk, they discover something sinister: a hunting knife stained with blood and wrapped with a note — “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to kill anyone.” ” Lyga’s latest will keep readers on the edge of their seats as it alternates between the voices of the past (the parents) and the present (the four teens), giving readers a glimpse into both parties as the truth unfolds” (Booklist).
The Witch’s Hand (The Montague Twins, Book 1) by Nathan Page (2020) — Orphaned teens Pete and Al Montague and their adopted sister, Charlie, already known for solving mysteries in their small New England town, begin studying magic as they investigate a disappearance connected to a seventeenth-century witch. “Hints at a complicated institution of magic and questions about the twins’ parents point toward adventures to come in this fantasy-mystery [graphic novel] with impressive depth” (Booklist).
You’ll Be The Death of Me by Karen McManus (2021) — Estranged friends Ivy, Mateo, and Cal witness a murder while skipping school, and the only way they can solve it is by revealing what they have been hiding from one another — and themselves. “With its fast-paced, twisty narrative and McManus’ hallmark perspective shifts between the three protagonists, this thriller is both a fun homage to Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and an exploration of how secrets and bad choices can escalate and bring harmful consequences” (Kirkus Reviews).