Literary Scene: Three Terrific New Mysteries

By Ryan G. Van Cleave | February 2022

The Sorority Murder (MIRA, December 2021)
by Allison Brennan

While New York Times bestselling author Allison Brennan might be best known as a writer of romantic thrillers, her newest novel, The Sorority Murder, is set on the campus of Northern Arizona University and follows the death of Candace Swann, a senior nursing student who was also a popular sorority member. Yes, there are a number of common tropes happening here (missing diary, dual timeline plot, podcaster working on a cold case, etc.), but Brennan handles them all fairly deftly.

What helps make this story memorable is Regan Merritt, a former U.S. Marshal who’s visiting her father in Flagstaff. She’s invited onto the case by Lucas Vegas, a student who was so affected by Candace’s death that he made his senior project a podcast dedicated to solving the murder. Because he knew the victim, he’s got a powerful stake in the case, as does Regan, whose dedication to justice after undergoing personal trauma (her son died) is equally powerful.

The pair of sleuths determine that there’s a missing week between Candace being last seen at an annual sorority party and when her body was discovered. What happened during that gap? The podcast grows in popularity as the details emerge, and tips begin to come in that help draw them closer to the answer. Candace was clearly ridden with guilt, but about what? And why? Before long, Regan realizes that Lucas has his own secret, and nothing is quite as it seems.

The book is well-plotted and leads to a harrowing final showdown that gives Lucas the answers he seeks and helps Regan find purpose in her endless pursuit for justice. This is the launch of a new series, so fans of Regan Merritt will see her return in a 2022 book, no doubt having been affected by the dark affairs in this book.

Ryan’s Rating: 4.25 out of 5
www.allisonbrennan.com

Silent Parade
(Minotaur Books, December 2021)
by Keigo Higashino

Over the decades, Keigo Higashino has become one of bestselling novelists in Japan, and his latest novel, Silent Parade, is the fourth entry in the popular Detective Galileo series. Good news—I haven’t read the first three (many of his books aren’t translated into English yet) and that didn’t stop me from appreciating this story on its own.

Detective Galileo (whose real name is Manabu Yukawa) isn’t part of any police force. He’s simply a physics professor with a fantastic mind who is called on by a police officer friend (Chief Inspector Kusanagi) to bring extra brainpower to seemingly impossible cases. This time, he’s been asked to help out with a cold case—a girl who disappeared without a trace three years ago has been found in a burned-out house. There’s a clear suspect, but without ample evidence, no arrest is made—just like when this same person was suspected of killing a young girl twenty years before. It’s time to solve both cases, says Kusanagi. More improbable murders follow, and it’s up to Detective Galileo to solve the unsolvable. 

In no way does this feel like a translation—translator Giles Murry did an admirable job there. Plus, Higashino has created a level of plotting that will satisfy every puzzle-loving reader. Equally fun is how Detective Galileo’s mind spins off hypothesis after hypothesis in response to each new clue in the growing mountain of data. 

It’s a slow-burn book, without a doubt, but it’s interesting and has lots of keen insight into Japanese food, holidays, and the legal system. The cast is quite large, too, though there is a list of names at the front of the book that is quite helpful.

If you like intricate puzzles and Golden Age of Mysteries (of which there are numerous clear shout-outs in this book), this book will surely please you.

Ryan’s Rating: 4.25 out of 5

A History of Wild Places
(Atria Books, December 2021)
by Shea Ernshaw

A History of Wild Places is an eerie new thriller by Shea Ernshaw that’s set in a secluded northern California community that was founded in the 1970s by people who sought a simpler way of life. It’s simply called Pastoral.

The story begins with Travis Wren, who has a knack for locating missing folks because he can touch items and get a glimpse of the past. He’s been hired to find the missing popular children’s author Maggie St. James, who vanished without a trace five years earlier. The trail leads Travis to Pastoral, where he himself goes missing. 

The focus then shifts to the residents of Pastoral, but mainly Theo, his wife Calla, and her sister, Bee. Like the others who live there, they all fear contamination from the outside world in the form of a disease called The Rot. That fear is an ongoing sense of unease that pervades every aspect of their lives. We’re told the story from each of their perspectives, at times, and piece by piece, readers begin to see a connection just below the surface. Some disturbing scenes follow. 

I won’t say more for fear of spilling too many plot secrets, but this story is along the lines of M. Night Shyamalan’s The Village, though the conclusion is a bit less satisfying. Still, it’s a fun read and the plot twists and turns in interesting ways. I wouldn’t be surprised if this ends up being a Netflix series.

Ryan’s Rating: 4 out of 5
www.sheaernshaw.com