Tuesday, August 15, 2017

Top Ten Tuesday - Ten Books for New Mystery Readers

This week's Top Ten Tuesday topic from the Broke and the Bookish is 10 Book Recommendations for --.  Since I'm in a bit of a mystery phase right now I thought I'd do 10 Book Recommendations for New Mystery Readers.

Children's Mysteries

1.  The Boxcar Children Great Adventure: Journey on a Runaway Train by Gertrude Chandler Warren -  The Tornado (now age 7 but probably starting at age 5) is a huge Boxcar Children fan.  In fact the audio books were what really got him reading on his own.  I'm not usually a fan of rebooted series but this one is so much fun!  There's history and a bit of a treasure hunt and all kinds of fun antics.

2.  Summer of the Woods by Steven K. Smith - This is another series with a history element but in the best way possible.  This is the story of 2 brothers and their friend getting into all kinds of hijinks in Virginia and it's a lot of fun.  The mysteries are fun and the history is fascinating.  I've even picked up a few tidbits that I didn't know!

3.  The Mummy with No Name by Geronimo Stilton - Geronimo Stilton mysteries are so much fun and are fun for readers just starting chapter books.  There's lots of gorgeous illustrations, colorful text and hijinks and mayhem galore.

4.  Gilda Joyce: Psychic Investigator by Jennifer Allison - This is one that I stumbled on almost by accident at the library and it's one I think my girls would have really enjoyed in 4th to 6th grade or so.  Gilda's an interesting character who has a talent for getting into trouble.  This wasn't the best mystery but the characters make up for it.

5.  The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin - I just reread it and remembered just why I loved it so much as a kid.  It's a great mystery and a fun read as well.  While a murder is discussed the bulk of the mystery is more of a treasure hunt and a wonderfully done one.  It was one of my favorites from about 5th grade and up and one of my daughter's has read it so many times her copy has fallen to pieces!

Mysteries for Adults

1.  A Share in Death by Deborah Crombie - This is a super solid police procedural with really great characters and fascinating mysteries.  They get more serious as the series goes on but if anything this series just keeps getting better!

2.  Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie - Of course I had to have an Agatha Christie book!  This is a great one to start with because it's Poirot at his most likable and it's a great cast of characters.

3.  The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King - If you're looking for a historical setting and love a twist on the Sherlock Holmes story than you can't go wrong with King's Mary Russell series which features an older Holmes and his young wife Mary Russell.

4.  The Readaholics and the Gothic Gala by Laura DiSilverio - I couldn't make this list without including a cozy!  There are so many great cozies to choose from but this very bookish mystery which involved book club chat, a dead body, and a really fun mystery is one of my favorites!

5.  The Hexed by Heather Graham - If you like a little paranormal in your reading the Krewe of Hunters by Graham is one of the best and The Hexed is one of my favorites.  This is a fun series involving ghosts, witches, history and a very modern day murder.  Don't let the size of the Krewe series scare you.  You can jump in where you want and almost all feature different main characters who are connected by paranormal investigations only.

What mysteries would you recommend to new mystery readers of all ages?

37 comments:

  1. Nice to see the Boxcar Children still going strong. And A Share in Death doesn't look bad either, maybe I should try that series. I've seen deborah Crombie's name pop up a few times.

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  2. You can't wrong with a classic Agatha book. When I was young, I remember reading a lot of Nancy Drew mysteries, but it didn't take long before I graduated to stories like The Godfather(lol) This is a really good list, that I'm saving for ideas for my granddaughter. Hugs...

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  3. I was forced here by Caffeinated, anyway. I'm more of a Hardy Boys kid than Boxcar Children =D

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  4. I need to read more straight mysteries. I will have to check these out!

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  5. The Krewe series by Heather Graham souds right up my alley!

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  6. I read all of the Boxcar Mysteries..LOL Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, Krewe of Hunters, The Letter Murders. Great list!

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  7. Those Geronimo Stilton books are so incredibly popular! I don't read a ton of mysteries these days, but I used to. I loved Tess Gerritsen's The Surgeon and The Harvest. Have you ever read those?

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  8. Wow, you know for a person who loves mysteries I haven't read any of those. I have read Heather Graham but not that one you mentioned at least not yet...lol. I fail, I really need to read Agatha Christie I feel like I can't be a mystery lover if I haven't read her...lol.

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  9. I can't believe it. But I have not read any of your suggested titles. Sigh. So many books. I think I will get to the Agatha Christie first. My TTT

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  10. I'm visiting from the Top Ten Tuesday linkup and you have some great recommendations. I enjoyed The Westing Game as well. I've been trying to recommend it to a little girl I tutor but so far, she's not interested. Bummer but I'll keep trying. I am sure when she reads it, she will love it.

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  11. I'm all about mysteries and finding new authors so I will definitely be checking these out!! Thanks so much for the recs!! <3

    My TTT-10 Recs. for Baking lovers: https://readingwithjessica.wordpress.com/2017/08/15/top-ten-tuesday-recs-for-baking-lovers/

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  12. Great list, Katherine! I've read and loved all of the adult mysteries you list except the cozy. (Well, I like the Krewe of Hunters books, but I can't quite say I love them the way I do the Crombie books, Christie, and Laurie King's Mary Russell series.) And of course, I've read The Westing Game!

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  13. Great list. I never read Geronimo but very popular with the young readers in my class when I was teaching. Not really a huge, or even a little bit of a mystery reader myself.

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  14. The Westing Game was one awesome! :)

    Check out my TTT and my current giveaway

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  15. I have read exactly zero books on your list. I love mystery but haven't read any of these! I have some work to do!

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  16. Such a great list. I loved reading The Boxcar Children books with my son when he was younger.

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  17. I keep looking for The Boxcar Children to go on ebook sale, or I should say, again, ha ha, because I did see the first three as a bundle on sale once, but I was flat broke. :D

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  18. I've never read an Agatha Christie novel, but do love all of the adaptations and am excited about the film coming this fall. It looks SO good. :)

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  19. Great list and you chose the perfect Agatha Christie book to include.

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  20. I never knew about the Box Car mysteries, I think I need to feed my inner child. :) I loved Murder on the Orient Express.

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  21. I've not read any of these, but they look good. I've been reading more mystery/suspense type stories lately. I will have to check to see who the audiobooks are.

    Melanie @ Hot Listens & Rabid Reads

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  22. So many many good mystery authors around now. One I liked very much Anna Lee Huber (also with a touch of history).

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  23. Love Agatha Christie and historical mysteries in general.

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  24. Christies books are gold :) I should read more mystery...
    Happy TTT!

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  25. I really need to get The Westing Game. My kids read it but I haven't.

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  26. I've really been into mysteries these days, too. I've been reading lots of crime fiction, which gets very gory and dark, so I'm loving these lighter recommendations. I've only read one Agatha Christie book -- AND THEN THERE WERE NONE -- and I definitely want to try more. ORIENT EXPRESS sounds like the perfect place to start! Oh, and I was hunting on Netflix for a mystery series I could watch without having to switch it off every time my kids came in the room and I discovered Poirot. I'm really enjoying it!

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  27. I like that you made a list for adults and children. I took notes on both lists. :-) I really liked diSilverio's book also. And you can't go wrong with Agatha Christie!

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  28. Great list, and I love that you had children's selections. I loved the Bobbsey Twins series when I was a kid. My older sister also had Trixie Belden, and I read those ones too. I definitely want to read Krewe of Hunters series! And I still need to read Agatha Christie. My favourite cozy mystery series is Agatha Raisin. She's a hoot!

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  29. Love that you split the list by age level! Will definitely be checking some of those out. :)

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  30. This is a wonderful list. I'm a huge fan of Geronimo Stilton and The Westing Game. Thank you!

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  31. Summer of the Woods sounds really intriguing! My TTT

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  32. Of course, you've gotta have some Christie!

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  33. Great list! I also liked Harriet the Spy as a kid. I wanted to be just like her!

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