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Black, Cara. Murder at la Villette. Soho Crime. (Aimée Leduc Investigation, Bk. 21). Mar. 2024. 288p. ISBN 9781641294478. $27.95. MYSTERY/INTERNATIONAL

Aimée Leduc, Black’s irrepressibly savvy Parisian private investigator, is back with a big problem. She’s been framed for the murder of her testy ex, Melac, the father of her daughter, and must prove herself innocent even as she figures out who wanted Melac dead. As usual, Black takes us to the less-traveled parts of Paris, this time the far-flung, still cobble-streeted 19th arrondissement.

Bowen, Rhys & Clare Broyles. In Sunshine or in Shadow. Minotaur: St. Martin’s. (Molly Murphy Mysteries, Bk. 20). Mar. 2024. 304p. ISBN 9781250890788. $28. MYSTERY/HISTORICAL

With summer and typhoid descending, an expectant Molly Murphy Sullivan leaves 1907 Manhattan for her mother-in-law’s home in lowkey Westchester County. She soon breaks the monotony by visiting friends in a Catskills artists colony, where a dead body inevitably pops up. Next in the Anthony– and Agatha Award–winning series from Bowen, writing with daughter Broyles.

Childs, Laura. Murder in the Tea Leaves. Berkley. (Tea Shop Mystery, Bk. 27). Mar. 2024. 304p. ISBN 9780593200988. $28. MYSTERY/COZY

Tea maven Theodosia Browning is reading tea leaves on the set of the movie Dark Fortunes when the lights dim, the cameras roll riotously, and the director dies in an electrical accident—but is it? Theodosia and her tea sommelier, Drayton, are soon investigating a motley crew that includes a pot-smoking screenwriter, a reluctant leading lady, and a duplicitous Hollywood agent.

Corbett, Ron. Cape Rage. Berkley. (Danny Barrett, Bk. 2). Mar. 2024. 304p. ISBN 9780593440384. $28. MYSTERY/POLICE PROCEDURAL

When a Seattle bank is robbed, the FBI sends undercover agent Danny Barrett to investigate. The chief suspects are the Danby family, longtime smugglers living in the wilds of the Pacific Northwest, and Danny is the bureau’s go-to guy for crime beyond city limits. Following the well-received series starter, The Sweet Goodbye.

Cosimano, Elle. Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice. Minotaur: St. Martin’s. (Finlay Donovan, Bk. 4). Mar. 2024. 320p. ISBN 9781250846006. $28. Downloadable. MYSTERY

Finlay Donovan is heading to Atlantic City with nanny and sister crimefighter Vero for a relaxing weekend, but that’s just a cover. Actually, they’re hoping to make a deal with a slick loan shark, find a stolen car, and rescue Vero’s childhood crush, Javi, from a nasty kidnapper. Predictably, nothing goes as planned. With a 150,000-copy first printing.

Estes, Christina. Off the Air. Minotaur: St. Martin’s. Mar. 2024. 320p. ISBN 9781250863850. $28. MYSTERY

When controversial talk show host Larry Lemmon dies under murky circumstances in Phoenix, AZ, local TV reporter Jolene Garcia is on the scene (along with a horde of competitors). She was the last person to have interviewed Lemmon, and she’s determined to solve his murder. A Tony Hillerman Prize–winning debut; with a 50,000-copy first printing.

Gentill, Sulari. The Mystery Writer. Poisoned Pen: Sourcebooks. Mar. 2024. 400p. ISBN 9781728290362. $34.99; pap. ISBN 9781728285184. $16.99. MYSTERY

To complete her novel, Theo Benton eagerly moves from Australia to Kansas City, MO, where she meets and falls in love with the writer she has always idolized. Alas, he is murdered the day after reading her novel, and the prime suspect is Theo’s brother Gus. Gentill penned the USA Today best-selling The Woman in the Library and Ned Kelly–honored After She Wrote Him.

Hall, Tamron. Watch Where They Hide. Morrow. (Jordan Manning). Mar. 2024. 384p. ISBN 9780063037083. $29. lrg. prnt. MYSTERY

Having moved in with sister Shelly after fleeing an abusive husband, Marla Hancock gets up one morning, drops her child off at preschool, and vanishes. The police aren’t hustling to find her, so Shelly turns to investigative reporter Jordan Manning, a skilled professional but still feeling the pressure to prove herself as a Black woman. From the Emmy Award–winning Hall, following her well-received debut, As the Wicked Watch; with a 100,000-copy first printing.

Horowitz, Anthony. Close to Death. Harper. (Hawthorne and Horowitz Mystery). Mar. 2024. 384p. ISBN 9780063305649. $30. CD. MYSTERY

A quiet sanctuary comprising six houses that sit behind locked gates in a rumbling city, Riverside Close is suddenly disrupted by the arrival of the Kentworthys, who bring with them loud cars, loud children, and a loud desire to build a swimming pool. The neighbors are appalled, so there’s no dearth of suspects when Charles Kentworthy is found dead with a crossbow bolt through his chest. Mystery book and TV legend Horowitz gets a 100,000-copy first printing.

Pandian, Gigi. A Midnight Puzzle. Minotaur: St. Martin’s. (Secret Staircase Mysteries, Bk. 3). 352p. ISBN 9781250880208. $28. Downloadable. MYSTERY

When Julian Rhodes fails to kill his wife as planned, he blames her so-called accident on faulty construction by the Secret Staircase Construction, Tempest Raj’s family business. Desperate to save the business, Tempest agrees to meet with Julian after a frantic midnight call—and finds him dead. Next in a popular new series from the multi-award-winning Pandian.

Raybourn, Deanna. A Grave Robbery. Berkley. (Veronica Speedwell Mystery). Mar. 2024. 336p. ISBN 9780593545959. $28. MYSTERY/HISTORICAL

The lover of ever-sleuthing lepidopterist Veronica Speedwell, Revelstoke “Stoker” Templeton-Vane is in for a shock when asked to equip a beautiful wax figure with a clockwork mechanism that will make it even more lifelike; the figure is actually a carefully preserved young woman. Soon, Veronica and Stoker are seeking out the killer, hoping to prevent another murder. Next in the Victorian-set series by the Edgar Award–winning Raybourn.

Tintera, Amy. Listen for the Lie. Holt. Mar. 2024. 352p. ISBN 9781250880314. $26.99. Downloadable. MYSTERY

Best friends Lucy and Savvy are the darlings of their little Texas town, with Lucy marrying her pick of beaus and Savvy boasting several. Then, on a night she cannot recall, Lucy appears covered in Savvy’s blood. Years later, she finally confronts the past when a true-crime podcaster decides to revisit Savvy’s murder. The New York Times best-selling YA author goes adult; with a 150,000-copy first printing.

Trinchieri, Camilla. The Road to Murder. Soho Crime. (Tuscan Mystery, Bk. 4). Mar. 2024. 336p. ISBN 9781641295567. $27.95. MYSTERY/INTERNATIONAL

After the death of his wife, NYPD detective Nico Doyle moved to her Italian hometown, Gravigna, and built a new life; the locals even praise his cooking. Sometimes the local carabinieri have needed his help, as they surely do in this latest venture; the one person found at the scene of a local woman’s murder speaks only English. Since widowed Signora Nora had several lovers and two disgruntled adult daughters, suspects abound. A satisfying series.

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