Find a Mystery for Summer Reading | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Kathy Manos Penn is a native of the “Big Apple,” who settled in the “Peach City” – Atlanta. A former English teacher now happily retired from a corporate career in communications, she writes a weekly column for the Dunwoody Crier. Read her blogs and purchase her book, “The Ink Penn: Celebrating the Magic in the Everyday” on her website theinkpenn.com.

    I'm fond of saying, "A girl can never have too many books," and I'll add, "A girl should never pass up an opportunity to buy more!" That's why my collection has grown by leaps and bounds over the past month and is sure to do so again at the next Library Sale.

    I started at the Lemonade Days Festival Book Store where my book was for sale in Georgia in April. Since I manned the booth for two days, I "had" to buy a book. Next, I sat with the Friends of the Library at another festival last weekend. Again, I couldn't just sell my book; I "had" to buy a few of theirs. Now, I'm anticipating roaming through the larger selection of books at an upcoming Library sale.

    Mysteries are my favorites, especially those set in England. For quite some time, I've been stuck in the post-WWI era, though I also enjoy modern times. When I find a mystery series I like, I try to read them in order. The library can't carry every book in every series, so I'm always on the hunt to fill the gaps.

    If you're a mystery fan, you'll want to check out my list of favorites:

    Jacqueline Winspear

    Her Maisie Dobbs series starts in post-WWI England, with flashbacks to Maisie's early life before the war. I strongly recommend you read these in order, as the character development is critical to enjoying these mysteries.

    Charles Todd

    This series also begins in post-WWI England, and the main character is Inspector Rutledge of Scotland Yard. I stumbled across one of these books at a Library Sale−where else?−and, I've been hooked ever since. I've got the 19th in the series on reserve at the library.

    Sally Spencer

    Her Chief Inspector Woodend series is set in the 1950s and 60s England. I started with #16 in this series of twenty, and I've been searching for the earlier tales ever since. I've worked my way up to #12 with a combination of library books and Amazon used books.

    Louise Penny

    I moved back across the pond for this series set in the Canadian province of Quebec. Just across the border with New York lies the quaint town of Three Pines, filled with characters you'll come to love. It's important to start at the beginning here too, with "Still Life: A Three Pines Mystery," or you'll miss out on the character development over the course of these twelve books.

    Jane Haddam

    Moving back to the USA, a friend recommended the Gregor DeMarkian series set in Philadelphia. DeMarkian is called the "Armenian-American Poirot." I found the first in this 29 book series at the library and have now made it to #8.

    Brent Monahan

    Sheriff Le Brun, who lives in Brunswick, GA, is the protagonist. I read a WSJ review of "The St. Simons Island Club," the fourth in the series, and went in search of the first one, "The Jekyll Island Club." These mysteries, set in the early 1900s, include real-life characters like J.P Morgan and Joseph Pulitzer.

    If my list has introduced you to a few new authors, maybe you'll search for them in your area. Here's to happy hunting