Unusual Suspects

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon to Star in Crime Thriller ‘RIP’

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Jamie Canaves

Contributing Editor

Jamie Canavés is the Tailored Book Recommendations coordinator and Unusual Suspects mystery newsletter writer–in case you’re wondering what you do with a Liberal Arts degree. She’s never met a beach she didn’t like, always says yes to dessert, loves ‘80s nostalgia, all forms of entertainment, and can hold a conversation using only gifs. You can definitely talk books with her on Litsy and Goodreads. Depending on social media’s stability maybe also Twitter and Bluesky.

Hello, mystery fans! I missed out on watching Veep when it began because I didn’t have HBO at the time, and then once The Onion started looking like real headlines, watching a satire on politics didn’t have the same appeal. But I was recently on an endless scroll looking for something to watch, and since I love Julia Louis-Dreyfus and her current podcast, Wiser Than Me, I just automatically hit play on Veep. I think I’m ten episodes in and have laughed A LOT. Also, please tell me someone punches Jonah!

Bookish Goods

a tarot card bookmark with the illustration of a ghost reading a book that says "sorry I ghosted you I was reading"

Ghosted You Tarot Card Bookmark by HappylittlethreadsAU

I love everything about this bookmark! $5

New Releases

cover image for A Ruse of Shadows

A Ruse of Shadows (Lady Sherlock #8) by
Sherry Thomas

For fans of witty banter, gender-swapped Sherlock, and intricate mysteries!

My favorite Sherlock is back! First, a bit about the series that is important to know: you can start here since Thomas does a great job of giving you the background info you need on all long-running plots and characters; however, it will ruin the previous books for you as many of those reveals were past twists and cliffhangers.

As for this book, I’m going to be a little vague because I don’t want to spoil past books nor anything in this one. This book contains Charlotte Holmes in the interrogation seat, Lord Ingram, a missing person case, a murder mystery, Moriarty, friends and foes, antagonists, and of course twists and witty banter!

This remains one of my favorite series, and I will continue dropping whatever I’m doing the second I get my hands on the next installment (as I’ve done since the first book).

The audiobook has a lovely narrator in Kate Reading.

If you want to start at the beginning(ish), pick up either the first or second in the series A Study in Scarlet Women and A Conspiracy in Belgravia.

cover image for Peg and Rose Play the Ponies

Peg and Rose Play the Ponies (Senior Sleuths Mystery #3) by Laurien Berenson

For fans of murder mysteries, odd couple pairings, and elderly crime solvers!

Peg and Rose are sister-in-laws who have only recently started to try and get along. When Peg decides to travel to her farm in Kentucky for the sale of one of her colts, she surprisingly asks Rose to come along. So naturally, they end up having to solve a murder when one of the farm’s managers, Jim Grable, is murdered!

Riot Recommendations

Here are two mysteries with “blood” in the title!

cover image for Bloody Monday Vol 1

Bloody Monday, Vol. 1 by Ryō Ryūmon, Kōji Megumi (Illustrator)

For fans of manga, hackers, high school student groups, and having to save a family member!

In school, his fellow students know him as Takagi Fujimaru, but his secret identity is Falcon, a genius hacker. After his father is accused of murder, Takagi decides to put his skills to use to prove he’s been framed. But it turns out his father is working for a secret government organization, and Takagi is about to discover that Tokyo is under a massive threat.

cover image for Death in Bloodhound

Death in Bloodhound Red (Jo Beth Sidden “Bloodhound” Mystery #1) by Virginia Lanier

For fans of bloodhounds, search and rescue, the heroine having to prove their innocence, and action and adventure!

Jo Beth Sidden is a bloodhound trainer in Georgia on the border of the Okefenokee Swamp, where she helps find missing persons. After helping friends entangled in a crime, Jo Beth’s abusive ex-husband is beaten almost to death. But Jo Beth can’t provide the alibi she needs to prove she didn’t do it because it would put her friends in danger and incriminate them all.

News and Roundups


Browse the books recommended in Unusual Suspects’s previous newsletters on this shelf. See upcoming 2024 releases and mysteries from 2023. Check out this Unusual Suspects Pinterest board and get Tailored Book Recommendations!

Until next time, keep investigating! In the meantime, come talk books with me on Bluesky, Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads, and Litsy — you can find me under Jamie Canavés.

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