Table of contents for September 2023 in Booklist Reader

The Burglar in the Library. By Lawrence Block. 1997. Dutton. Thief and Greenwich Village bookseller Bernie Rhoden-barr is on a busman’s holiday—a charming weekend at an Upstate New York B&B—but his real reason for being there is to steal a first edition of Raymond Chandler’s The Big Sleep (not just any first edition but one inscribed to Dashiell Hammett). Delightfully, Bernie sets off to steal a hard-boiled novel and winds up the hero in an English country house mystery. By Its Cover. By Donna Leon. 2014. Atlantic Monthly. The premise of this delicious Guido Brunetti novel involves the theft and mutilation of rare books from a private research library, and much of the action takes place in the library itself, with Brunetti inhaling the aroma of aging parchment and fondly…

Argentina Repentance. By Eloísa Díaz. Read by Richard Burnip. 2022. 9hr. Orange Sky Audio. Burnip strikes the perfect tone for this dual–time line noir of murder and disappearance in Buenos Aires during the 2001 economic collapse and 1981 military dictatorship. England Take It Back. By Kia Abdullah. Read by a full cast. 2020. 11.5hr. Macmillan Audio. A poignant legal thriller that looks hard at contemporary London, intensified by an arresting, diverse, multi-cast performance. Ghana The Missing American. By Kwei Quartey. Read by Robin Miles. 2020. 13hr. Recorded Books. The dangers of internet scams and police corruption in Accra are heightened as acclaimed narrator Miles nimbly crafts realistic vocal characterizations and distinguishing accents. India The Bangalore Detectives Club. By Harini Nagendra. Read by Soneela Nankani. 2022. 9hr. Blackstone. Independent, intelligent, newlywed Kaveri…

Akata Witch. By Nnedi Okorafor. 2011. Viking. Gr. 6–9. Descended both from magical Leopard People and from Lambs, who lack magic, albino Nigerian Sunny uses her innate powers to track down a serial killer targeting other Leopard kids. Okorafor continues the spellbinding world building she established here in Akata Warrior (2017) and Akata Woman (2022). Bruja Born. By Zoraida Córdova. 2018. Sourcebooks/Fire. Gr. 9–12. When Lula tries to resurrect her boyfriend after a fatal bus crash, the spell she and her sisters cast only sort of works, and now he’s casimuerto, or half-dead. He’s not the only casimuerto in town, though, and Lula and her sisters try to get to the bottom of some gruesome murders before it’s too late. Chime. By Franny Billingsley. 2011. Dial. Gr. 8–12. In this…

In the U.S., Spanish is spoken by an estimated 41 million residents, making it the second-most-spoken language in the country. Those numbers account for speakers with heritage from over 20 Latin American countries, with differences in dialects and even fluency—especially among generations. The following picture books are available in separate English and Spanish editions or in bilingual editions, with both English and Spanish text or with Spanish phrases appearing throughout. Parents whose primary language is Spanish can feel empowered to engage with a text alongside their child, and for families fluent in both languages, the availability and use of these titles allow them to maintain a connection with their heritage. The range of topics and tones makes it easy to find a good story, and not just during Latinx Heritage…

The Art Thief: A True Story of Love, Crime, and a Dangerous Obsession. By Michael Finkel. 2023. Knopf. Over nearly eight years, Stéphane Breitwieser stole a work of art once every dozen or so days, amassing over 300 objects. Finkel examines the circumstances that fed Breitwieser’s obsession and led to his crimes and his downfall. Coal Country Killing: A Culture, a Union, and the Murders That Changed It All. By Robert K. Tanenbaum and Steve Jackson. 2023. Post Hill. Tanenbaum and Jackson chronicle the shocking 1969 murders of Joseph Yablonski and his family after he was defeated as president of the mine workers’ union. The Con Queen of Hollywood: The Hunt for an Evil Genius. By Scott C. Johnson. 2023. Harper. The diabolical Con Queen of Hollywood convinced his victims…

Barrio America: How Latino Immigrants Saved the American City. By A. K. Sandoval-Strausz. 2019. Basic. Sandoval-Strausz recounts the history of the modern American city through the lens of Latino immigration. Crimes of the Tongue: Essays and Stories. By Alicia Gaspar de Alba. 2022. Arte Publico. Gaspar de Alba considers her life in the borderlands and such “crimes of the tongue” as speaking both English and Spanish in this wide-ranging mix of essays and short fiction, many focused on women, including iconic female figures from Mexican history and folklore. Cuba: An American History. By Ada Ferrer. 2021. Scribner. In her Pulitzer Prize–winning history, Ferrer examines in unique depth the important role Cuba has played in American life, from the run-up to the Civil War to Fidel Castro’s alliance with the Soviet…

Bright Lights, Big Christmas Mary Kay Andrews (St. Martin’s Press) NoveList read-alike: Seasons of Love by Helena Greer The Last Devil to Die: A Thursday Murder Club Mystery Richard Osman (Pamela Dorman Books) NoveList read-alike: Marlow Murder Club series by Robert Thorogood Enchanted to Meet You: A Witches of West Harbor Novel Meg Cabot (Avon) NoveList read-alike: Small Town, Big Magic by Hazel Beck Starter Villain John Scalzi (Tor Books) NoveList read-alike: Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots Black Sheep Rachel Harrison (Berkley) NoveList read-alike: Sundial by Catriona Ward The Fragile Threads of Power V.E. Schwab (Tor Books) NoveList read-alike: The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon The Wake-Up Call Beth O'Leary (Berkley) NoveList read-alike: The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon Cleat Cute: A Novel Meryl Wilsner (St. Martin’s Griffin) NoveList…

All the Dangerous Things. By Stacy Willingham. Read by Karissa Vacker. 2023. 10hr. Macmillan Audio. In an attempt to find her missing son, Isabelle connects with a true-crime podcaster, but all is not as it seems. Vacker does a remarkable job keeping the tension high. Babysitter. By Joyce Carol Oates. Read by a full cast. 2022. 17.5hr. Books on Tape. In mid-1970s Detroit, a serial killer who preys on children sets off a dark and devastating chain of events. Cassandra Campbell voices main character Hannah in quiet, whispery tones. The Cage. By Bonnie Kistler. Read by Piper Goodeve and Chris Andrew Ciulla. 2022. 10.5hr. HarperAudio. Two women step into an elevator; one emerges alive. Goodeve and Ciulla offer dual narration for this modern-day locked-room thriller. Production techniques elevate the audio…

The Expeditioners and the Treasure of Drowned Man’s Canyon. By S. S. Taylor. Illus. by Katherine Roy. 2012. McSweeneys/McMullens. Gr. 6–9. Kit’s father, a famous cartographer, left a secret map behind when he went missing, and Kit and his siblings use it (and their considerable puzzle-solving and orienteering skills) to track down a treasure before the villainous Expedition Society finds it. The Cartographer’s Daughter. By Kiran Millwood Hargrave. 2016. Knopf. Gr. 5–8. Mapmaking underpins this story of Isabella, the titular daughter of a cartographer, living on an island ruled by a harsh governor. When a girl is murdered, Isabella and the governor’s daughter venture into a maze of puzzles to learn the truth. The Glass Sentence. By S. E. Grove. 2014. Viking. Gr. 6–9. In a world fractured by a…

Older The Collectors: An Anthology. Ed. by A. S. King. Dutton. Gr. 9–12. A cadre of award-winning and best-selling authors—including Jason Reynolds, Anna-Marie McLemore, and M. T. Anderson—contributes stories to this anthology edited by Printz-winning King. Foul Heart Huntsman. By Chloe Gong. Simon & Schuster/Margaret K. McElderry. Gr. 9–12. Gong wraps up the duology started with Foul Lady Fortune (2022) here, with Rosalind—her identity now revealed—racing to rescue Orion as the Japanese invasion looms ever closer. This Winter. By Alice Oseman. Scholastic. Gr. 9–12. This novella set in the world of Oseman’s best-selling Heartstopper, also a popular Netflix series, follows the Spring siblings during the holidays. Middle Chinese Menu: The History, Myths, and Legends behind Your Favorite Foods. By Grace Lin. Illus. by the author. Little, Brown. Gr. 3–7. With…

Confidence. By Denise Mina. 2022. Little, Brown/Mulholland. True-crime podcasters Ana McDonald and Finn Cohen are digging into the connection between a missing urban explorer and the re-emergence of a coveted Christian relic. But have they landed in the middle of a Schrodinger’s Cat conundrum? And is the cat alive or dead or both? Dark Circles. By Caite Dolan-Leach. 2022. Ballantine. TV star Liv and friend Ava, both detoxing at a New Age retreat, start a true-crime podcast to determine how four women at the retreat died. If you love Only Murders in the Building, you won’t be able to resist this one. Death of a Bookseller. By Alice Slater. 2023. Penzler/Scarlet. Brogan, a bookseller and true-crime junkie whose favorite podcast is The Murder Girls, becomes dangerously obsessed with a new…

Fiction Amazing Grace Adams. By Fran Littlewood. Holt. A woman facing down middle age walks across London to regain her status as “amazing” from her husband, her teenage daughter, and herself in this funny debut being compared to Where’d You Go, Bernadette and Eleanor Oli-phant Is Completely Fine. The Armor of Light. By Ken Follett. Viking. Follett’s long-awaited latest is the sequel to A Column of Fire (2017), the fifth in the Kingsbridge series, an expansive tale of nineteenth-century Europe, where technology-advanced industry and Napoleon went to war. Bright Young Women. By Jessica Knoll. Scribner/Marysue Rucci. Knoll’s last book, Luckiest Girl Alive, was a best-seller turned Netflix movie. Her next thriller, set in the 1970s, brings together two women affected by the crimes of a Ted Bundy–esque serial killer. The…

Hispanic Heritage Month begins Friday, September 15, 2023, and goes through October 15, 2023. This celebratory period pays tribute to the generations of Hispanic Americans who have positively impacted and enriched our nation and society. It celebrates U.S. Latinos and their culture and history. Over the years, PBS Books has interviewed numerous talented Hispanic authors who write across various genres and for different age groups. Highlights include Luis Alberto Urrea, Ada Limón, Sandra Cisneros, Kelly Lytle Hernández, Claribel A. Ortega, Meg Medina, Anika Aldamuy Denise, and many more. To see any of these videos, go to pbsbooks.org/hispanicheritage. PBS Books and IMLS have partnered to create “Visions of America: All Stories, All People, All Places,” a digital-first series of videos and virtual conversations that explores our nation with a renewed interest…

Drew Leclair Gets a Clue. By Katryn Bury. Read by Devon Hales. 2022. 6.5hr. HarperAudio. Gr. 5–8. Drew, a true-crime fan, encounters her own mystery when an online bully takes over her middle school. Hales gives Drew a snarky, gumshoe voice. Firekeeper’s Daughter. By Angeline Boulley. Read by Isabella Star LaBlanc. 2021. 14hrs. Macmillan Audio. Gr. 10–12. Caught between her Ojibwe tribe and her desire to help the FBI, Daunis is faced with difficult choices when she witnesses a murder. LaBlanc’s reading is sensitive and tension-filled. Jennifer Chan Is Not Alone. By Tae Keller. Read by a full cast. 2022. 7hr. Listening Library. Gr. 4–7. After Jennifer goes missing, her notebook becomes a key to her disappearance. A full cast helps differentiate “now” and “then” in this sincere and emotional…

More than just a collection of novels that incorporate elements of the seemingly indefatigable true-crime podcast format into their narrations, these recent YA titles turn a critical eye to that format itself. Podcasts like My Favorite Murder and Crime Junkie—and those are just the tip of the iceberg—have garnered millions of monthly downloads and spawned fan clubs, catchphrases, and merchandise. But amid all that buzz, what often gets lost is that these are real cases about real people, many recent enough that the people connected to them are still alive. While the true-crime-podcast trend shows no sign of slowing down, neither does this trend of YA thrillers that feature characters who are not only caught up in mysteries of their own but are also grappling with the very nature of…