Mystery Reads

The Bodie Island Lighthouse Library Classic Novel Book Club is reading Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne while workers dig into the earth to repair the Lighthouse Library’s foundations. The digging halts when Lucy pulls a battered tin box containing a Civil War-era diary from the pit. Tucked inside is a hand-drawn map of the Outer Banks, accompanied by a page written in an indecipherable code.

Twenty million dollars' worth of missing gems bring Carrie Singleton's long-lost and larcenous dad back into her life, and it's up to Carrie to clear his name.

When Erin books a last-minute villa on Italy's stunning Amalfi Coast, she hopes it will be the perfect chance to repair her fractured family. Upon arrival, they meet Tristan and Bea, the alluring siblings vacationing in the villa next door. But their idyllic getaway quickly unravels when Erin's teenage son Jesse goes missing after a party, and a body is found on the beach. As secrets and lies are exposed, Erin realises her family is being targeted by someone with a sinister agenda.

When Beth moves to the beautiful island of Bermuda to set up a tax haven for her family, she never expects to be drawn into a deadly game of cat and mouse. As the body count on the island rises with blackmail, corruption, arson, catfishing, and sex tapes intertwined, Beth teams up with locals Tony Durant, a former attorney for the Ministry of Justice in London, and Serena Steede, a local investigator, to form a small law firm to defend the accused.

Miranda Abbott, once known for the crime-solving, karate-chopping church pastor she played on network television, has hit hard times. Turned down for a role on a cable reality show, Miranda is facing ruin when a mysterious postcard arrives, summoning her to Happy Rock, a small town in the Pacific Northwest. But when she gets there, nothing is what she expected. In dire straits, she signs up for an amateur production at the Happy Rock Little Theatre, competing against the local real estate agent for the lead role. On opening night, one of the actors is murdered, live.

Darcy finally feels like she's found her place in small town Brookhaven. Her magic is blossoming and she's even worked up the courage to ask the town healer to be her date to the biggest wedding in town. But Darcy's romantic happiness takes a backseat when the groom turns up dead. Darcy knows she shouldn't get involved in yet another murder investigation, but when her date winds up as a suspect, she'll do anything to set the record straight.

Winter falls on North Carolina's Outer Banks as Lucy Richardson and her friends joyfully help her favorite cousin, Josie O'Malley, plan her wedding. The owner and head baker of Josie's Cozy Bakery and her fiance, Chef Jake Greenblatt, want a small, simple wedding. But to their horror, Josie's imperious grandmother, Gloria, descends with the "Louisiana Mafia", a gaggle of aunts and cousins who intend to take control of the wedding plans. Gloria doesn't do small and simple, and cousin Mirabelle has her own ideas for Josie's wedding, something grand and lavish.

While investigating a fairly straightforward case of a shape-shifting interdimensional child predator, Dave, John, and Amy realized there might actually be something weird going on. Together, they navigate a diabolically convoluted maze of illusions, lies, and their own incompetence in an attempt to uncover a terrible truth they - like you - would be better off not knowing.

When Gemma finds a rare and potentially valuable magazine hidden in the bookshop, she and her friend Jayne set off to find the owner, only to stumble upon a dead body. The highly perceptive Gemma is the police's first suspect, so she puts her consummate powers of deduction to work to clear her name, investigating a handsome rare books expert, the dead woman's suspiciously unmoved son, and a whole family of greedy characters desperate to cash in on their inheritance.

Every year, Caroline Reed takes a trip with her best friend, Esme Lamont. They’re usually accompanied by their spouses - but this year, everything’s changed. Esme has just gone through a bitter divorce, and Caroline's wondering if her own marriage is reaching its breaking point as she and her husband, John, cope with the discovery that their son has been abusing drugs. Still, the inseparable duo books a weeklong stay at a beach-front home in Shoreham, Florida, inviting Esme’s brother, Nick, and his new husband. After a blissful first night in the vacation home, tragedy strikes.

Answering Shakespeare trivia comes with the job description for library director Lindsey Norris. But when the Briar Creek Community Theater mounts their newest production of the Bard, she has no intention of leaving the stacks for the stage. Unfortunately a villain is waiting in the wings....

Erin is a documentary filmmaker on the brink of a professional breakthrough, Mark a handsome investment banker with big plans. Passionately in love, they embark on a dream honeymoon to the tropical island of Bora Bora, where they enjoy the sun, the sand, and each other. Then, while scuba diving in the crystal blue sea, they find something in the water....

When her week begins, Rarity expects the biggest mystery she'll need to solve is how a rare first edition of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland ended up in her bookstore bathroom. But after book club member Shirley tells her that her husband George, who has dementia, is the prime suspect in a nursing home murder, Rarity feels as if she's stepped through the looking glass.

Montagues, Magic and Murder! Life in Brookhaven has settled down for Darcy. She's gained more control over and confidence in her magic. And she's happily dating Maggie. When she discovers she has family in the area, Darcy can't imagine things going any better. But when a night out at the theater for her cousin's production of Romeo and Juliet turns deadly and Darcy 's new cousin looks like a prime suspect, she's bound up in another murder investigation. Proving her family's innocence seems simple enough but the more Darcy digs, the more she unearths a twisted obsession and dangerous magic.

Vivian, a former reporter and a newlywed, doesn’t know what to do with herself after an incident with her husband forces her to question their partnership and her future. Yearning for the ocean air and a sense of home, she retreats to Tybee Island to clear her head and visit her Nana, a retired PI who now struggles with dementia. The phone rings: Catherine Grant, a housewife living in a private development nearby, woke up to find her husband and their baby girl missing, and she is desperate for help.

When her new editor is murdered right next to her, Poppy knows she needs Ophelia's help to get justice for Ellie. The two of them quickly find themselves in the middle of a scandal rocking the world of professional chess that could lead them to the killer.

When gossipy notes written in the margins of an old book turn out to be clues to the disappearance of another guest, Mia finds herself diving headfirst into a dangerous adventure. With everyone at the resort hiding secrets of their own, she’ll have to solve this real-life mystery before she becomes the next target.

Mike and his friends are ready to friends are ready to donate books from their own libraries for the school's book drive. But when Mike realizes his favorite book from the Dino Spy—Private Eye series is missing, what will he do? Acting like a private eye will make all the difference, and Mike is on the case.

From Matt Shaw comes the story of a new breed of serial killer - a stranger who travels the country kidnapping his victims before torturing them and discarding them in a field, dressed up as scarecrows.

Cassandra Bowden is no stranger to hungover mornings. She's a binge drinker, her job with the airline making it easy to find adventure, and the occasional blackouts seem to be inevitable. She lives with them and the accompanying self-loathing. When she awakes in a Dubai hotel room, she tries to piece the previous night back together, counting the minutes until she has to catch her crew shuttle to the airport. She quietly slides out of bed, careful not to aggravate her already pounding head, and looks at the man she spent the night with.