ON THE SHELF: mystery, thriller titles available from New Large Print collection

Published 6:27 am Monday, July 14, 2025

This column features suggested reads from the Warren County-Vicksburg Public Library.

This column was submitted by Evangeline Cessna, local technical services librarian at the Warren County-Vicksburg Public Library.

The latest by author Rebecca Connolly is titled “The Crime Brûlée Bake Off.” Claire Walker is thrilled to have been selected as a contestant on the hugely popular show, Britain’s Battle of the Bakers. She and her fellow contestants will use historical equipment to bring pre-1900’s recipes to life and compete for fifty thousand pounds — enough for Claire to ditch her teaching job and start her baking career. Jonathan Ainsley, the Viscount of Colburn and custodian of Blackfirth Park has reluctantly agreed to host the entire production team, but he refuses to participate to avoid unwanted female attention. When a contestant is found dead, Jonathan is forced to get involved. The baker’s death is eerily similar to how the tenth Viscountess of Colburn died some 250 years earlier. As the rumors fly, so do the sparks between Claire and Jonathan.

The next two titles are by Dana Mentink — “Fugitive Search” and “Hunted on the Trail.” In “Fugitive Search,” a murderer is out for revenge and closer than they think. Catherine Hart had to go into hiding after her father was killed. When the murderer is caught and arrested, she thinks it’s okay to come out of hiding—until the maniac escapes and kidnaps her. Thanks to private investigator Garrett Wolfe and his tracking dog, Catherine is rescued just in time. The two decide to join forces and find Catherine’s kidnapped uncle and stop her sister from walking straight into a trap. When their search turns up more questions, will Catherine and Garrett be able to survive the truth?

In “Hunted on the Trail,” former cop Stephanie Wolfe realizes that the tracking competition she has entered with her bloodhound is a setup. An escaped fugitive has lured her into the remote wilderness to take revenge on her. Bounty hunter Vance Silverton-Stephanie’s ex-boyfriend — is also caught in the murderer’s trap. Stephanie, Vance and their two dogs are cut off from civilization with few supplies and must count on one another to survive. On top of everything else, there is a horrendous storm bearing down on them. Will the cold-blooded killer or the storm take them out first; or will they actually come out of this alive?

“Shattering Dawn” is by Jayne Ann Krentz. Amelia Rivers is a member of the “Lost Night Files” — a podcast team. Amelia is convinced that she is being stalked and hires PI Gideon Sweetwater. She is also convinced that the stalker is connected to the shadowy organization responsible for the night that she and her two friends lost their memories and left them with paranormal talents. Gideon suspects that Amelia is either paranoid or a con artist, but he takes the case anyway. Amelia is wary of the strong attraction between the two of them, and she finds the nightmarish paintings on his walls deeply disturbing. When Gideon thwarts Amelia’s kidnapping, the pair is forced to go on the run. They are forced to go to the ruins of the old hotel where Amelia lost an entire night of memories. They desperately want to stop a killer and the people who are conducting illegal experiments with a dangerous psychoactive drug. To survive, they will need to trust each other and the feelings that draw them together.

Tess Gerritson’s latest featuring the Martini Club is titled “The Summer Guests.” Maggie Bird is a retired spy who has settled in for a quiet life in the small seaside town of Purity, Maine. Her tranquil retirement is shattered as old enemies come for her. Maggie’s survival was the result of her training, wits, and the support of the Martini Club—the circle of ex-CIA friends in her cocktail-sipping book club. Unfortunately, their handiwork was noticed by police chief Jo Thibodeau. Now Jo and the ex-spies have an uneasy alliance. When the teenage daughter of a wealthy family goes missing, Maggie’s neighbor is the prime suspect. Jo feels the pressure from the prominent family to make an arrest, so Maggie gets involved in proving her friend’s innocence. The case becomes even more complicated as a long-dead corpse is found in a nearby pond and unthinkable secrets come to light.

“Dead Land” is by Chris Mullen. Cass Callahan and his wife Raven have endured a series of traumatic events that have them leaving their Houston home and heading for the West Texas ranch they have recently inherited—the CR. The tranquility they’ve been seeking is broken when they cross paths with mysterious neighboring ranchers and the unscrupulous Levi Flint. When dead bodies are found on Cass’s land, he suspects that the CR is concealing secrets darker than the evening shadows. Cass teams up with the local sheriff to get to the bottom of the secrets and lies that threaten the truth and his family. As he journeys deep into the heart of the CR, Cass finds both danger and destiny. The question is will he live to tell the tale?