To-be-read books on my shelf
Discover thrilling page-turners on my to-be-read shelf, featuring Bernard Cornwell’s *The Last Kingdom*, Umberto Eco’s *Baudolino*, and gripping mysteries from Elizabeth George and C. J. Sansom. A curated mix of historical fiction, espionage, and crime novels for avid readers.
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The Last Kingdom
by Bernard Cornwell
In this epic novel, bestselling author Cornwell follows King Alfred the Great and his desperate quest to keep England from falling into the hands of the Danish conquerors.
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Baudolino
by Umberto Eco
Baudolino, having just rescued a court official caught in the sacking and burning of Constantinople in 1204, proceeds to entertain the man with the fantastical story of his life.
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Well-schooled in Murder
by Elizabeth George
Author's style compared to P. D. James and Ruth Rendell.
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Dissolution
by C. J. Sansom
The first novel in the Matthew Shardlake Tudor Mystery series—the inspiration for the Hulu original series Shardlake! Dissolution is an utterly riveting portrayal of Tudor England. The year is 1537, and the country is divided between those faithful to the Catholic Church and those loyal to the king and the newly established Church of England. When a royal commissioner is brutally murdered in a monastery on the south coast of England, Thomas Cromwell, Henry VIII’s feared vicar general, summons fellow reformer Matthew Shardlake to lead the inquiry. Shardlake and his young protégé uncover evidence of sexual misconduct, embezzlement, and treason, and when two other murders are revealed, they must move quickly to prevent the killer from striking again. A “remarkable debut” (P. D. James), Dissolution introduces a thrilling historical series that is not to be missed by fans of Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies. Awarded the CWA Diamond Dagger – the highest honor in British crime writing
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The Intelligencer
by Leslie Silbert
Novice private investigator Kate Morgan teams up with a European financier who is investigating a centuries-old manuscript that documents the final days of an Elizabethan-era murder victim.
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Disordered Minds
by Minette Walters
Called "a brilliant piece of psychological deconstruction" (London's "Daily Mail"), the first American publication of this novel by the "New York Times" bestselling author of "Fox Evil" features a new design and trim size for comfortable reading. HC: Macmillan (UK).
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Thus Was Adonis Murdered
by Sarah Caudwell
A young woman accused of murder while on holiday in Venice enlists a friend to come help her—but once they begin unraveling clues, there’s no telling what else will come to light. “Sarah Caudwell is one of my very favorite mystery writers.”—A. J. Finn, New York Times bestselling author of The Woman in the Window His was a body to die for . . . Set to have a vacation away from her home life and the tax man, young barrister Julia Larwood takes a trip to Italy with her art-loving boyfriend. But when her personal copy of the current Finance Act is found a few meters away from a dead body, Julia finds herself caught up in a complex fight against the Inland Revenue. Fortunately, she’s able to call on her fellow colleagues who enlist the help of their friend Oxford professor Hilary Tamar. However, all is not what it seems. Could Julia’s boyfriend in fact be an employee of the establishment she has been trying to escape from? And how did her romantic luxurious holiday end in murder? Don’t miss any of Sarah Caudwell’s riveting Hilary Tamar mysteries: THUS WAS ADONIS MURDERED • THE SHORTEST WAY TO HADES • THE SIRENS SANG OF MURDER • THE SIBYL IN HER GRAVE
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Black Dog
by Stephen Booth
When the body of smart and sexy 15-year-old Laura Vernon is found in Northern England's Peak District, Detective Constable Ben Cooper investigates. Uneasily teamed with ambitious newcomer Detective Constable Diane Fry, Cooper tests a town's family ties, friendships, and loyalties--and finds in order to understand the present they must unearth the past.
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Gospel
by Wilton Barnhardt
The search is on for a lost first-century gospel of the Bible, a document that could shake the foundations of Christianity. The narrative races through dozens of locales as a theologian and an ex-priest pursue rumors and clues about the gospel. In the end, what they discover will challenge and forever change the nature of faith.
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The Company
by Robert Littell
A novel of Cold War espionage traces the struggles of two generations of CIA operatives fighting Communism and battling one another in the complex world of international intrigue.
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Open Season
by C. J. Box
As Wyoming game warden Joe Pickett races against time to save an endangered species, he finds himself plunged into a deadly mystery that soon threatens his family and the life he loves. A first novel. Reprint.
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The Black Silent
by David Dun
When a shocking discovery that could change the fate of humankind leads to the disappearance of Ben, her friend and mentor, Haley Walthers asks former covert operative Sam Wintripp to help her find him and expose a ruthless corporate syndicate.