Seattle Picks: Mystery and Thriller
In the mood for crime fiction, mysteries and thrillers? Check out these titles selected by a librarian at The Seattle Public Library. Annotations by staff or as noted. (February 2025)
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Red Team Blues
Cyber detective, forensic accountant - whatever his title, 67-year-old Marty Hench is one of those rare people who tries to prevent financial crimes. This absorbing and ruthless cyberpunk thriller from Doctorow tackles modern concerns involving cryptocurrency, security, and the daunting omnipotence of technology.
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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End of Story
Invited by a reclusive mystery novelist to help draft his life story, a longtime correspondent and detective fiction expert finds herself in a real whodunnit when she learns the writer's first wife and son mysteriously vanished. (NoveList)
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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Missing White Woman
On a romantic vacation, Bree Wright wakes up alone – her boyfriend missing and a dead white woman in the foyer. Bree, a Black woman, must clear her name with help from her lawyer friend Adore.
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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The Mystery Writer
The killing of a famous author turns a faithful protégé into a fanatic sleuth. A fizzy whodunit with pace, panache, and surprises galore. (Kirkus)
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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The Queen of Fives
1898. Quinn le Blanc, London’s most talented con woman, has just five days to trap a highly eligible duke into marriage and lift a fortune from the richest family in England. (NoveList)
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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The Return of Ellie Black
A detective suspects subterfuge when a kidnapped teen returns home after two years and refuses to talk about her abductor. Missing girls are a common trope in crime fiction, but Jean freshens the genre with an intriguing story about secrets and dysfunctional families. (Kirkus)
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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Bright Young Women
In this stunning serial killer thriller, bestseller Knoll uses echoes of Ted Bundy’s real-life crimes to underline potent themes of misogyny and survivor’s guilt. By focusing on the women affected by her Ted Bundy stand-in instead of the nuances of his criminal psychology, Knoll movingly reframes an American obsession without stripping it of its intrigue. The results are masterful.
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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Smoke Kings
Galvanized by the murder of his teenage cousin, Black activist Nate and three friends decide to exact reparations, kidnapping descendants of people who committed hate crimes and forcing repayment. But the pursuers are also pursued.
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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The Antique Hunter's Guide to Murder
A former antique hunter investigates a suspicious death at an isolated English manor, embroiling her back in the dangerous world of tracking stolen artifacts. (NoveList)
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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Daughter of Mine
The year Hazel Sharp returns home after her father’s death, drought causes the local lake to dip, revealing an abandoned car and raising questions about the disappearance of Hazel’s mother.
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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