Flying these days requires a lot of patience—and there’s no better way to harness that skill than to be absorbed in a world far away from middle seats between two people hogging your arm rests, narrow aisles, and a roller bag stuffed at your feet because someone else thought the overhead bin was for their coat and purse.
Travel today is crying out for a world where there is no turbulence, just sheer excitement. So check out these Tule mysteries on your next trip and touch down in a good mood!
- Buried (Twisted Cedars Mysteries), C.J. Carmichael
Decades of silence. A shocking discovery. Some secrets refuse to stay buried.True crime writer Dougal Lachlan swore he’d never set foot in Twisted Cedars again. Not even for his sister’s upcoming wedding. But an email promising the story of a lifetime pulls him back to his hometown against his better judgement.
Thirty years ago, five librarians were murdered across quiet coastal towns in Oregon, leaving a trail of unsolved mysteries. All signs point to a serial killer.
As Dougal plunges into the investigation, he enlists the help of local librarian Charlotte Hammond, who prefers her mysteries between the covers of a good book since the disappearance of her older sister Daisy.
The more they dig, the more buried secrets they unearth only to realize nothing is quite what it seems, and the danger may be closer to home than they thought…
Recommendation: 21k reviews at Amazon with a majority of them 5 stars says it all. CJ Carmichael’s easy style draws you in, so pull out your neck pillow and settle in. If it’s a long flight, download the series. You won’t want to leave small-town Twisted Cedars, Oregon!
- Killer Close to Home (Cluttered Crime Mysteries), Carol Light
Not all clutter is visible to the human eye … Professional organizer Crystal Ward’s latest client, her neighbor Roscoe Tremaine, is changing his will, an announcement that sets off an explosive reaction within his family. That same night, a gas leak ignites, destroying his house, killing him, and rocking the Ward family at its foundation.Her husband, Rick, is injured in the blast, so Crys hires Roscoe’s former caregiver, Wink Keller, to help him recover after surgery. But trouble is just beginning. Both Crys and Wink are beneficiaries in Roscoe’s will, and their alliance sends accusations flying from the Tremaines’ side of the fence.
Crys has her hands full dealing with her client’s not-so-grieving relatives, a teenaged girl stalking Wink, and a suspicious fire inspector. But when threatening “gifts” left on the Wards’ doorstep escalate, Crys is forced to sort through a tangled web of relationships, including her own, to keep her family safe.
Recommendation: A story that is as much about family as it is solving the mystery, Killer Close to Home absorbs you into this very real neighborhood that feels just like your own. The setting is Chicago, but the appeal is to every suburban traveler looking for reassurances that nice folks don’t finish last.
- A Chain of Pearls (Martha’s Vineyard Murders), Raemi A. Ray
The last thing she wants is to dig up the past… When the body of a celebrated journalist is fished from the Edgartown Harbor, the official report rules his death accidental. But why was he alone on a senator’s yacht during a nor’easter? That’s only the first question London-based lawyer Kyra Gibson has when she arrives on the idyllic island of Martha’s Vineyard to settle her estranged father’s affairs.She’s not looking for closure. She’s not seen him in decades since he left her with her aunt following her mother’s death. But as Kyra delves deeper into her father’s life, she learns he had many regrets and wasn’t as retired as she believed. The more Kyra discovers, the more questions she has. With the help of world-weary detective, Tarek Collins, they uncover a web of intrigue and corruption involving a powerful senator, a dubious energy company, and brutal murder.
As they chase down clues, Kyra and Tarek flirt with danger and race against time to solve the murders and uncover the dark secrets lurking beneath Martha’s Vineyard’s picturesque façade of old money wealth and privilege.
Recommendation: An idyllic island setting known for its iconic lighthouses, fantasy cottages, and famous residents is an excellent vacation destination—but even if you aren’t bound for the East Coast, this Martha’s Vineyard mystery brings the mystique right to your seat. Bonus points for a hot detective, too.
- Something Shady at Sunshine Haven (The Accidental Detective), Kris Bock
She’s pursued the most dangerous news stories around the world. But can she survive going home?
Injured in a bombing, war correspondent Kate Tessler returns to her hometown in Arizona to recover. For the first time in her life, she’s starting to feel her age of nearly fifty despite living like a teenager again: staying in her childhood bedroom with only a cat for company, trying to understand why her sister resents her so much, and running into people who still refer to her as Kitty. The hardest part? Seeing her once-sharp and witty mother stuck in an Alzheimer’s unit.
When an old friend asks her to investigate suspicious deaths at the nursing home, Kate limps into action. Is a self-appointed “Angel of Mercy” killing patients to end their suffering? Are family members hastening their inheritance? Is an employee extorting money and removing the witnesses? Kate uses her journalism skills to track clues, but the puzzle pieces simply won’t fit.
If Kate can’t uncover the truth quickly, her mother could be next on the killer’s list.
Recommendation: The father-daughter relationship will warm your heart far more than Phoenix, Arizona, sun in this Southwestern setting. Kate’s used to danger, knows how to investigate, and that makes her the best option to tackle problems that don’t interest the police yet, so you can count on plenty of clues, twists, and characters in this whodunnit.
- A Long Shadow (Chief Inspector Shadow Mystery), HL Marsay
Old sins cast long shadows… When the bodies of a young, homeless girl and a girl who disappeared thirty years ago are found on the same day, residents in the historic city of York are aghast. It seems unlikely the two cases are related, and yet some of the same players knew both victims. As Detective Chief Inspector John Shadow and his eager new partner, Sergeant Jimmy Chang, dive into their investigation, they uncover a complicated web of pop stars, pub owners, shopkeepers and old school friends who each have something to hide.John Shadow is a man of contradictions. A solitary figure who shuns company, but is a keen observer of all he meets. A lover of good food, but whose fridge is almost always empty. He prefers to work alone and is perpetually trying to dodge his partner, who’s full of energy, modern ideas and theories.
But as the two men gradually learn to work together to solve the case, it’s clear that the past is never as far away as you think.
Recommendation: Seasoned British detective. Eager young pup for a partner. Enough said. With a name like John Shadow, you know this inspector has many fascinating layers just waiting to be revealed.
Your heroine, Kate, is back in her childhood bedroom. If you were transplanted back to your childhood/teenage bedroom, what could we expect to see?
Kris Bock
