List
'Can't-Miss' Mysteries Audiobooks
Sometimes you want to take risks and sometimes you want to play it safe. These mysteries are all tried-and-true favorites with broad appeal, as safe as T-bonds. All are available for immediate download on the Hoopla website or app.
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Baltimore Blues
2015 by Lippman, LauraGet this itemLaura Lippman's Tess Monaghan resides right up there with Sue Grafton's Kinsey Malone in the ranks of beloved fictional investigators. As a novelist, Lippman continues to expand her horizons, but this is the book that launched her sterling career.
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Crocodile on the Sandbank
2013 by Peters, ElizabethGet this itemAmelia Peabody, amateur Victorian archaeologist extraordinaire, begins her adventures in Egypt with this novel. Pure literary comfort food, this is one of those mystery series that should be read in order so you can watch the characters grow and develop.
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Hollywood Homicide
2017 by Garrett, KellyeGet this itemUnlike the other authors on this list, Kellye Garrett is a relative newcomer, but she made quite a splash with this funny, fast-paced debut that earned stellar reviews and two major awards for best first mystery.
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Introducing Agatha Raisin
2008 by Beaton, M. C.Get this itemLike Ann Cleeves, M.C. Beaton can boast of seeing two of her popular characters helming TV series. Beaton's work, though, is much lighter, a great choice for those who enjoy their mysteries quick and cozy. This audiobook contains the first two mysteries in her Agatha Raisin series.
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The Lost Man
2019 by Harper, JaneGet this itemJane Harper's books, set in the harsh Australian outback, radiate atmosphere. This novel of family secrets will grip you with its plot and transport you to an unfamiliar hardscrabble environment.
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Maisie Dobbs: A Novel
2003 by Winspear, JacquelineGet this itemWith this debut set in 1929, Jacqueline Winspear started a series that won critical acclaim before becoming a major popular hit. Her Maisie Dobbs character continues to find fans as she moves from the shadow of the first World War to the darkness of the second.
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One for the Money
2006 by Evanovich, JanetGet this itemIf Janet Evanovich wrote this one for the money, she certainly hit the jackpot. This is the rollicking book that introduced New Jersey bounty hunter Stephanie Plum, her multiple love interests, and her zany family. After 25 more books, the series shows no sign of slowing down.
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Open and Shut
2002 by Rosenfelt, DavidGet this itemIf you like dogs, sports, and wisecracks, you've found your favorite mystery author right here. David Rosenfelt created his winning formula with this first book in his Andy Carpenter series and has never looked back.
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Raven Black
2007 by Cleeves, AnnGet this itemAnn Cleeves is so good at creating compelling characters that she can claim two TV series based on them. This award-winning title, rich in suspense and sinister atmosphere, began her acclaimed series set in Britain's remote Shetland islands.
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Spider Woman's Daughter
2015 by Hillerman, AnneGet this itemIt's not that unusual for a deceased novelist's beloved characters to be handed over to a new author, but rarely has this been done more successfully. Here Tony Hillerman's daughter Anne introduces her own character Bernie Manuelito to her father's Leaphorn and Chee and starts them on new adventures in Navajo country.
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Still Life
2006 by Penny, LouiseGet this itemI've yet to meet a mystery reader who doesn't love Louise Penny for her well crafted plots and compelling characters whose lives develop like those of real people. This is a series where you definitely want to start at the beginning.
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Wicked Autumn: A Max Tudor Novel
2011 by Malliet, G. M.Get this itemLouise Penny calls this "a wonderful read" and I'd readily concur. G.M. Malliet updates the traditional English village mystery to modern times with charm, humor, and a touch of romance.
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The Word Is Murder: A Novel
2018 by Horowitz, AnthonyGet this itemAnthony Horowitz excels at writing crowd-pleasing screenplays, adventure books for kids, and ingenuous mysteries for adults like this one. In a clever turn, he puts himself as a character in this mystery, a gimmick that actually works.
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