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Hello!

My name is Manon. I read and write and review in San Diego, California. Learn more about me.

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Mystery Bookstagram

Six students. One murder. 🦂 I have read all of

Six students. One murder. 🦂

I have read all of Janice Hallett’s books and THE EXAMINER is close to the top. THE APPEAL might still be my favorite, but this is a close second. Why? The tension between the characters is juicy and realistic, there’s a touch of conspiracy, and the mystery unfolds in a curious and dramatic way.

The small-group setup of MFA students is *chef’s kiss.* If you’ve ever spent time in a university art class, you’ll find something to relate to here. Assignments, critiques, academic rivalry - it all felt so realistic. Add to that a possible murder and a definite mystery, with just a hint of a grander scheme, and you’ll get a compelling crime thriller.

The reason I still love THE APPEAL so much is because of the characters: so dysfunctional that you can’t help but keep reading. THE EXAMINER delivers the same rush, just in a different setting. Loved it.

Thank you @atriabooks #atriapartner for this ARC.

#mysterybooks #janicehallett #murdermystery #mysterybookstagram #bookstagram #bookreview

IT’S HERE! 🎁🔍 The 2024 Cluesletter Holida

IT’S HERE! 🎁🔍

The 2024 Cluesletter Holiday Catalogue, with 60 gifts for mystery lovers, is live now for your shopping pleasure.

In the fourth annual catalogue, enjoy fashion, homewares, games, and other gifts for the detective(s) in your life—or if *you’re* that detective, send it along to someone who needs a clue . . .

Shop the guide at the 🔗 in my bio.

With love and good cheer, Manon 🫶
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#bookrecommendations #booklover #bookstagrammer #mysterybooks #mysterybookstagrammer #giftguide #holidaygifts

Per request, reposting this to my feed. The endin

Per request, reposting this to my feed.

The ending gets cut off: “…I’ll get back to my regular mystery book content later in the week, but I just had to get it off my chest and tell you guys to read, fight, and take care of yourselves.” 💛

Thank you all for the thoughtful DMs and engagement when this was up on my stories.

#bookish #bookstagram #readingispower #readingispolitical

HAPPY #CLUESDAY 🔍 Today I recapped the good ne

HAPPY #CLUESDAY 🔍

Today I recapped the good news: that my short story, “Kanab Noon,” will be published in the January/February 2025 issue of Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine.

(I mistakenly typed 2024 in the Cluesletter. SORRY! Guess I’m not in the 2025 headspace yet. 🤪)

Today’s interview is with the lovely @sydneyleighauthor, whose latest release, INSTAGONER, is a blog-themed cozy mystery—and the first in a new series!

As always, happy sleuthing!
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#bookrecommendations #booklover #bookstagrammer #mysterybooks #mysterybookstagrammer

Happy #MysteryMonday 🔍💛 Showing off a recen

Happy #MysteryMonday 🔍💛

Showing off a recent used bookstore gem: Best Detective Stories of the Year—1953, edited by David C. Cooke. Also including the TOC so you can see who’s included 😙

Side note, I love when I find used books that are already wrapped in plastic. It’s always exciting to find a book this old with its dust jacket nicely preserved, and the fact that it’s also protected?? *Chef’s kiss*

#bookcollecting #mysterybooks #detectivebooks #mysterybookstagram #goldenagemystery #usedbooks

Just wait until you see the secret passages . . .

Just wait until you see the secret passages . . .

CLUE (aka CLUEDO) is a classic murder mystery-themed board game developed by British board game designer Anthony E. Pratt in 1943. Set in a mansion, the objective is to find out whodunit first, using the power of ✨deduction.✨

The 1985 film adaptation remains one of my all time favorites. The background of this Reel features movie characters Colonel Mustard (Martin Mull) and Miss Scarlett (Lesley Ann Warren).

#clue #clue1985 #reel #mysterybooks #mysterygames #murdermystery

Cairo, 1924: Intrepid lady traveler Blix Windway h

Cairo, 1924: Intrepid lady traveler Blix Windway has secured the trip of a lifetime, joining an eccentric older lady as her travel companion to explore Egypt. But, during a tour of the ancient pyramids, a murder throws her into a dangerous investigation . . .

What a fun, well-plotted cozy historical mystery! Blix made for a wonderful sleuth, and the time period and location was brought to vibrant life. I loved the Christie-style murder setup: a closed cast of characters, with plenty of clues and red herrings. It’s easy to read, with some clever twists and reveals.

Plus . . . this cover? The maps?! Incredible!

Thank you to Sara Rosett for my special edition (!) paperback.
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#bookrecommendations #booklover #bookstagrammer #mysterybooks #booklover #bookstagram #mysterybookstagram #bookreview #egyptology

HAPPY #CLUESDAY 🔍 Today’s interview is with

HAPPY #CLUESDAY 🔍

Today’s interview is with Marci Kay Monson, whose debut book is an illustrative, interactive adaptation of Agatha Christie’s The Mysterious Affair at Styles—designed for young detectives. (It’s super cute. Full review to come.)

Happy sleuthing!
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#bookrecommendations #booklover #bookstagrammer #mysterybooks #mysterybookstagrammer

Happy recent (ish) publication to A MATTER OF LIFE

Happy recent (ish) publication to A MATTER OF LIFE SND DEPTHS by @kbjacksonauthor !! 🛳️

This is a delightful cozy set on board a cruise ship. I enjoyed its healthy balance of humor, emotion, and murder. (Really, what else could you want in a book?!)

I don’t always get a chance to read a book prior to interviewing the author, but I was really happy to do so with this cozy—plus I got to meet Kate at Bouchercon! 🔍❤️

Thanks Kate and @tulepublishing for the ARC.

#mysterybooks #murdermystery #cozymystery #cozymysterybooks #mysterybookstagram

Just for fun 🤭 #mysterybooks #classicmovies #b

Just for fun 🤭

#mysterybooks #classicmovies #bookishmemes #mysterybookstagram #agathachristie #thegodfather #readingmemes

Happy pub week to Richard Osman’s latest whodunn

Happy pub week to Richard Osman’s latest whodunnit!

I’d label WE SOLVE MURDERS as a “cozy thriller.” Hear me out:

🐈‍⬛ Father-daughter (in law) sleuth duo;
🐈‍⬛ Action, assassins, and plenty of illicit activity;
🐈‍⬛ International intrigue in South Carolina, St Lucia, Dubai, and elsewhere;
🐈‍⬛ Protagonists AND antagonists you’ll love to root for.

While I found the main culprit easy to guess, I still enjoyed the mystery. There is plenty of heart and humor, in typical Osman fashion, and I loved this cast of characters. (I would like to be Rosie D’Antonio, please.)

If you love the Thursday Murder Club series, especially for the way it’s written, you’ll love this, too. It’s a little edgier, with international thrills, but very much the same vibe. I look forward to more books in the series.

Thank you @vikingbooks for the ARC plus finished copy of my most highly anticipated release of the year. 😇
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#bookrecommendations #booklover #bookstagrammer #mysterybooks #booklover #bookstagram #mysterybookstagram #bookreview #richardosman #thursdaymurderclub #wesolvemurders

HAPPY #CLUESDAY 🔍 Today’s issue is a fun one

HAPPY #CLUESDAY 🔍

Today’s issue is a fun one—the quote is from a story by Anthony Boucher. I read a handful of his stories prior to #Bouchercon and they’re so much fun. This one has a nun, Sister Ursula, as its sleuth 👀

Thanks to @kbjacksonauthor for joining as our featured author. My review for her latest Cruising Sisters mystery will be up soon!

#mysterybooks #mysterybookstagram #bookstagram #anthonyboucher #cluesletter

Happy almost-birthday to the Queen of Crime! #gif

Happy almost-birthday to the Queen of Crime!

#gifted @bibliolifestyle @williammorrowbooks

Agatha Christie’s FIVE LITTLE PIGS is part of my #24in24 TBR challenge (have I read it yet? no, but now I’m ready!). 🐷🔍

Summary:

Hercule Poirot must solve a baffling case from the past in this classic Agatha Christie mystery. Now with a beautiful new series look.

Beautiful Caroline Crale was convicted of poisoning her husband, yet there were five other suspects: Philip Blake (the stockbroker) who went to market; Meredith Blake (the amateur herbalist) who stayed at home; Elsa Greer (the three-time divorcee) who had roast beef; Cecilia Williams (the devoted governess) who had none; and Angela Warren (the disfigured sister) who cried “wee wee wee” all the way home. It is sixteen years later, but Hercule Poirot just can’t get that nursery rhyme out of his mind….

Happy birthday, Agatha!
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#bookrecommendations #booklover #bookstagrammer #mysterybooks #booklover #bookstagram #mysterybookstagram #bookreview #agathachristie #herculepoirot #cozymysteryday

We all know what happened next 👀👀👀 The M

We all know what happened next 👀👀👀

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (1926) is Agatha Christie’s third novel featuring detective Hercule Poirot. It’s one of Christie’s most famous (and most controversial) novels—for reasons I won’t explain here!!—and is considered one of the best crime novels of all time. 🔍

Have you read it yet?!

#agathachristie #herculepoirot #detectivenovels #mysterybooks #mysterybookstagram #readchristie

Happy Wednesday! 🔪 EVERYONE IN MY FAMILY HAS K

Happy Wednesday!

🔪 EVERYONE IN MY FAMILY HAS KILLED SOMEONE by Benjamin Stevenson was a recent read for me: a mystery writer goes on a family vacation. Murder, murder, and maybe more murder ensue.

I loved the complicated family dynamics, witty tone, and fair play style of this mystery. Of course, I knew I’d love it when the book opened with Ronald Knox’s Ten Commandments of Detective Fiction (with an instruction to dogear the page!).

You can hear me yap about it at length on TikTok, where I compared it to another meta murder mystery: WEST HEART KILL by Dann McDorman.
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#bookrecommendations #booklover #bookstagrammer #mysterybooks #booklover #bookstagram #mysterybookstagram #bookreview

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