MEIKE'S SUMMER READING LIST PART 2

Last week our contributor Meike Alana let us know what her reading list for May June. Here we give you her upcoming books for July and August.

The Housekeepers by Alex Hay (out July 4): This sounds like Downton Abbey set in London, only the staff get together to rob the house during a fancy costume ball. Mrs. King is the Mrs. Hughes of the bunch—born into a family of con artists and thieves, her position at the grandest home in Mayfair has made her respectable. But when she suddenly loses her position, she gathers the rest of the staff to exact her revenge—robbing the house of every last valuable during the fanciest costume ball of the year.

A Likeable Woman by May Cobb (out July 11): I spent most of my adult life in Texas, much of it in a small town—so I love me some small-town Texas crime, especially involving a group of seemingly respectable ladies who are up to no good. Following the death of her mother decades ago, Kira left her wealthy Texas town and had no desire to return. But (somewhat ambivalently) she’s lured back to attend her frenemy’s vow renewal ceremony—although if she’s honest with herself, her unresolved childhood crush on Jack may have tempted her too. Her grandmother gives her a memoir that her mother was working on when she died, and that reveals all kinds of dirty secrets—and it’s left to Kira and Jack to figure out what really led to her mother’s death.

The Stolen Coast by Dwyer Murphy (out July 18): I am a very respectable middle-aged woman who unfortunately lives a boring life, but I dream of having some hidden skill or job that would shock people—and I love books about characters who have such talents, so I’m really looking forward to this one. Jack is a Harvard educated lawyer BUT his real job is helping people escape from powerful enemies. As a bonus this is set on the coast of Massachusetts, and I feel like a good new England ocean-based mystery is a must for every summer reading list.

Kala by Colin Walsh (out July 25): This is another small-town mystery, only this one is set in the seaside Irish town of Kinlough. Three friends are brought together for the first time in years—Helen is somewhat reluctantly there for her father’s wedding, Joe is a famous musician who recently returned to town, and Mush never left his job at his mother’s café. But old secrets surface when two girls go missing and human remains are found in the nearby woods.

The Dark Edge of Night by Mark Pryor (out August 15): Back in my bookseller days, I made it a point to recommend Pryor’s Hugo Marston series to as many customers as possible because I loved it so much. This title is the second installment in Pryor’s Henri Lefort series, which has become a new favorite. Set during the Paris winter of 1940, police inspector Henri Leforte just wants a quiet holiday—but his plans are ruined when the Gestapo orders him to solve the disappearance of a respected neurologist who was involved in a secret project at one of Paris’ hospitals.

The Hike by Lucy Clarke (out August 29): I moved to Tennessee just over a year ago, and my recently retired husband and I have taken up hiking every chance we get. So I’m really not sure I “should” read this book, but I will anyway because I love Clarke’s work so much. Four friends plan an adventure, camping in the mountains of Norway. OF COURSE there is no cell service, which always means terrible thing are going to happen and I’m here for it!