Historical Mysteries & Gothic Suspense Books
Thank goodness for a big stack of mystery books on my shelves because wow! This early spring season (referred to as mud season here in New England is a little depressing. Brrr…I’m definitely a 60-degree kinda girl. I LOVE autumn and spring.
Mud, snow squalls, and frigid weather serve a great purpose though: they offer the perfect mystery book reading weather. I just finished The House of Closed Doors by Jane Steen. I don’t do book reviews, only book recommendations. Why? Because I find book reviews to be very subjective. What you love I may hate. And vice-versa.
Recommendations, though, are my way of sharing great books I’ve read with readers like you who might also enjoy them.
I really enjoyed The House of Closed Doors. It’s part family drama, part history, and part mystery book. Check it out for yourself via the author’s website, on Amazon, or your local indie bookstore.
The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware
Ruth Ware’s, The Death of Mrs. Westaway is a fun, gothic-inspired novel. I first fell in love with Ruth’s work when I heard the audio version of her book The Woman in Cabin 10. I thoroughly enjoyed it and when on to read more mystery books by this author. This is my fourth Ruth Ware novel and I have not been disappointed!
The Death of Mrs. Westaway follows a 20-something woman, “Hal” Westaway who works as a (skeptical) psychic, following in her deceased mother’s footsteps. When Hal receives a letter notifying her that her grandmother has died and that she is a beneficiary, Hal is perplexed. Her grandmother has already died, so clearly, this letter is a mistake.
Still, she’s excited — Hal has serious money problems. But she’s also filled with unease. While this woman wasn’t her actual grandmother, Hal journeys to the estate anyway. It’s a dark, creepy place swamped with magpies–the perfect Gothic setting. 🙂 There she meets her “family” a mix of dark and light characters, each with their own mysterious issues…
Have you read this novel? What did you think about it?
Suspense I’m Writing:
While I recently released the 10-Anniversary Edition of Epidemic, a medical thriller that came out in, you guessed it, 2013, I have some other new projects in the works.
The first is a top-secret pen name book in a new-to-me genre. And no, it’s not erotica.
The second is looking at some other titles that are still languishing on my hard drive in first-draft form. One of these, is a three-book series (maybe more?) about a woman who works as a textile restorer who works at a living history museum. When the museum is donated a beautiful collection of haute couture gowns, the MC (main character) begins to dig into the history of the clothing . . . and discovers disturbing secrets about the mysterious death of the woman who owned them.
During my research, I’ve come across some fun facts about the slang of bygone eras. Here are a few of my favorites from the Roaring 20s:
Favorite Slang from the 1920s
- Sinkers are donuts
- Bearcat is a fiery, spirited woman
- Berries means something pleasing or good “That’s just berries, darling!”
- Dewdropper is a slacker
- Gasper is a cigarette
- “Let’s blouse!” is the same as “Let’s get out of here!”
You can read a list of 59 other 1920s slang terms via this fun article on Thought Catalog.
Are you a fan of historical mysteries and/or gothic suspense novels? If so, please share your favorite in the comments. I’m always looking to add to my TBR list. :)
J.P. Choquette writes suspense books set in small towns and remote forests that “turn pages, not stomachs”. Learn more by visiting her website, www.jpchoquette.me or find her on Instagram @jpchoquette_author
