Castro Valley Library

Periodically we publish reading recommendations from our staff members, and this month we feature some favorites from our circulation supervisor Patty Mangel. Enjoy!

1. Cork O’ Connor series by William Kent Krueger. These take place in Minnesota and should be read in order so you get to know the family. Start with Iron Lake.
2. Inspector Gamache series by Louise Penny. I have been pleasantly surprised by how much I love these mysteries.  The main detective is a man you’d love to call friend.  Start with Still Life.
3. For a Swedish mystery that isn’t quite as dark as some of the others, try the Fjällbacka series by Camilla Läckberg. Start with The Ice Princess.
4. Try an Appalachian Mountains noir! One Foot in Eden or The World Made Straight by Ron Rash.
5. Or, switch mountains and try a noir from the Ozarks by Daniel Woodrell.
6. For a mystery that tells you who done it in the first paragraph, read A Secret History, the first novel by Donna Tartt.
7. Want a heartwarming story that will make you laugh? Read Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman or Eat, Drink, and Be from Mississippi by Nanci Kincaid.
8. For something a little fun and a little disturbing, read The House on the Strand by Daphne du Maurier.