Re-setting the New and Noteworthy Mysteries

After getting a valid customer complaint during the Christmas season that the new and noteworthy mysteries case was becoming a dumping ground for old commercial thrillers (and sadly, an easy place for a bookseller to dump some shelving, even if the book wasn't new), I made a renewed commitment to keeping the case interesting.

We started making shelf talkers of Carole E. Barrowman's local recommendations in The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, but let that slip. In addition, Carolyn suggested we use some of Marilyn Stasio's recs in The New York Times. It's a good idea, and I'm going to see if we can keep up with them.

For now, here's Barrowman's Best, her ten year-end picks in the Journal Sentinel. Want to read her comments? Here's the piece.

Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter, by Tom Franklin
Bury Your Dead, by Louise Penny

Mr. Peanut, by Adam Ross

The Siren, by Alison Bruce

Empty Mile, by Matthew Stokoe

Angel With Two Faces, by Nicola Upson

Cut, Paste, Kill, by Marshall Karp

Tooth and Claw, by Nigel McCrery

A Very Simple Crime, by Grant Jerkins

Worth Dying For, by Lee Child

We sold the first one very well, but maybe we can get a nice pop on the rest, particularly Grant Jerkins, who showed up on both lists and was published as a trade paperback original.