In the mood for a mystery? The following suggestions are all first books in a series, quite different from each other. So, find something you like and you can just keep going!

The Beekeeper’s Apprentice by Laurie R. King – Sherlock Holmes has retired and is living a quiet life in the countryside as a beekeeper. One afternoon he meets what he assumes is a young man but is, in reality, Mary Russell, a young woman of strong disposition and his intellectual match. Thus starts a long and interesting relationship, for the characters as well as the reader.

Still Life by Louise Penny – Outside modern day Montreal exists an idyllic village known as Three Pines. It’s difficult to locate and so it’s believed that the people who live there are meant to be there. Unfortunately, evil finds its way there also and Chief Inspector Gamache from the Surete de Quebec, along with his team, is called upon to solve the crime. Gamache’s thoughtful, almost philosophical, approach assures that he’ll fit right in with the good folks of Three Pines – and discover the killer.

Fool’s Puzzle by Earlene Fowler – Benni Harper, horsewoman and young widow, takes on the job of curator at the San Celina, CA folk art museum only to find herself entangled in the murder of an artist. Benni looks into it, all while balancing the new job, family life, and a budding romance with the town’s new police chief. Every title in this series is the name of a quilt pattern and the author provides a bit of quilting history in each book.

Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear – This popular series features resolute Maisie Dobbs, who is determined to make her own way in the world, but being 1929, it is not so easily done. Through connections she made in service to the aristocracy in London, Maisie made her way to Cambridge and then served as a nurse during the Great War. She is now ready to hang her shingle as an investigating detective, with hopes that someone will  recognize her abilities.

And one more which is a stand-alone:

What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell – A complex plot and good characters make this one a great read; it was a National Book Award winner in 2008. Teenage Evie is happy to have life go back to normal when her stepfather returns from WWII. Unfortunately, life is never that easy. She is soon caught up in a web of lies and secrets that threatens to spin out of control. Great plot twists and surprises will keep you up all night to finish this one!