Mystery - Contemporary - Christchurch City Libraries
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Contemporary mystery is all about our world as it is now - realistic plotlines, characters, and experiences. These page turners represent some of the latest trends in mystery fiction and are filled with intrigue and suspense; the hallmarks of any good mystery. In tone they may often be quite gritty or serious; though some are more light-hearted and interfused with humour. If you enjoy fast paced stories with flawed characters, unreliable narrators, issues-based storylines, brooding settings and atmospheric tension, then why not try a contemporary mystery? A Christchurch City Libraries list.
Scorched Grace takes the old trope of a religious mystery and gives it a contemporary spin. Sister Holiday is a heavily tattooed and queer nun who solves cases with a trade-mark cigarette in her mouth. Unhappy with the local authorities…
Could there be anything more contemporary than a mystery novel with a true crime twist? Written as a book within a book and inspired by the disappearance of identical twins in 1960s Alperton, the novel follows two separate true crime…
You really feel like you are in the story! Nalini is well known for her creative storytelling rich in setting and intricate characters. A creepy unsolved mystery told by an unreliable narrator. Set in New Zealand in a wealthy…
A truly fascinating read about how we all deal with competition and the lengths we will go to succeed. This story follows three young women and their ultra-competitive mothers trying to get early admission to Ivy League colleges. This book…
A tense enthralling read filled with world travel, espionage and plenty of plot twists that'll keep you guessing. This story has definite 'Mr and Mrs Smith' vibes—it follows a couple whose daughter is kidnapped whilst on holiday in Europe.…
Mixing elements of the office satire and thriller genres, The Other Black Girl stands out as a thoroughly contemporary mystery with enough twists to hook readers of all genres. Starting out as friends, two black female colleagues are…
Former Chicago Police officer Cal Hooper buys a rundown house in the Irish countryside hoping to live the quite life but reluctantly gets dragged in to the disappearance of a young boy that the local authorities seem to have no interest…
Hannah wakes one morning to find her whole life has changed, Owen her husband of one year has disappeared leaving a note to 'protect her'. What follows is a fast paced investigation into everything Hannah though she knew about Owen while…
Best friends Emily and Kristen have been through a lot together, when history repeats itself during a trip to Chile the seeds of doubt are sown in Emily's head. One act of murder by self-defence is believable, but two.... This fast paced…
When therapist Mariana’s niece calls her from the prestigious St Christopher’s College to say that she thinks her friend has been murdered, Mariana decides to return and investigate her old college and soon becomes convinced charismatic…
A beautifully written mystery with literary quality, A Good Man centres around a family as their life slowly unravels, burrowing deep into the psyche of the troubled yet devoted father. From the outset we know that something terrible has…
If you liked the show 'Desperate Housewives' then you'll love this witty page turner. Rachel Hawkins is known for her captivating writing and enthralling characters, and this suspense filled story will keep you up at night wondering who is…
A compelling and addictive novel following a detective who is determined to uncover the truth about the apparent suicide of a woman residing at a refuge shelter. Set in rural England, this thought-provoking novel with a strong message…
Filled with twists, deception, and loathsome characters, this is an extremely fast-paced page-turner of a novel. Little Secrets is certainly a roller-coaster. Marin’s son vanished one day and it eats at her, years later the police have…
Maya has a troubling relationship with the house in the pines. Seven years earlier she witnessed her best friend unexpectedly drop dead in the house. Having taken to blocking out the trauma with drugs and alcohol she is brought back into…
Sally sees the world in a different way. After following the wishes of her father, Sally puts his body out with the rubbish when he dies. When the police come knocking, Sally is forced to go back into her past and discovers unspeakable…
Can you ever truly know your neighbours? When an annual block party ends in murder at an exclusive Alton Road cul-de-sac, everyone is a suspect. To understand what happened the novel goes back one year and chronicles the lives of these…
Jess arrives in Paris after fleeing a tricky work catastrophe to stay with her aloof half brother Ben. Except Ben is nowhere to be seen. Living in his apartment Jess begins to realise she knows even less about her brother than she thought.…
Best friends Bess, Joni and Evangeline are living the dream in Greece until Evangeline dies under suspicious circumstances. Ten years later Joni has spun her infamy into a successful career as a motivational speaker while Bess is trying to…
