Spring flowers passed us by this year. Late frosts arrived instead. Summer scorched us and then smoke choked us. As much as we love our surrounding mountains, fear of fire felt like a sword of Damocles that would drop at any moment. Flames almost reached our favorite lake and mountain retreats: Redfish Lodge and Lake and the Stanley Basin.

Fall has been a welcome relief in so many ways. Late in coming—summer just wouldn’t let go—its colors delighted every sense: the sight of yellow, orange and red; the sound oof trees rattling and swaying in the wind; the touch of crispy leaves; the taste and smell of metal and frost in the air. Temps at night have already dipped to the 20s, while days have cooled to the 50s and 40s, a duo that reaches out to each of us to savor from front porches and walks in the woods. Special effects of northern lights, super moons, and the ATLAS comet have thrilled our world!

            In October 2020, I bemoaned the pandemic and the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The resulting Supreme Court has waged war on women’s health and crimes by presidents. The election this year will affect not only our immediate future, but our long-term pledge to democracy. In the fall of 2022, I wrote about many books by and about strong and brave women. This year, strong and brave women are speaking up and acting.

I hope to read a new mystery by Louise Penny in the next few days.  She has always been one of my favorite mystery writers. And then I will have to wait at least a year for another one. I suspect that is true for many mystery lovers. Mysteries distract me from the events of fall, the news of hurricanes and floods, and inspire my own writing. So, I decided to write about other series to fill your book loves for months to come. They have filled mine for the past two years, since Louise’s last offering.

ANNOUNCEMENT!

First, I want to announce my own next mystery–#6—arrives on November 20: Salmon Moon: The River of No Return. Just in time for Christmas giving! Here is the cover, front and back. I will launch it at the Ketchum Community Library on December 12. Please share the evening with me! You can pre-order at your favorite bookstore or bookshop.org or Amazon.

Another favorite series is that of Billy Boyle in WWII by James Benn. His newest, Phantom Patrol, is just out. The first in the series is Billy Boyle: A World War II Mystery. Billy is a cop in Boston, a shirt-tail relative of Eisenhower, and ends up in Eisenhower’s headquarters in Europe to solve mysteries. Billy, Kaz (a Polish officer), Diane (an SOE spy), and several others appear in most of the books in the series. Billy gets assigned to solve various crimes taking place during the war and travels to many different sites at Eisenhower’s behest. I have become fond of and worry about each of the characters over all the books, now up to #19. I have also learned fascinating information about our armies, the war itself in places such as North Africa, Italy, Norway, Germany, and the beaches of Normandy. Begin at the beginning, although each book tells its own story.

Elly Griffiths’s books are worthy alternatives to Louise Penny. Her protagonist is Ruth Galloway, a forensic anthropologist who teaches at a university in England. I read the first few in order and then skipped around based on what I could find. It didn’t matter too much until close to the end. Most of the mysteries involve ancient bones found in various archaeology digs. Here is the description in a compilation of several of her books:  “Archaeologist Dr. Ruth Galloway turns amateur sleuth once Detective Chief Inspector Nelson calls her for help when a child’s bones are found on a desolate beach. Gone are the days of digging up artifacts and living alone with her cats—Ruth is pulled into the world of shadowy murders, resurfaced bones, historical mysteries, twisted secrets, and a dash of romance.” The series ends in Book 15.

Another series where I sped through the numerous offerings were those of William Kent Kruger and his protagonist “Cork” Corcoran. The first one hooked me so thoroughly, I checked out two or three at a time from the library and then exchanged for two or three more in a few days. I didn’t always go in order, but I do recommend doing so. Cork is a former sheriff in northern Minnesota and part Indian. Many of the stories take place in the border lakes area and also involve tribal members with whom he shares affinity and history. His family and an ancient shaman are important characters in the books, too. The 20^th came out this year. I look forward to more.

Those are a few of the mysteries occupying my reading time. I also recommend Anne Hillerman, Marvin Walker, Tana French, Susan Macneal, Jaqueline Winspear.

I do read books other than mysteries. Many are nonfiction and occasionally science fiction or fantasy.

 Babel by R.F. Kuang – a fascinating Oxford-set story about words, among all else.

Without Exception: Reclaiming Abortion, Personhood, and Freedom by Pam Houston – A book to read now.

James by Percival Everett – a novel from the perspective of Jim in Huckleberry Finn

I hope you all voted! Please add books you have enjoyed in the Comments!

Tree photos by Gerry Morrison. Painting on the Salmon River book is by my mother, Marie Haasch Whitesel.