Goosebumps in the Summer Heat
By Rachel Cunningham, Circulation Manager
The pools are closed, kids are back in school, and the call of pumpkin patches and cozy socks has begun to tempt me into believing autumn is near. While the Kansas weather may disagree, I’ve begun daydreaming of sweater weather with chilly nights and brisk mornings. At times I even allow myself to imagine an evening walk without the threat of mosquitoes. But while my zinnias are still in full bloom and tomatoes continue to ripen on the vine, I’ll have to settle for the chill of mystery and thriller books – with the aid of central air – for a few more weeks.
“The God of the Woods” by Liz Moore has received attention from both local readers and celebrities. Alternating between perspectives over decades of time, “The God of the Woods” begins in August 1975 at a summer camp. Moore unravels the story of the disappearance of Barbara Van Laar from Camp Emerson in the Adirondack mountains. However, Barbara is not the typical camper. She’s a descendent of the notable Van Laar family, the owners and employers of the camp and surrounding estate. The same family whose son, Bear, went missing 14 years before. Intertwining the 1961 disappearance of Bear alongside the 1975 search for Barbara, Moore provides the perspective of camp counselor, Louise; Barbara’s mother, Alice; the detective, Judyta; camper, Tracy; estate gardener, Carl; and other notable characters. Chatter amongst the campers suggests that it could be an escaped serial killer, Jacob Sluiter. However, the buried truth may be darker and more familiar than they imagined. Although the novel is primarily a mystery, Moore also comments on the difficult transition of childhood self-awareness through her rich characterization: as said about one character, “Her voice, it seemed, had been continuously decrescendoing since birth, so that by age twelve, she could scarcely be heard.” Moore’s artful writing pulls the reader into the story and envelopes them in the lives of the characters within.
Award-winning author, Laura McHugh, released her latest mystery thriller in April of this year. “Safe and Sound” also shares a timeline across decades. Kylee and Amelia have spent their lives planning an escape from their hometown of Beaumont, Missouri, just like their older cousin Grace. Beaumont is a small town with even smaller opportunities, where “no one leaves.” No one, including their older cousin Grace, who went missing six years ago and left a bloody scene behind. The police have no leads, and Kylee and Amelia don’t believe their cousin would disappear for so many years without reaching out to them. McHugh weaves together Grace’s months before her disappearance alongside Kylee and Amelia’s unexpected unwinding of Grace’s last days. Will they still be able to leave if they might be able to catch her killer, or even more, find her alive? As Kylee and Amelia unearth darker and more disturbing secrets about their family and neighbors, they find themselves in the same grave danger as their cousin. Similar to her other books, “Safe and Sound” includes a plot driven by well-developed characters, which has become one of McHugh’s trademarks.
Many true crime podcast listeners are familiar with the podcast “Crime Junkie,” hosted by Ashley Flowers. “All Good People Here” is Ashley Flowers’s debut novel. Written in alternating timelines and different perspectives, Flowers reveals the 1996 murder of 6-year-old January Jacobs while giving the contemporary account of Margot Davies, a journalist who was best friends with January at the time of her murder. Margot has recently moved back to Wakarusa to care for her uncle who is battling dementia. Determined to continue her career remotely, Margot attempts to balance writing articles, researching, and keeping tabs on her uncle. Her plan begins to deteriorate when a young girl in a neighboring town is murdered in a similar manner to January Jacobs. Margot’s fixation on the connections between the cases begins to exhume long buried secrets, leaving her with more questions about her own past. But when Margot begins receiving threats, she has to wonder if the killer will come after her next. Flowers has also collaborated with Alex Kiester in a new book slated to release next spring for readers who enjoyed “All Good People Here.”
Unfortunately, I can’t guarantee when the weather will turn to fall. However, I might suggest joining the next Donuts and Danger book club discussion at the library if you’d like to meet some like-minded mystery and thriller seeking friends. Our next meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, September 26th, 2024, and as the name suggests, donuts will be provided to complement the book discussions. As with all library programs, this event is free to attend.
Manhattan Public Library is a cornerstone of free and equal access to a world of ideas and information for the Manhattan, Kansas, community. Learn more at mhklibrary.org.
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Rachel Cunningham, Circulation Manager