Nonviolent True Crime Memoir, Birdwatcher Mysteries, and Mystery News!

You can personalize this cute wristlet, which would also make a great bookish gift. ($14)

For fans of nonviolent true crime memoirs!

Tanya Smith recounts her life of crime, from her childhood obsession with Michael Jackson—which prompted her to want his home address so bad she figured out how to use the phone company’s system to make it look like she was calling from one of their departments in order to get information—to her time in prison, with some very interesting people (including celebrities). In between all that time is how she gradually learned to up her phone company scam to use it in the banking system, once home computers were a thing, to steal large amounts of money via wire transfers by exploiting a vulnerability in the system. It was a smart and organized system she had of stealing money from the banking system, and for years, even when the police were on to her, they wanted to use her to get to the person in charge. They were certain that a Black woman was the bottom of the crime chain, and they wanted her to lead them to the top white guy.

This is the kind of crime memoir in which I find myself rooting for the author and ultimately wish someone had just sat Smith down early in life and told her how to spot a terrible man because, as far as I see it, that was her only problem(s) in life. This is definitely one of my top favorite reads of the year because of Smith’s interesting dive-head-first-into-what-you-want life, the reminder of life before our current internet, and her personality.

Robin Miles was an excellent choice to narrate the audiobook, which had me feeling like I was actually a part of Smith’s life and was watching her through it.

(TW sibling with drug addiction / domestic abuse)

For fans of crime novels, revenge, and translated novels!

Inés spent 15 years in prison for murdering her husband’s mistress. Now she’s out and partnered with a friend, who also previously served time, in a fumigation business. After a new wealthy client reveals to Inés that her true reason for hiring her is to get Inés to buy her poison that can kill her husband’s mistress, Inés isn’t sure if this is a real deal—with money she needs—or if she’s being set up.

I’ve really enjoyed the previous crime novels I’ve read from Piñeiro, and am really looking forward to reading this one. Hopefully it also gets an English audiobook (I saw there is a Spanish language one, El tiempo de las moscas, but I’m not sure if it’s available in the U.S.—an investigation for later).

For fans of the”Did I just witness a murder?!” trope!

This is a fun and funny YA amateur sleuth mystery with a character to love and a heaping dose of friendship. Bianca Torre has so many anxieties that they keep a list. While trying to tackle their many fears and trying to figure out their gender, they end up joining a bird-watching group! Also, they maybe spy on the neighbors a bit, which is how Bianca ends up seeing a neighbor’s murder! Since the police label it a suicide, Bianca and their best friend decide they must solve the case.

(TW suicide assumed in murder case/ anxiety, fears, panic attack/ animal cruelty, bird)

For fans of British police procedurals!

William South is a police sergeant in Kent who is trying to get out of being assigned a murder case. The reasons for not wanting the case, that he can share with people, make sense: he doesn’t want to miss the arrival of migrating birds—as he’s a birdwatcher—the victim is one of his neighbors, and also a birdwatcher. The real reason he can’t tell anyone: He’s a murderer himself. I know! His boss doesn’t know the latter, nor care about the other excuses, so he’s partnered with Alexandra Cupidi, who has her own baggage, and off they go to solve a murder. What could go wrong?