Published:
The following five mysteries play with point of view:
The Examiner by Janice Hallett
A mystery told through the digital communications and art school assignments of a group of master's students in a new program, The Examiner offers quite a challenge for people who like to uncover the culprit themselves. The independent grader looking at everyone's submissions starts to suspect that a murder is being covered up; but why? how? and of course ... who is involved? This book is unparalleled at adding in details that suddenly cast the story (and the evidence) in a whole new light, believably shifting suspicion around. If you want to be kept guessing, this is the book for you!
The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill
An atmospheric thriller, The Woman in the Library weaves together - one chapter and editor's response at a time - the mystery novel draft being shared between an author and her beta reader with something sinister lurking behind the scenes. I love a meta story, and these characters are realistic and charismatic enough to carry off the framing device. Cliffhangers make this novel hard to put down and keep you turning the pages.
I Killed the King by Rebecca Mix & Andrea Hannah
A murder in a locked room, told alternately from the perspective of each suspect. A fantasy as well as a mystery, I enjoyed the worldbuilding and the authors' ability to keep the tension building. The characters' tangled relationships to each other provide plenty of drama - and motive. I would recommend this mystery to someone who wants to try something they haven't seen before.
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie
This particular Christie novel from the "Golden Age" of mystery is known for subverting the genre's unwritten rules in spectacular fashion. Poirot retires to the country and of course manages to become involved in the murder next door. If you're not familiar with the twist, I won't say too much, but the story is a study in misdirection and what the characters aren't saying. An excellent choice for someone interested in reading (or rereading) the classics.
Verdict of Twelve by Raymond Postgate
Verdict of Twelve takes readers through the background and thoughts of each member of the jury as they hear evidence in a murder trial. Some may find this distracts from the main mystery, but I thought Postgate brought up interesting considerations: what, exactly, is a jury of your peers? Can anyone really look at evidence objectively, rather than through an emotional lens based on their life experiences? The hidden lives and biases of the jurors - the jury foreman with the invented, assimilated identity, the woman who has herself gotten away with a murder - were in my opinion the juiciest part of the book.
About the Author
Zoe is a Library Associate with DC Public Library and a big fan of classic crime novels and nerdy nonfiction.