As a hopeless romantic who writes mysteries, I’ve yet to write a mystery that doesn’t include a love story. In my latest novel, Missing Mom, Noelle is not only dealing with the disappearance of her mother, but with her growing romantic feelings for her closest friend and fellow dancer Ravi.
Mystery romances are also definitely among my favorite reads. Below is a diverse assortment of five compelling mystery romances that I found thoroughly enjoyable.
Bright Objects by Ruby Todd
It’s been more than two years since Sylvia Knight lost her husband in a horrific hit-and-run car accident, and she remains determined to identify his killer and bring him to justice. Still lost in a haze of grief, she meets the enigmatic Theo St. John, the discoverer of a rare comet that’s about to become visible to the public. The attraction between the two is immediate, but Sylvia feels horribly guilty that she is betraying her dead husband by embracing a new love, and Theo’s reticence about his past puzzles her.
Meantime, Sylvia’s concerned about her mother-in-law who seems dangerously caught up in the cult-like following of a local meditation teacher, Joseph Evans. The charismatic Evans turns out to be even more dangerous than Sylvia could have imagined.
The shocking twist at the end of this tale speaks to the power of forgiveness and the healing renewal of love. If your reading tastes run more toward the literary, you’ll be swept up into Ruby Todd’s exquisite prose in her debut novel.
A Lady’s Guide to Mischief and Mayhem by Amanda Collins
Never mind that in 1865 London, proper ladies are not supposed to concern themselves with anything other than cookery and household matters. Newspaper columnist Lady Katherine Bascomb is keenly interested in crime. Having inherited her late husband’s newspaper, she insists on doing her own sleuthing and reporting her findings. When she discovers a key witness to the latest victim of a serial killer that Scotland Yard’s Detective Inspector Andrew Eversham’s team has overlooked, Eversham is pulled off the case and nearly loses his job. To make matters worse, he’s convinced they’ve arrested the wrong man based on her reporting. And when another victim shows up, discovered by Lady Katherine no less, the two are thrown together yet again.
Understandably, Eversham detests the woman who nearly ruined his career. But what began as mutual distrust gradually morphs into a spirited romance and a partnership in solving the murders. The delectable sparring between these two characters makes this a thoroughly engaging read perfect for readers of historical romance.
The Body In the Backyard by Lucy Score
The latest entry in the Riley Thorn mystery series features a madcap cast of characters. Riley’s over-the-top narcissistic ex-husband, Griffin Gentry, unexpectedly shows up begging for help tracking down the person who’s trying to kill him. Not surprisingly, Riley’s sexy private investigator boyfriend, Nick Santiago, refuses to take the case. But he’s overruled by Mrs. Penny, his eighty-year-old business partner, who points out their nearly empty bank account.
Their client’s selfish behavior and endless betrayals have enraged a bunch of people, so even with Riley’s psychic abilities and Nick’s skills as a detective, sorting through all the potential suspects is no easy task. There’s even a support group for women who hate the impossibly self-absorbed Griffin!
Meantime, the roof of the mansion next door has collapsed, and Riley and Nick’s elderly neighbors move in. Nick longs for some alone time with Riley for romance and a marriage proposal, but finding time alone proves to be almost as difficult as identifying Griffin’s would-be murderer.
For readers partial to romantic comedy capers and snappy dialogue, seasoned with a touch of the paranormal, this is a thoroughly entertaining read.
Flashback by Iris Johansen and Roy Johansen
The venerable mother-daughter writing team, Iris Johansen and Roy Johansen, offer another mystery romance/thriller, Flashback, their latest Kendra Michaels novel. Kendra is approached by retired detective Paula Chase who asks for her help in finding two missing sisters, Chloe and Sloane Morgan. Fifteen years ago, the girls’ mother was a victim of the Bayside Strangler, and the two girls have never stopped investigating the crime. Just as it appears they may have stumbled on to a lead, the two sisters vanish and after years of silence, the strangler has begun killing again.
No sooner does Kendra take on the case than she barely escapes a brutal attack in her garage. Soon, her lover, government agent-for-hire Adam Lynch, returns home to protect Kendra and help her with her investigation. They make a strong team. Having spent the first two decades of her life sightless, Kendra’s other senses are unusually sharp, and she often notices clues other investigators have missed.
But Kendra and Adam’s relationship is complicated. Kendra is fiercely independent and resists any intimation that she needs taking care of. And Adam is such a forceful personality used to taking charge that she’s not fully comfortable with making a commitment to him.
Full of page-turning suspense as well as the ongoing tension between two strong characters desperately in love with one another, this is an exciting and pleasurable read.
Plain Jane by Fern Michaels
In high school and college, Jane Lewis was plump and plain, a source of embarrassment to her looks-conscious, vain mother. Jane envied Connie Bryan, the beautiful homecoming queen who was about to be married to a popular football player following their college graduation. But the night before their final exams, Jane and Connie are walking home from the library when a group of guys brutally rapes Connie, while two of their buddies hold Jane down and prevent her from helping her friend. Despite Jane’s pleas to Connie to report the rape, Connie refuses. Soon, Connie’s relationship with her fiancé collapses, and tragically. she commits suicide.
Jane has never fully forgiven herself for not pushing her friend harder to report the rape. She has now blossomed into an attractive, successful psychiatrist with a thriving practice, her own radio talk show, and a gorgeous New Orleans mansion, complete with a resident friendly ghost who wants her help in “crossing to the other side.” Complicating matters is a male patient whose reported difficulties connecting to his wife after she’s been raped are eerily reminiscent of Connie’s story. Jane becomes determined to investigate Connie’s cold case, despite the reservations of fellow psychiatrist Michael Sorenson, someone she’d long had a crush on dating back to their college days.
Jane and Michael encounter lots of challenges as they fall in love, while Jane draws closer to revealing the person who orchestrated the long-ago attack on Connie. Along the way, she’s also sorting out a new career path for herself. The fun twists and turns of the romance, Jane’s career, and her investigation make this a richly layered and delightful read.
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