Earlier this month I did the fantasy tag but since I read a lot of mystery books I knew I had to do one for the mystery genre!

What is your mystery origin story? (The first mystery you read)

Plot: A refugee of the Great War, Poirot has settled in England near Styles Court, the country estate of his wealthy benefactor, the elderly Emily Inglethorp. When Emily is poisoned and the authorities are baffled, Poirot puts his prodigious sleuthing skills to work. Suspects are plentiful, including the victim’s much younger husband, her resentful stepsons, her longtime hired companion, a young family friend working as a nurse, and a London specialist on poisons who just happens to be visiting the nearby village. All of them have secrets they are desperate to keep, but none can outwit Poirot as he navigates the ingenious red herrings and plot twists that contribute to Agatha Christie’s well-deserved reputation as the queen of mystery.

I got this copy at Agatha Christie’s house at the age of 10 and I attempted to read it but failed hahaha. I loved the ITV adaptation of the Hercule Poirot series so I was excited to try the books but I was thrown off by the writing style hahaha. I ended up reading it years later and enjoying it and then after that I officially decided to read the entire series. I am now 17 books in plus some additional standalones.

If you could be the detective in a mystery novel, who would be the author and what’s one trope you’d insist be in the story?

I have to go with someone like M.C. Beaton but they are cosy mysteries so the stakes aren’t super high and it’s just a load of small town gossip WHICH I LOVE! The trope would be a secret twin – which in fiction I hate but if I experienced that in real life it would be insane!

What is a mystery series you’ve read this year, that you want more people to read?

Plot: Everyone in my family has killed someone. Some of us, the high achievers, have killed more than once. I’m not trying to be dramatic, but it is the truth. Some of us are good, others are bad, and some just unfortunate. I’m Ernest Cunningham. Call me Ern or Ernie. I wish I’d killed whoever decided our family reunion should be at a ski resort, but it’s a little more complicated than that. Have I killed someone? Yes. I have. Who was it? Let’s get started.

This is such a witty, smart and meta book series that I just loved so so much! I don’t think it gets enough hype.

What is your favourite mystery subgenre? What subgenre have you not read much of?

I think you might be able to tell already but I love the cosy mystery subgenre. I just love the setting, the severely interconnected community, the bubbling secrets.

The subgenre I don’t read much of is the modern DI thriller. I love watching shows about detectives in the modern era like Vera and Broadchurch but it has never crossed over to reading. I’m hoping that I will read and love this subgenre more!

Who are your auto-buy authors?

My go-to authors are

• Stuart Turton
• Benjamin Stevenson
• Agatha Christie
• Dorothy L. Sayers

How do you typically find mystery recommendations?

This will be the same as my fantasy answer. As we know, I work as a bookseller, so a lot of my recs comes from work. But recently I have been able to work with publishers more closely over upcoming releases.

What upcoming mystery releases are you excited for?

Plot: Every night, in the college’s ancient cemetery, five people cross paths as they work the late shift: a bartender, a rideshare driver, a hotel receptionist, the steward of the derelict church that looms over them, and the editor-in-chief of the college paper, always in search of a story. One dark October evening in the defunct churchyard, they find a hole that wasn’t there before. A fresh, open grave where no grave should be. But who dug it, and for whom? Before they go their separate ways, the gravedigger returns. As they trail him through the night, they realize he may be the key to a string of strange happenings around town that have made headlines for the last few weeks—and that they may be closer to the mystery than they thought.

This is the only mystery book I am aware of currently and I am so excited. It’s less than 150 pages which is surprising but I loved If We Were Villains so much that I hope I love this book just as much.

What is one misconception about the mystery genre you would like to lay to rest?

I think it would be to address the cosy crime subgenre. While some cosy crime books are super easy reading and low stakes there are some where it keeps to the core values of cosy crime but it’s just the same cookie cutter stories like some other books. I wish people would 1. stop looking down on the easy reading cosy crime books (they are so valid!) but 2. realise that there are some cosy crime books that SLAP!

If someone had never read a mystery book before, what 3 books would you choose to get them started.

Don’t underestimate the power to YA mysteries. Left and right are mysteries by YA authors that blew my mind!