When you take some time to organize your bookshelf, it’s like a walk down memory lane. I want to go back and recommend some of my favorites that I love enough to keep on my shelf.
The Peach Keeper
Sarah Addison Allen
Allen always delights with her small town magical realism and strong female characters. The Peach Keeper is one of my favorites. I love a good mystery that starts with the surprise digging up of a skeleton!
The Jefferson Key
Steve Berry
I went to a Steve Berry book signing while he was working on The Jefferson Key. He talked about how he got his story ideas and for this one, it was finding a small clause in the Constitution that allows for privateers (or pirates depending on how you look at it.) It made me instantly look forward to this episode in the Cotton Malone series. Berry’s fast paced adventures make small parts of history come alive!
Back Bay
William Martin
Now, I am sensing a theme. Martin’s Peter Fallon series also has a history mystery vibe, but with a more sweeping saga feel. Back Bay takes the reader all the way from old Boston in the time of George Washington to the current day Back Bay (well, current when the book came out in 1992). Following the mystery of a lost Paul Revere silver teapot and the dramatic ups and downs of the Pratt family, there is plenty of drama along with the history.
The Mitford Series
Jan Karon
For those of you that haven’t gotten to know Father Tim, now is a great time to start. The Mitford series is a serene and fun account of the lives of Father Tim and the rest of the folks in the small town of Mitford. They have charming traditions and quaint stores lining the main street. You will feel like Mitford is your home town and the characters your family. And if you are just coming to the series, there are 14 books in the series, so you won’t run out anytime soon!
