Some new mystery treats with old fashioned flavor for your summer reading

Summer reading is the perfect excuse for indulging in a few of your favorite genres and mystery is the ultimate classic comfort food for any literary menu.

By mystery, I mean a good old fashioned whodunit and/or a story length skein of scheming to be unwound by a very wily detective type. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the challenge of a plot twisting thriller or a slyly done suspense tale but sometimes, you just want a solid bit of sleuthing to follow.

A prime example of that is The Widows of Malabar Hill by Sujata Massey, an author whose has won several awards for her Rei Shimura mysteries. This new series takes us to Bombay in 1921, where Perveen Mistry is the first female lawyer in the city as well as one of the first in India during that time period.

Her work at her father's law firm brings Perveen to a case involving the inheritance of a trio of widows, whom she suspects are being cheated out of their full share of their mutual husband's money,possibly at the hands of the trustee. As she pursues the matter, a murder occurs that only confirms her concerns but raises the stakes that much higher.

Word of mouth has been excellent for this book, which inspired me to reserve it at the library(I'll be picking it up this week!), along with critical acclaim and here's hoping that we are only at the beginning of a beautiful friendship with Perveen Mistry:

When it comes to modern mystery writers with a flair for the old school, Ruth Ware's name crops up quite often and for good reason. Her latest fare, The Death of Mrs. Westaway, is a blend of Agatha Christie plotting with Daphne du Maurier atmosphere.

Harriet "Hal" Westaway simply goes through the motions of tarot card reading in order to make some sort of living, not to mention pay off a persistent loan shark. When a letter from an attorney arrives on her doorstep that says her previously unknown to her grandmother has died, Hal is suspicious but willing to see if she can claim some of what sounds like a nice big inheritance.

Upon reaching the family estate of Trepassen House, Hal finds herself among several unwelcoming uncles, plus a sinister housekeeper to boot. She also stumbles upon an old legend about a former resident or rather captive of Trepassen that could lead to the truth about her place in this family but not without some dire consequences to possibly pay.

I did read Ware's acclaimed The Woman in Cabin 10 and it was a cracking good read, as they say. The Death of Mrs. Westaway promises to be just that with a hint of next level writing that advances her literary game:

If these hardy hardcovers may not seem to fit snugly in your beach bag, you do have the option of a worthy paperback as Anthony Horowitz's Magpie Murders is now readily available in that format.

When editor Susan Ryland finds herself enthralled by the new Atticus Pund mystery manuscript from contentious author Mark Conroy, she is shocked to discover that the last half of the book is missing.

Upon contacting her boss about this, Susan learns that Mark Conroy has just died, leaving more than one unsolved mystery behind him. In searching for the rest of the book as well as the truth, she becomes all too aware of some hidden secrets that could be more dangerous than any foe the fictional Atticus Pund ever faced.

This was one of the best books that I read last year and if you've been waiting for the paperback release, your patience will be well rewarded indeed:

Whatever genre you choose to dive into this summer season, a good book is your best bet against any glitches in your entertainment system. If the wi-fi is down, along with the cable and your battery level is low, all you need is a little bit of light and a savvy storyteller to keep the page turning party going :