Who: Laura Chick, former Los Angeles city controller
Recommendation: “Still Life” by Louise Penny
Why it’s a good read: This is the first book in a long and wonderful series of murder mysteries Chief Inspector Gamache of Quebec Province and his team attempt to solve. “Still Life” is both charming and suspenseful, filled with humor, insightful psychological observations and complex characters. I am now on my fourth Louise Penny mystery; they provide a great escape from harsh realities. They’re all enjoyable, entertaining, and fun!
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Who: Catherine Fisk, professor at Berkeley Law
Recommendation: “Elena Knows” by Claudia Piñeiro
Why it’s a good read: Sometimes charming and gentle, sometimes painful and pointed, this novella is at once a mystery, a meditation on living with Parkinson’s, and an exploration of how and why people control women’s bodies.
Synopsis: After Rita is found dead in the bell tower of the church she used to attend, the official investigation into the incident is quickly closed. Her sickly mother is the only person still determined to find the culprit. Chronicling a difficult journey across the suburbs of the city, an old debt and a revealing conversation, “Elena Knows” unravels the secrets of its characters and the hidden facets of authoritarianism and hypocrisy in our society. (Charco Press)
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Who: Frances Dinkelspiel, author and freelance reporter
Recommendation: “All the Sinners Bleed” by S.A. Cosby
Why it’s a good read: I love atmospheric mysteries that draw you into a new place and reveal something about human nature. “All the Sinners Bleed” by S.A. Cosby is a page-turner featuring Titus Crown, the first Black sheriff in a racist county in Virginia. Titus is trying to convince a white supremacist group not to march through town to celebrate its Confederate past when a student kills his teacher and is then shot by Titus’s deputies. A search for answers leads to a serial killer and secrets the town’s leaders want prefer remain hidden.
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Who: Leigh, Owner of Leigh’s Favorite Books
Recommendation: “The Golden Gate” by Amy Chua
Why it’s a good read: This richly plotted historical thriller set in 1940’s Berkeley and San Francisco is thrilling, while the in-depth characters and threads paint a complex picture of race and class in the Bay Area.
Check if the book is available to borrow from your local public library.