Mysteries – With a New Twist

A good mystery book is hard to put down. You jump through hoops to find out whodunnit, and along the way, compile your own suspicions. Just when you think you have it all figured out—BOOM!!!—the author makes you guess again…and then again. That’s what makes a good mystery fun.

The following novels add to the intrigue by blurring time. Characters from the present join with those stuck in the past to unravel the clues and solve a mystery. Sharpen your detective skills and help Sherlock Holmes solve crime in 1910 Cornwall, England, and homicide detective Mallory in 1869 Scotland. Just watch out for the red herrings!

Be the Detective

Sherlock & Watson Wired is the first book in the Text Me Mystery series. It is based on The Adventure of the Devil’s Foot, a story written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in 1910. The 2022 mash-up version by Ann Kimbrough puts a new twist on sleuthing. Four teenagers from the present communicate by texting with Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson who are living in 1910.  

The amateurs and professionals collaborate on clues, and you are welcome to join in. The Text Me Mystery books have blank pages to make notes while trying to solve the crime. Hints in the back of the book will confirm or deny your suspicions. The reading age is 9 to 15 years, but that doesn’t mean adults can’t join in the fun.

Who’s Who

A Rip Though Time, not to be confused with A Rip in Time, is the first book in Kelley Armstrong’s new Rip Through Time detective series. Modern-day homicide detective Mallory from Canada and 1860s housemaid Catriona from Scotland have one thing in common—they were both strangled on the same day at the same time on the same spot but over 100 years apart.

Somehow, Mallory survives her attack but travels through time and winds up in Catriona’s body. Mallory must adjust to life in Victorian Scotland as a housemaid who is not very well-liked. Another question she has is where did Catriona go? As if those problems aren’t enough, Mallory’s attacker may have been caught in the same rip through time, which means he or she wouldn’t be in the same body either.

This mystery gives you a lot to think about as everybody seems suspicious at one point.

I have read and recommend both of these books. If you have any other mystery books you would like to recommend, post them in the comments!