2 Murder Mystery books That I Couldn't Stop Reading For 4 Days Straight

2 Murder Mystery Books That I Couldn't Stop Reading For 4 Days Straight

1. Kill Her Twice by Stacy Lee

  

 

    This first book takes place in Los Angeles during the 1930's and follows May and Gemma, two Chinese sisters. The plot of the book is basically that they find a dead body in a stable, and it turns out to be their friend Lulu Wong, who had become a famous Hollywood actress. At first May and Gemma go to the authorities, but they aren't of much help. This is when the sisters decide to take matters into their own hands and investigate for themselves. What I found interesting about the book is that sometimes it remembers the time period it is in as well as the social issues that come along with it, however at other times it seems to forget that. For example, this book didn't shy away from showing the racism and sexism that occurred during this time period. Many characters in the book, especially the authorities, don't offer very much help, and at some times are just rude to May and Gemma because they are Chinese. However, at the same time, this book also forgets events going on in this time period. One event that wasn't mentioned very much was The Great Depression, which affected the character's financial situation pretty heavily, yet it is barely mentioned. Overall this is a very exciting book that I would definitely recommend.

2. One of Us Is Lying by Karen M McManus

    This next book also takes place in California and is set in present day(so that would be 2017 which was when it was published). It opens in a high school detention room with 5 kids inside: Nate, Addy, Bronwyn, Cooper and Simon. In the novel these characters are described as the rebellious kid (Nate), the popular princess (Addy), the jock (Cooper), the smart one (Bronwyn), and lastly the gossip (Simon) (Yes i was uncontrollably cringing while writing that). By the end of the first chapter Simon dies from anaphylactic shock. When the authorities arrive, they believe that it wasn't an accident but instead an intentional murder. The other four characters are then considered the biggest suspects of the case and have to team up to clear their names as well as solve the murder. I actually really liked this book and found it hard to put down. The one thing I didn't like however, was the character tropes because they felt a bit cringey and predictable. Its a thing that has been done so many times in media and is too overused in my opinion. However, there is notable character growth from Addy, where she breaks out of this stereotype she is labeled as. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would very much recommend it to anyone who likes "whodunnit?" type of novels.

-Lucia