Bethanne Patrick

As the weather improves around many parts of the U.S, grab some green space and sit down to let these books transport you to 1950s London, 1920s Manhattan, 21st-century Finland, and more.

The long days of January and February usually herald some great reads featuring crime, suspense and — everyone's favorite — murder.

In his debut thriller, Brendan Slocumb employs polemic about racism to great effect as he reminds us that the high-toned world of classical music suffers from, and because of, racism.

In Nita Prose's debut, a guest at a fancy urban hotel lies dead and the main suspect is Molly Gray, a devoted member of the cleaning staff who recognizes she has "trouble with social situations."

In Sarah Zachrich Jeng's debut thriller The Other Me, a young woman wanders away from a boring birthday party and finds herself in a different life, with a husband and family she didn't have before.

Jean Hanff Korelitz's tale of dirty deeds in the world of letters skewers pompous male authors with sly humor — but her approach to the central mystery might have you guessing the ending too soon.

Zhanna Slor's debut novel, set in a funky neighborhood of Milwaukee, follows two Russian immigrant sisters on very different paths. one now searching for the other after her mysterious disappearance.

Ottessa Moshfegh's latest isn't exactly a murder mystery, though there seems to be a mysterious murder. It's more a portrait of a woman gradually losing her mind, using the mystery to try to hang on.

Ivy Pochoda keeps up her focus on the overlooked and forgotten in her new novel. Here, it's a group of sex workers and club dancers whose lives are connected — and imperiled — by a serial killer.

C.J. Tudor's latest follows a man obsessed with proving his young daughter — supposedly killed in an accident — is still alive. It's atmospheric, but slightly shakier than Tudor's past books.