Nothing could tear Detective Michael Bennett away from his new bride—except the murder of his best friend. NYPD master homicide investigator Michael Bennett and FBI abduction specialist Emily Parker have a history. When she fails to show at FBI headquarters in Washington, DC, Bennett ventures outside his jurisdiction. The investigation he undertakes is the most brilliant detective work of his career…and the most intensely personal. A portrait begins to emerge of a woman as adept at keeping secrets as forging powerful connections. A woman whose enemies had the means and the motives to silence her —and her protectors. If you’d like a very clear example of that, take a look at the beloved detective show Colombo. First, we are presented with the crime, and we even get a good glimpse at it: from how, when, and where, to the why. But watching Colombo figuring it all out is more than half the fun. In fact, nothing is as satisfying as seeing Colombo collect the pieces you were given at the beginning of the episode, turn around, place a hand on his forehead and say, “one more thing,” and then lay those pieces for the criminal to deal with, along with the consequences. It’s genius, especially because it makes the viewer a sort of omniscient figure, watching the scenes develop and knowing for sure justice is going to be served once again. As a reader, I have stumbled upon a few books that work (with more or less detail) similarly to Colombo, and I am time and time again baffled by how well it works, and how it doesn’t in the slightest put me off from wanting to learn more, and keep reading. In truth, I’m more often frustrated by a book that is supposed to trick you, and doesn’t (am I too clever for this?), than a book that actually gives you very important pieces but still leaves something to discover. In the list below there are eight such books, some of them mysteries and others books with a mystery element: those that start with what is usually the final mystery being revealed, and then take you along for the ride of how it all happened, and why. The story is told by one of six college students who met each other years before at Hampden college. One of them ended up dead, which changed the life of the whole group. Richard, our narrator, reflects on the events that led to the murder, and the consequences of their individual and group actions. Brooklyn, 1969: an old deacon walks into a housing project and shoots the project’s drug dealer. Across the rest of the book, we get a glimpse into the lives of those involved in the incident: the victim, those who witnessed the crime, the officers investigating it, and even the members of the deacon’s church. Bit by bit, the whole truth is known, bringing with it more than just one lesson to be learned. As the police investigate the case, so does Remy, in an effort to put together the pieces she is missing to understand the motivations of her best friend and the secrets she and Jack had kept from her. This is a story about obsessive friendships. But do not be fooled by knowing this much about the crime, because there is in this book plenty of room for surprises that throw you off your feet all the way to the end. Theo, a criminal psychotherapist, wants to get to the core of the crime, but with Alice refusing to speak, he gets more intrigued and more set on discovering the why of it all — obsessively so. Alice and Oliver are married, and they seem to have it all. They even write and illustrate award-winning children’s books together. Then one day, Oliver attacks Alice and puts her in a coma. As the book progresses, we get to see their lives unravel, as well as the motivations that led Oliver to commit such a violent crime. For more mystery reads: How Are Smartphones Used In Mystery Novels? 10 Best Mysteries With A Twist 15 Of The Best Mystery Romance Books
