Love The Sweet Goodbye? Readers share 100 books like The Sweet Goodbye...

By Ron Corbett,

Here are 100 books that The Sweet Goodbye fans have personally recommended if you like The Sweet Goodbye. Shepherd is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of Among The Shadows

David Swinson Author Of The Second Girl

From my list on law enforcement who became authors.

Why am I passionate about this?

I retired from the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, DC, as a detective assigned to the Major Crimes Unit, but Iā€™ve always been a writer at heart and an avid reader. I graduated from California State University in Long Beach, CA, with a major in Film. I am the author of six crime fiction books, three of which involve retired detective turned PI Frank Marr. This trilogy was critically acclaimed. 

David's book list on law enforcement who became authors

David Swinson Why did David love this book?

Coffin is a retired detective sergeant out of Portland, Maine. I love books by authors who write what they know and, obviously, write it well.

This book is the first in a series involving Portland PD Detective Sergeant John Byron. Coffin draws on his life experience to create an exhilarating, believable suspense novel and a likable character I want to continue to read. 

By Bruce Robert Coffin,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Among The Shadows as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"A first-rate novel. Suspenseful and highly entertaining." -- New York Times bestselling author Gayle Lynds

Fall in Portland, Maine usually arrives as a welcome respite from summerā€™s sweltering temperatures and, with the tourists gone, a return to normal lifeā€”usually. But when a retired cop is murdered, things heat up quickly, setting the city on edge.

Detective Sergeant John Byron, a second-generation cop, is tasked with investigating the caseā€”at the very moment his life is unraveling. On the outs with his departmentā€™s upper echelon, separated from his wife, and feeling the strong pull of the bottle, Byron remains all business asā€¦


Book cover of The Dollhouse

Nathan Gower Author Of The Act of Disappearing

From my list on dual timeline novels with a satisfying twist.

Why am I passionate about this?

I love studying history and reading books informed by the past because of the ways such study elucidates and complicates my understanding of the present moment. I also think the best stories should entertain as well as teach; that is, books should be enrapturing and never didactic. Iā€™m a professor of English at a liberal arts university in Kentucky, and every time I assign a short story, novel, play, or poem, I always do so with the conviction that reading the assigned text should enthrall my students as much as it teaches them about a particular literary movement or historical moment. 

Nathan's book list on dual timeline novels with a satisfying twist

Nathan Gower Why did Nathan love this book?

I love novels set in the past but told in a way that elucidates our lives in the present, and this book is a prime example of this quality in Fiona Davisā€™s writing.

I loved the feeling of falling headlong into the real, tangible, utterly convincing world of the Barbizon Hotel for Women in the 1950s because so many of the themes still resonate so strongly today.

I also found the pacing of the book riveting, with back-and-forth chapters between the present-day story of journalist Rose Lewin and the past narrative of Darby McLaughlin to be perfectly balanced.

By Fiona Davis,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Dollhouse as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Enter the lush world of 1950s New York City, where a generation of aspiring models, secretaries, and editors live side by side in the glamorous Barbizon Hotel for Women while attempting to claw their way to fairy-tale success in this debut novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Lions of Fifth Avenue.

ā€œRich both in twists and period detail, this tale of big-city ambition is impossible to put down.ā€ā€”People
 
When she arrives at the famed Barbizon Hotel in 1952, secretarial school enrollment in hand, Darby McLaughlin is everything her modeling agency hall mates aren't: plain, self-conscious, homesick,ā€¦


Book cover of Time's Undoing

Lynn Kanter Author Of Her Own Vietnam

From my list on when the political turns personal.

Why am I passionate about this?

Many of us were taught as children that life isnā€™t fair. I never accepted this; shouldnā€™t we do all we can to make life fair? I grew up to be a lifelong activist and a writer for social justice organizations. As a reader and writer, I love books about womenā€™s lives, especially women who realize that the world around them shapes their own experiences. Sometimes history is happening right here, right nowā€”and you know it. Those transformative moments spark the best stories, illuminating each book Iā€™ve recommended. 

Lynn's book list on when the political turns personal

Lynn Kanter Why did Lynn love this book?

Any book in which a journalist and a librarian are the heroes gets a gold star from me. In this gripping novel, a Black journalist from Detroit who writes about the Black Lives Matter movement goes to Birmingham, Alabama, in 2019 on a personal and professional quest.

Her great-grandfather was, she believes, killed there by a white policeman 90 years ago, and sheā€™s determined to find out the truth. She also thinks his story can illuminate whatā€™s happening nationwide today. Based on this compelling premise, the novel is a mystery, a love story, a history, and an examination of racial justice rolled into one. I enjoyed the behind-the-scenes view of exactly how a journalist builds a story.

By Cheryl A. Head,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Time's Undoing as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A searing and tender novel about a young Black journalistā€™s search for answers in the unsolved murder of her great-grandfather in segregated Birmingham, Alabama, decades agoā€”inspired by the authorā€™s own family history

Birmingham, 1929: Robert Lee Harrington, a master carpenter, has just moved to Alabama to pursue a job opportunity, bringing along his pregnant wife and young daughter. Birmingham is in its heyday, known as the ā€œMagic Cityā€ for its booming steel industry, and while Robert and his family find much to enjoy in the cityā€™s busy markets and vibrant nightlife, itā€™s also a stronghold for the Klan. And withā€¦


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Book cover of The Ballad of Falling Rock

The Ballad of Falling Rock by Jordan Dotson,

Truth told, folks still ask if Saul Crabtree sold his soul for the perfect voice. If he sold it to angels or devils. A Bristol newspaper once asked: ā€œAre his love songs closer to heaven than dying?ā€ Others wonder how he wrote a song so sad, everyone who heard itā€¦

Book cover of Sherlock Holmes and the Christmas Demon

Naching T. Kassa Author Of Sherlock Holmes and the Arcana of Madness: A Horror Mystery

From my list on extraordinary Sherlock Holmes stories.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a lifelong Sherlockian, I have always enjoyed writing and reading about Sherlock Holmes. My favorite pastiches are the ones that are most faithful to the characters of Holmes and Watson, even if the story borders on the fantastic. I adore Sherlock Holmes and am a member of the Sound of the Baskervilles, The Sherlock Holmes Society of London, The Crew of the Barque Lone Star, The Beacon Society, The ACD Society, and The John H. Watson Society. Iā€™ve written over 20 published stories about the Great Detective and plan to write many more.

Naching's book list on extraordinary Sherlock Holmes stories

Naching T. Kassa Why did Naching love this book?

James Lovegroveā€™s pastiches are among the best Iā€™ve ever read!

I happen to be a horror and mystery fan, and Lovegroveā€™s stories are not only fun, theyā€™re frightening. In this book, Holmes and Watson must solve a mystery involving an evil Christmas spirit called the Black Thurrick. They also must contend with a family who wants them to return to London above all else.

I received this book as a Christmas gift from my husband a few years ago, and it was my introduction to Lovegrove, who also writes The Cthulhu Casebooks, a series of Sherlock Holmes books concerning H.P. Lovecraftā€™s creations.

Fun Fact: James Lovegrove and Nicholas Meyer (author of The Seven-Per-Cent Solution) share the same birthday, December 24th.

By James Lovegrove,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Sherlock Holmes and the Christmas Demon as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The new Sherlock Holmes novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Age of Odin.

It is 1890, and in the days before Christmas Sherlock Holmes and Dr John Watson are visited at Baker Street by a new client. Eve Allerthorpe - eldest daughter of a grand but somewhat eccentric Yorkshire-based dynasty - is greatly distressed, as she believes she is being haunted by a demonic Christmas spirit.

Her late mother told her terrifying tales of the sinister Black Thurrick, and Eve is sure that she has seen the creature from her bedroom window. What is more, sheā€¦


Book cover of Special Topics in Calamity Physics

Caroline Wolff Author Of The Wayside

From my list on for adults about being a teenager.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a writer, Iā€™ve always been drawn to exploring the teenage experience. Maybe thatā€™s because my experiences in high school and college were rife with the highest of highs and the lowest of lowsā€”everything was intensely beautiful and painful at once. That tension played a major role in my self-discovery process, and story-wise, it makes for a compelling character. But in a lot of literature, I find the depiction of teenage characters to be either sensationalized or infantilizing, melodramatic, or unconvincingly flat. When writing my own adolescent subjects in The Wayside, I turned often toward the rich, complex characters in the stories here. 

Caroline's book list on for adults about being a teenager

Caroline Wolff Why did Caroline love this book?

I canā€™t talk about notable adolescent protagonists without mentioning Blue van Meer. Marisha Pesslā€™s cult-favorite debut made an impact on me as a teenage reader, but I recently picked it back up on a whim and was just as enthralled as an adult.

This is a formally inventive novel interspersed with hand-drawn illustrations and pop quizzes. It also defies generic categorization, weaving in elements of murder mystery, campus novel, and coming-of-age saga. Itā€™s a lot to take in (and it clocks in at a door-stopping 540 pages), but Blueā€™s always-surprising observations keep the pages turning.

By Marisha Pessl,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Special Topics in Calamity Physics as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The mesmerizing New York Times bestseller by the author of Night Film

Marisha Pesslā€™s dazzling debut sparked raves from critics and heralded the arrival of a vibrant new voice in American fiction. At the center of Special Topics in Calamity Physics is clever, deadpan Blue van Meer, who has a head full of literary, philosophical, scientific, and cinematic knowledge. But she could use some friends. Upon entering the elite St. Gallway School, she finds someā€”a clique of eccentrics known as the Bluebloods. One drowning and one hanging later, Blue finds herself puzzling out a byzantine murder mystery. Nabokov meets Donnaā€¦


Book cover of Sherlock Holmes vs. Cthulhu: The Adventure of the Innsmouth Mutations

Christian Klaver Author Of Sherlock Holmes and Count Dracula

From my list on Sherlock Holmes mash-ups.

Why am I passionate about this?

My name is Christian Klaver, and Iā€™ve had, in turn, many different jobs as a bookseller, martial arts instructor, and bartender before settling into a career in internet security. Books have always been a passion of mine, with science fiction, fantasy, and mystery as my main focus. Iā€™ve been a lifelong fan of Sherlock Holmes and am a proud member of two different Sherlock Holmes Societies.

Christian's book list on Sherlock Holmes mash-ups

Christian Klaver Why did Christian love this book?

This is possibly a more Lovecraftian selection than a Holmesian one, as the monsters and the unfathomable world of Lovecraft and Cthulhu really dominate thematically. The sinister darkness of Lovecraft really comes through here.

Itā€™s a little heartbreaking to see Holmes in over his head, struggling with non-Euclidian magic, but very well done and a gripping story.

By Lois H. Gresh,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Sherlock Holmes vs. Cthulhu as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The third novel in six-time New York Times best-selling author Lois H. Gresh's Sherlock Holmes vs. Cthulhu series.

THE OBLITERATING SHADOW

The deadly dimensions over London have been sealed, and the monsters have departed. But word has come to Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson of a more terrifying creature still - the great Cthulhu has been sighted off the waters of Innsmouth, Massachusetts. Only Holmes can defeat him.

And in the muddy village of Innsmouth, surrounded by villagers who are more sea-monster than human, Holmes meets again his nemesis, Moriarty, and yet greater foes: Amelia Scarcliffe and Maria Fitzgerald, harbingersā€¦


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Book cover of The Ascent

The Ascent by Adam Plantinga,

When a high security prison fails, a down-on-his luck cop and the governorā€™s daughter must team up if theyā€™re going to escape in this "jaw-dropping, authentic, and absolutely gripping" (Harlan Coben, #1 New York Times bestselling author) USA Today bestselling thriller from Adam Plantinga.

Book cover of Rocket to the Morgue

Lavie Tidhar Author Of The Circumference of the World

From my list on science fictionā€™s golden age.

Why am I passionate about this?

Iā€™ve always been fascinated by the Golden Age of science fiction, when a group of young dreamers formed the genre as we know it today. I grew up far away from their world, on a small kibbutz in Israel, and the lives of those god-like beings seemed as remote and as impossible as the moon. I grew up to eventually write stories of my own, and even got to meet some of my childhood heroes, and eventually I thought it would be fun to write a book that was partially about them. I read every book I could get my hands on to try and better understand that time when science fiction was born.

Lavie's book list on science fictionā€™s golden age

Lavie Tidhar Why did Lavie love this book?

Anthony Boucher straddles the history of both crime fiction and science fiction.

As the founding editor of The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction he has an oversized role in the history of the genre. As a crime writer, he gave his name to the Anthony Awards, which are handed out every year at the annual Bouchercon.

His SF story ā€œThe Quest for Saint Aquinā€ is a classic. None of this, admittedly, has much to do with Rocket to the Morgue, Boucherā€™s roman-Ć -clef mystery set in pre-WW2 California in which the emerging world of science fiction comes to glorious life. A young L. Ron Hubbard makes an appearance, as do Robert A. Heinlein and the rocket scientist and occultist Jack Parsons.

The mystery matters less than the characters, who though moving under different names are all very much true to life.

By Anthony Boucher,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Rocket to the Morgue as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A Golden Age mystery set in the Golden Age of science fiction

Legendary science fiction author Fowler Faulkes may be dead, but his creation, the iconic Dr. Derringer, lives on in popular culture. Or, at least, the character would live on if not for Faulkesā€™s predatory and greedy heir Hilary, who, during his time as the inflexible guardian of the estate, has created countless enemies in the relatively small community of writers of the genre. So when he is stabbed nearly to death in a room with only one door, which nobody was seen entering or exiting, Foulkes suspects aā€¦


Book cover of Mother-Daughter Murder Night

Kate Michaelson Author Of Hidden Rooms

From my list on ill or disabled sleuths.

Why am I passionate about this?

I know all too well that finding a diagnosis and treating a chronic health condition can be like unraveling a mysteryā€”maybe thatā€™s why characters dealing with these issues make natural detectives. As a mystery writer with chronic illness, I love reading about sleuths who embody the difficulties of living with health challenges yet show the tremendous capacity we still have to contribute. Many of the sleuths on this list are confined to their homes and unable to work, so solving a mystery not only adds suspense. It gives us the satisfaction of seeing these characters find their way back into the world and rediscover their sense of purpose.

Kate's book list on ill or disabled sleuths

Kate Michaelson Why did Kate love this book?

Lana Rubicon is one of my favorite fictional characters in recent years. Real estate powerhouse and femme fatale, Lana is a force to be reckoned withā€”that is, until she gets cancer, goes through surgery and chemo, and moves in with her estranged daughter and granddaughter.

With work off-limits and her sense of purpose taken away, Lana becomes consumed with solving a murder. What I love about Lana is the wonderful balance of how the normally tough-as-nails woman accepts her vulnerability and, in the process, opens herself up to reconciling with her daughter and demonstrates just how strong she is. 

By Nina Simon,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Mother-Daughter Murder Night as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

NEW YORK TIMES BESTELLER - REESE'S BOOK CLUB PICK

Nothing brings a family together like a murder next door.

"The perfect mix of family drama and murder mystery" (Kellye Garrett, award-winning author) in this lighthearted whodunnit about a grandmother-mother-daughter trio of amateur sleuths. Think: Gilmore Girls, but with murder.

High-powered businesswoman Lana Rubicon has a lot to be proud of: her keen intelligence, impeccable taste, and the L.A. real estate empire she's built. But when she finds herself trapped 300 miles north of the city, convalescing in a sleepy coastal town with her adult daughter Beth and teenage granddaughter Jack,ā€¦


Book cover of Play the Fool

Rob Osler Author Of Devil's Chew Toy

From my list on whodunits with highly entertaining amateur sleuths.

Why am I passionate about this?

My first book love was Agatha Christieā€™s And Then There Were None. The game between author and reader that centers a whodunit has always delighted me. The breadcrumb trail of clues, the misdirection, the inevitable I should have seen it! are my jam. Now an author of whodunitsā€”I have one series published and a second on the way, along with several short stories ā€“ I read mysteries with greater scrutinyā€”in admiration and with a selfish desire to learn from other authorsā€™ envious talents. Each of the books on my list excited me for their excellent storytelling. In the end, I found them just plain entertaining. I hope you do too!

Rob's book list on whodunits with highly entertaining amateur sleuths

Rob Osler Why did Rob love this book?

I love a story that fills a space on the shelf that no one else has thought to create. Props to Lina Chern for giving this reader Katie True.

From the moment I met Katie, working at a decidedly unglamorous suburban mall shop while wondering why her life is...well, her life (and looking to Tarot cards among other places for answers), I knew this wasnā€™t another off-the-shelf mystery protagonist.

This book not only serves up a clever plot with offbeat supporting players in a unique yet oh-so-familiar setting; it reveals an everyday struggling young woman as a cool and quirky individual who is just trying to make her life into something meaningful.

I should mention, along the way, she solves a murder, proving her street smarts arenā€™t to be underestimated.

By Lina Chern,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Play the Fool as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A cynical tarot card reader seeks to uncover the truth about her friendā€™s mysterious death in this delightfully clever whodunit, ā€œa delicious blend of suspense and madcap humorā€ (Library Journal, starred review).

For Katie True, a keen gut and quick wit are just tools of the trade. After a failed attempt at adulting in Chicago, sheā€™s back in the suburbs living a bit too close to her overbearing parents, jumping from one dead-end job to the next, and flipping through her tarot deck for guidance. Then along comes Marley.

Mysterious, worldly, and comfortable in her own skin, Marley takes aā€¦


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Book cover of Through Any Window

Through Any Window by Deb Richardson-Moore,

Riley Masterson has moved to Greenbrier, SC, anxious to escape the chaos that has overwhelmed her life.

Questioned in a murder in Alabama, she has spent eighteen months under suspicion by a sheriffā€™s office, unable to make an arrest. But things in gentrifying Greenbrier are not as they seem. Asā€¦

Book cover of I Kill Killers

Why am I passionate about this?

When I decided to write about psychopathic killers, I studied real stories and facts about these people. I also read about 80 novels a year as well as writing crime thriller novels. Iā€™ve won more than a few awards and keep studying my craft. Makes me feel young. I love stories with action that make you think and are a little different and unique. I want to make a reader cry and laugh, which is what I look for in a good novel. So, when I write about serial killers, I try to keep it real. I love it!

Mike's book list on serial killer novels that are unique, thought-provoking, action-filled, and that you won't forget

Mike Slavin Why did Mike love this book?

I love this book! A famous female pianist in Boston who kills bad people, and she has quirks. She also changes boy toys during the story; that whole dynamic is sexy and unusual. 

One of my new favorite books. I hate heavy procedural books, and this is not one. The FBI is involved, but not how you think. The railroad killer was also very creative. She does have the FBI chasing her and has friends in the FBI, which is unique, too. The beginning is good, with lots of action and intrigue, and the middle holds up with a bang for an ending.

There are a few surprises here and there, but it is just a solid story.

By S. T. Ashman,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked I Kill Killers as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The Queen's Gambit meets Kill Bill in one of Goodreads' best thrillers of the year.

When a genius pianist turned hunter of serial killers finds herself connected to her latest victim by an eerie twist of fate, her world spirals into dark chaos. Caught in a relentless game of cat-and-mouse with a tenacious FBI agent, she is also thrust into a dangerous face-off with a serial killer whose lethal cunning could rival her own.

"I Kill Killers" is a pulse-pounding journey into moral ambiguity, blurring the slippery line between heroes and villains.

Trigger warning: This book contains sensitive content, includingā€¦


Book cover of Among The Shadows
Book cover of The Dollhouse
Book cover of Time's Undoing

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