Closed Circle Mysteries
January 26, 2024
Closed circle mysteries is a mystery in which the murder/crime’s circumstances limit the number of suspects- the criminal is one of the people present at or nearby the scene, and the crime could not have been committed by some outsider. The detective has to solve the crime, figuring out the criminal from this pool (circle) of suspects, rather than searching for a totally unknown perpetrator.
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
First, there were ten—a curious assortment of strangers summoned as weekend guests to a little private island off the coast of Devon. Their host, an eccentric millionaire unknown to all of them, is nowhere to be found. All that the guests have in common is a wicked past they’re unwilling to reveal—and a secret that will seal their fate. For each has been marked for murder. One by one they fall prey. Before the weekend is out, there will be none. Who has choreographed this dastardly scheme? And who will be left to tell the tale? Only the dead are above suspicion.
An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena
A weekend retreat at a cozy mountain lodge is supposed to be the perfect getaway. But when the weather takes a turn for the worse, and a blizzard cuts off the electricity–and all contact with the outside world–the guests settle in and try to make the best of it. Soon, though, one of the guests turns up dead–it looks like an accident. But when a second guest dies, they start to panic. Within the snowed-in paradise, something–or someone–is picking off the guests one by one. And there’s nothing they can do but hunker down and hope they can survive the storm–and one another.
The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware
Lo Blacklock, a journalist who writes for a travel magazine, has just been given the assignment of a lifetime: a week on a luxury cruise with only a handful of cabins. At first, Lo’s stay is nothing but pleasant: the cabins are plush, the dinner parties are sparkling, and the guests are elegant. But as the week wears on, frigid winds whip the deck, gray skies fall, and Lo witnesses what she can only describe as a dark and terrifying nightmare: a woman being thrown overboard. The problem? All passengers remain accounted for and so, the ship sails on as if nothing has happened, despite Lo’s desperate attempts to convey that something (or someone) has gone terribly, terribly wrong.
The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley
For the past ten years, a group of thirtysomething college friends take an annual vacation together. For this year’s vacation, they’ve chosen an idyllic and isolated estate in the Scottish Highlands—the perfect place to get away and unwind by themselves. They arrive on December 30th, just before a historic blizzard seals the lodge off from the outside world. Two days later, on New Year’s Day, one of them is dead.
The Five Red Herrings by Dorothy L. Sayers
During a painting retreat, a killer takes a creative approach to the ancient art of murder… The majestic landscape of the Scottish coast has attracted artists and fishermen for centuries. Sandy Campbell’s body is found at the bottom of a steep hill while his art easel is at the top of the hill, suggesting he fell while painting. Campbell was a hated resident, and no one weeps when he dies. But “accidental” death doesn’t sit right with gentleman sleuth Lord Peter Wimsey. Which of Campell’s fellow retreaters killed him?
Murder on the Ballarat Train by Kerry Greenwood
The Honourable Miss Phryne Fisher, a 1920s London socialite living in Australia, is off for a week in Ballarat for a little vacation. However, the sedate journey by train turns out to be far from the restful trip she was planning. What was planned as a restful country sojourn turns into the stuff of nightmares: a young girl who can’t remember anything, rumors of slavery, and the body of an old woman missing her emerald rings. And Phryne is at the center, working through the clues to arrive at the incredible truth before another murder is committed.
The Last Guest by Tess Little
In this dark, cinematic suspense novel, a glamorous birthday dinner in the Hollywood Hills ends with the famous host, Richard Bryant, dead. In the weeks that follow, each of the eight guests come under suspicion: the school friend, the studio producer, the actress, the actor, the new partner, the manager, the cinematographer, and Richard’s ex-wife, Elspeth. What starts out as a locked-room mystery soon reveals itself to be much more complicated, as dark stories from Richard’s past surface, colliding with Elspeth’s memories of their marriage that she vowed never to revisit.
Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
Just after midnight, a snowdrift stops the famous Orient Express in its tracks as it travels through the mountainous Balkans. The luxurious train is surprisingly full for the time of the year but, by the morning, it is one passenger fewer. An American tycoon lies dead in his compartment, stabbed a dozen times, his door locked from the inside. Famous detective Hercule Poirot just happens to be on the train on vacation. Isolated and with a killer on board, Poirot must identify the murderer—in case he or she decides to strike again.
They All Fall Down by Rachel Howzell Hall
Are you a fan of thrilling contemporary suspense? Seven strangers are invited to a luxurious private island. However, each is harboring a sinful secret. Accidents begin to befall the group as one by one, They All Fall Down.