In a town where enduring marriage is highly valued, Glory Broussard stands out as a recently divorced woman who is not afraid to defy societal norms. She is described as being of a certain age, body type, and temperament, with a penchant for collecting rather than hoarding. While her peers in the Acadiana Red Hat Society spend their Sunday mornings in church, Glory works as a part-time bookie, using Sundays as her money-making opportunity.

However, when Glory's lifelong friend Amity, who has recently become a nun, dies under suspicious circumstances, Glory becomes immediately suspicious despite the official ruling of suicide. She is determined to uncover the truth, and she enlists the help of her daughter Delphine, a lawyer who has come to town for Amity's funeral. Together, they embark on a journey to uncover the secrets surrounding Amity's death, which leads them to an environmental scandal, a corrupt priest, and several acts of violence.

Meanwhile, in Dann McDorman's novel "West Heart Kill," the traditional locked-room mystery is given a unique twist. The story takes place in a hard-to-reach hunting club in upstate New York, where a storm knocks out the power, leaving the characters trapped. Enter enigmatic dark-haired detective Adam McAnnis, who is tasked with solving the mysterious deaths that keep occurring at the lodge. McDorman takes the opportunity to delve into metaphysical considerations of the genre, addressing the reader directly and discussing various literary elements and references. While this approach occasionally slows down the narrative, McDorman's extensive knowledge of the genre and cleverness shine through.

In Vanessa Lillie's suspense novel "Blood Sisters," Syd Walker returns to her hometown in Oklahoma after spending years in Rhode Island. Syd is a Cherokee woman who has kept her heritage a secret, but her past comes back to haunt her when she discovers one of her old IDs wedged in the skull of a murder victim. Additionally, her sister Emma Lou, who has struggled with addiction, has gone missing, and Syd believes she is still alive despite what others think. The novel explores the theme of missing and murdered Indigenous women, shedding light on the thousands of cases that go unsolved or uninvestigated. Syd is determined to solve the mystery herself, as she feels that no one else is listening.

For those who prefer a grittier mystery, Robbie Morrison's debut novel "Edge of the Grave" takes readers to 1932 Glasgow. Inspector Jimmy Dreghorn and his partner Archie McDaid are tasked with investigating the murder of Charles Geddes, whose body is found in the River Clyde. Glasgow at the time is a violent and divided city, with stark class divisions. Dreghorn, who has a complicated history with Geddes's wife, faces numerous challenges throughout the investigation. The novel is filled with action and danger, as the detectives navigate their way through the treacherous streets of Glasgow.

These four novels offer readers a diverse range of mysteries to sink their teeth into. From the complexities of a divorced woman's quest for truth in a small town to the metaphysical exploration of locked-room mysteries, from the search for justice for missing Indigenous women to the gritty streets of 1930s Glasgow, each story presents its own unique twist on the genre, keeping readers engaged and guessing until the very end.