Cozy Fall Books

With leaves falling outside, temperatures getting lower and Halloween creeping closer, it’s the perfect time to curl up inside with a good mystery, thriller or horror novel. If the book is plant-related, that’s even better!

The Helen Fowler Library has a great selection of fiction works, and we invite you to browse our offerings this spooky season. 

Mystery

Mystery books make up a good portion of our fiction collection, including puzzling and atmospheric works like:

•  “Thyme of Death” by Susan Wittig Albert. The first entry in the China Bayles series introduces the mystery-solving herb shop owner who stars in 29 books to date.
• “Garden of Shadows” by local author Amy Marie Turner. Set in 19th century Spain, botanist Linnea Wren must navigate political intrigue, romance and more while solving a murder.   

Thriller

Thriller books in our collection include:

• “Goldilocks” by Laura Lam. A science fiction thriller set in space with the survival of humanity on the line. The Goldilocks Zone is supposed to be just right for human life but getting there won’t be easy.
• “The Slime Mold Murders” by Ellen King Rice. A unique ecological pandemic thriller set at Halloween time where the lead character’s expertise on Myxogastria slime molds proves crucial in saving lives.

Horror

Horror works we have lean toward cosmic and ecological horror, which can be really terrifying. Check out these selections:

• “Parable of the Sower” by Octavia Butler. A dystopian novel with ecological horror elements written in 1993 and set in the then-distant future year of 2024. We have the graphic novel adaptation on hand, and its dark illustrations match the original novel’s tones of horror and societal decay perfectly.
• “Annihilation” by Jeff VanderMeer. This first entry in the Southern Reach series introduces us to Area X and the cosmic horror lurking within. Winner of both the Nebula and Shirley Jackson Awards.

Nonfiction

Finally, for a great nonfiction book that traces the use of plants and gardening in mystery novels, take a look at “Gardening Can Be Murder.” Expert gardener, historian and author Marta McDowell informs the reader on a plant-by-plant basis of which flora have been implicated in murder in which authors’ novels.

For more recommendations, come visit us at the Helen Fowler Library!