Memorial Day Mysteries // Memorial Day Crime Fiction

Memorial Day aka Decoration Day is a day of remembrance of those men and women who died protecting us, for those who didn't return home. Many people go to cemeteries and memorials on the last Monday in May, and there's a tradition to fly the flag at half mast. In the U.S. Memorial Day is part of a three day holiday weekend. Many think of this weekend as the beginning of Summer, a time for Barbecues, the Beach, the Cabin, and S'mores. 

In memory of all who served their country, here's an updated list of Mysteries set during Memorial Day Weekend. Let me know if I've forgotten any titles. 

Memorial Day Mysteries

Death is Like a Box of Chocolates by Kathy Aarons
Double Blast by Gretchen Archer

Last Man Standing by David Baldacci
The Twenty Three by Linwood Barclay
The Fallen of Foulweather Bluff by D.D. Black

Murder's No Votive Confidence by Christin Brecher

The Block Party by Jamie Day

Treble at the Jam Fest by Leslie Budewitz
The Decoration Memorial Day War by David H. Brown
Memorial Day by Sandra Thompson Brown and Duane Brown
Flowers for Bill O'Reilly: Memorial Day by Max Allan Collins

Black Echo by Michael Connelly  

Absolute Certainty by Rose Connors
Memorial Day by Vince Flynn

Silenced in Salem by Cat Green

She Left by Stacie Grey

Memorial Day's Escape by A.E. Howe

The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger
Memorial Day by Harry Shannon
Beside Still Waters by Debbie Viguie
Who Killed the Neanderthal by Cheryl Zelenka

Children's Mysteries:

Trixie Belden: The Mystery of the Memorial Day Fire by Kathryn Kenny
Sam's Top Secret Journal: Memorial Day by Sean Adelman, Siri Bardarson, Dianna Border & Andrea Hurst

Rosemary is for Remembrance. Check out the recipe for Rosemary Chocolate Chip Cookies on my other blog: DyingforChocolate.com

BARBECUE MYSTERIES

I missed the official National Barbecue Day on May 16, but it's never too late. For me, barbecue season starts with Memorial Day, the beginning of summer and barbecue season.  So to celebrate, here's my updated Barbecue Mysteries list. So many ways to murder someone at a barbecue, from the sauce to the skewers to the grill, not to mention the tiny wires on the barbecue brush (true crime!). 

Let me know if I've forgotten any of your favorite authors/titles!

Barbecue Mysteries

Delicious and Suspicious; Hickory Smoked Homicide; Finger Lickin' Dead; Rubbed Out by Riley Adams  (Elizabeth Craig Spann) - The Memphis BBQ Mystery Series

The Unbelievable Mr. Brownstone Omnibus 4 (books 19-22): Road Trip: BBQ and a Brawl, BBQ Delivered with Attitude, BBQ With a Side of No Apologies, BBQ and STFU by Michael Anderle

Bad Move by Linwood Barclay
Murder, Roasted and Barbecued by Constance Barker

Honey BBQ Murder by Patti Benning 

Murder Well-Done by Claudia Bishop
Nice Day for a Murder by C.A. Broadribb

Crime Rib by Leslie Budewitz

Topped Chef by Lucy Burdette

Body on the Bayou by Ellen Byron
Low and Slow: Sweet and Savory Murder at the BBQ Cookoff by Randy Cade 
A Bullet at the BBQ by SL Calder 

A Hopeless Barbecue by Daniel Carson
Several Dan Rhodes books by Bill Crider

Murder at the Blue Ridge Barbecue Festival by Gene Davis
The Grilling Season by Diane Mott Davidson
Grilled for Murder by Maddie Day

Memphis Ribs by Gerald Duff

Hot Wings and Homicide by Carmela Dutra

Grilled 4 Murder by J.C. Eaton

Murder Can Singe Your Old Flame by Selma Eichler
Finger Lickin' Fifteen by Janet Evanovich
Barbecues & Brooms by Bella Falls

The Politics of Barbecue by Blake Fontenay
Grilling the Subject by Daryl Wood Gerber
Barbecue, Bourbon and Bullets by M.E. Harmon
A Trunk, a Canoe, and all the Barbecue by A. W. Hartoin

Cotton Comes to Harlem by Chester Himes
Death of a Grill Master by Lee Hollis

The Big Barbecue by Dorothy B. Hughes
Barbeque Bedlam by Lizzie Josephson 

Close to Home by Cara Hunter

Full Slab Dead by Em Kaplan

Blossoms, Barbeque, & Blackmail by Tonya Kappes
Bonfires, Barbeques and Bodies by Susan Keene 
Spare Ribs and Cold Cuts by Kamaryn Kelsey 
Barbecue Blues: A Professor Doug Wilson Mystery (Professor Doug Wilson Mysteries Book 3) by Duke Kuehn

Murder in Mesquite Springs by Glenda Stewart Langley

Hot in December by Joe R. Lansdale

Bad News Barbecues: by Maisy Marple 

Bullets & Barbecue by Mary Maxwell

Truly Madly Guilty by Liane Moriarty

Thou Shalt Not Grill by Tamar Myers 

Barbecue and Bad News by Nancy Naigle

Hush My Mouth by Cathy Pickens
The BBQ Burger Murder by Rosie A. Point

Hawg Heaven Cozy Mysteries; Killer Barbecue; BBQ, Bikers, and Murder by Summer Prescott 

Barbecue Can Be Deadly by Ryan Rivers 

Say You're Sorry by Michael Robotham

The Sheriff and..  (series) by D. R. Meredith

The King is Dead by Sarah Shankman

Stiffs and Swine by J.B. Stanley
Barbecue and Murder by Kathleen Suzette

Revenge of the Barbecue Queens by Lou Jane Temple
Murder at the Barbecue by Liz Turner
Murder, Basted and Barbecued by Constance Turner

Barbecue by A. E.H. Veenman
Death on a Platter by Elaine Viets

Teaberry Blues, Brew & BBQ by R. A. Wallace

Burnt Ends by Laura Wetsel

Smoked Secrets, Grilled Corruption by Erica J. Whelton

A Bad Day for Barbecue by Jonathan Woods
Books, Barbecue, and Murder by Lori Woods  

Short Stories: 

"Gored" by Bill Crider
"A Bad Day for Barbecue" by Jonathan Woods

Young Readers:  

The Barbecue Thief by Starike

Want a little chocolate on the barbie today? 
Check out recipes on my other blog: DyingforChocolate.com

S'mores on the Grill  
Savory Chocolate Barbecue Sauces
Chocolate Ancho Chile Rub
Cocoa Spiced Salmon Rub 
Scharffen Berger Cacao Nib Rub for Tri Tip
SaveSaveSaveSave

Alan Bradley: R.I.P.

Such sad news. Mystery writer, creator of the Flavia de Luce mysteries, Alan Bradley died yesterday at the age of 87. I loved his Flavia de Luce series, and along with so many people, am looking forward to the screen adaptation. I know Alan was looking forward to this, and we corresponded over the years about it. So glad he was able to see an advance screening of the film. Alan won the Macavity Award for The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie. Alan Bradley will be missed by family, friends, and fans.  

From the Canadian Press:

Alan Bradley, the Canadian mystery writer whose tales of a precocious 11-year-old super-sleuth charmed readers worldwide, has died.

His publisher, Doubleday Canada, says he died in the Isle of Man at age 87.

Bradley earned global acclaim with his debut novel, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie and the character at its centre — kid detective Flavia de Luce — won a devoted fan base.

He was 70 when he published that novel in 2009, the first of 11 in the Flavia series, with a twelfth due to be published in November.

His education was in electronic engineering, and he spent the bulk of his career at the University of Saskatchewan, where he was director of television engineering for 25 yearsHe took an early retirement and moved to Kelowna, B.C., to write full time, which is when he dreamed up Flavia.

Doubleday says a film adaptation of The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie featuring Martin Freeman is due to be released later this year.

The publisher says Bradley got a chance to see the finished cut of the film before he died, and visited the set while the film was in production.

The company says Bradley "noted it as a highlight of his life."

Mysteries set in France: Final Call for Articles - Mystery Readers Journal

Final Call for Articles: Mystery Readers Journal: Mysteries set in France (42:2); Summer 2026

For our next issue, we are looking for articles, reviews, and author essays about crime fiction set in France.

DEADLINE: June 1, 2026

If you have a mystery that fits this theme, please consider writing an Author! Author! essay: 500–1500 words, first person, up-close and personal about yourself, your books, and the theme connection. Add title and 2-3 sentence bio.

We’re also looking for reviews and articles, too 

Send submissions to janet @ mysteryreaders . org 

Deadline: June 1, 2026. 

Author Essays are first person, about yourself, your books, and the "French setting" connection. 500-1000 words. Treat this as if you're chatting with friends and other writers in the bar or cafe (or on zoom) about your work and France in your mysteries. Be sure and cite specific titles, as well as how you use France in your books. Add title and 2-3 sentence bio. 

Reviews: 50-250 words. 

Articles: 500-1000 words. 

Deadline: June 1, 2026  

Send to: Janet Rudolph, Editor. janet @ mysteryreaders . org  

Subject Line:  Mysteries set in France

Please let me know if you're planning to send an article, review, or author essay--or if you have any questions! 

Past issues on Mysteries set in France still available.  Check out the Tables of Contents and sample articles or order now.

Mysteries set in France (28:1) 2012

Mysteries Set in France (16:2) 2000

Subscribe to Mystery Readers Journal for 2026.

Themes in 2026: Fairs, Fetes, & Festivals; Mysteries set in France, Cross-Genre Mysteries; Mysteries set in India.

Many back issues available as PDF downloads. Here are just a few. 

Southern California: Mystery Readers Journal

Senior Sleuths: Mystery Readers Journal

Irish Mysteries: Mystery Readers Journal

Hobbies & Crafts in Mysteries: Mystery Readers Journal

And so many more... We are now in our 42nd year. 4 themed issues a year! 

Have a look at our index of fabulous issues with articles, reviews, and essays from your favorite authors and reviewers. 

***

CRIME MUSEUMS: International Museum Day

Today is International Museum Day, so I thought I'd repost my list of Crime-related Museums. This is not a definitive list by any means. Feel free to add your favorites or comment on Museums you've visited.

National Museum of Crime and Punishment (The Crime Museum): Washington D.C.
This museum includes a crime lab, the filming studios for America's Most Wanted, a simulated shooting range, a high-speed police-chase, and hundreds of interactive exhibits and artifacts pertaining to America's favorite subject.

The Mob Museum, Las Vegas. The Las Vegas Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement — aka The Mob Museum — is an interactive museum dedicated to the history of organized crime and law enforcement. Focuses on organized crime's impact on Las Vegas history and its unique imprint on America and the world.

The Black Museum, London, England: The Black Museum of Scotland Yard is a collection of criminal memorabilia kept at the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police in London, England. Started in 1874, although unofficially, by 1875, it had become an official museum of the force, with a police inspector and a police constable assigned to duty there.

Medieval Crime and Justice Museum, Rothenberg, Germany. A leading museum of medieval crime. Torture instruments, shame punishments and more, it also houses a vast collection of seals and law books.

Justice and Police Museum: Sydney, Australia. Allows visitors to enter courtrooms, observe actual weapons used in crimes, and learn about the criminal and police history of a city marked by “misadventure” in the 1800s. Artifacts from many notorious criminals, forensic evidence from infamous crimes, and a cell recreated to reflect the era.

American Police Hall of Fame & Museum: Titusville, FL. The American Police Hall of Fame and Museum was founded in 1960. It is the nation's first national police museum and memorial dedicated to law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty.

National Law Enforcement Museum. Washington, D.C.

Other Police Museums:

New York City Police Museum
Cleveland Police Museum
Phoenix Police Museum
Houston Police Museum
Portland Police Museum
New Jersey State Police Museum & Learning Center
Security Forces Museum (San Antonio, TX)
Los Angeles Police Historical Society Museum & Community Education Center
Seattle Metropolitan Police Museum
International Police Museum of Southern California
Norfolk Police & Fire Rescue Museum
Police Heritage Museum, York, PA
Silver State National Peace Officers Museum, NV
National Police Museum. Delhi, India.
National Police Museum, Finland
New Zealand Police Museum
Justice and Police Museum, Sydney, Australia

SPIES

International Spy Museum, Washington, D.C. The only public museum in the United States solely dedicated to espionage and the only one in the world to provide a global perspective on a profession that has shaped history and continues to have a significant impact on world events. The Museum features the largest collection of international espionage artifacts ever placed on public display.

Bletchley Park: Bletchley, Buckinghamshire, England. Home of the Codebreakers, Enigma Machines, history and more. Surely you've seen Bletchley Circle? Visited the Churchill War Rooms? Check out the website, too, and there's also a virtual tour on the Internet.

Spy Museum. Vakoilumuseo. Tampere, Finland.

James Bond Museum: Momence, IL

The James Bond Exhibit at the Dezer Collection. Miami, FL

Any favorite crime museum I've forgotten? Make a comment? Any Museum Mysteries you'll be reading today? I must post a list of Museum Mysteries. Next year??!

THE NIBBIES: 2026 British Book Awards

The 2026 British Book Awards, the Nibbies, were announced in London. The British Book Awards or Nibbies are literary awards for the best UK writers and their works, administered by The Bookseller. There are 17 categories, but I'm listing the category of most interest to crime fiction fans. 

Crime and Thriller Book of the Year: 

A Case of Mice and Murder by Sally Smith (Raven)

Nominees: 

Death at the White Hart by Chris Chibnall (Michael Joseph)

The God of the Woods by Liz Moore (Borough Press)

The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman (Viking) 

The Secret of Secrets by Dan Brown (Bantam)

The Tenant by Freida McFadden (Poisoned Pen Press)

HT: TheRapSheet