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What’s a beach read? We think it’s whatever you enjoy reading that offers a bit of an escape and pairs well with a cold drink on a warm day — whatever floats your boat (or favorite chair), in other words. We’ve picked 10 new books that will appeal to different kinds of readers this summer, including those who’d like …
… a humorous story about chaotic lives
Far and Away by Amy Poeppel

Poeppel is beloved for her charming stories about family life and friendship, such as her comic 2023 novel, The Sweet Spot (set for an Amazon MGM Studios film adaptation). In Far and Away, Lucy in Dallas is stressed out when her teenage son makes a mistake that may jeopardize his future, and is eager to leave town. Meanwhile, Greta in Germany has to race to pack up her Berlin apartment when her husband suddenly tells her he’s taken a new job in Texas. The two strangers end up swapping homes, discovering secrets about each other’s lives and experiencing some culture shock (Greta’s bewildered when her scientist husband becomes a Rangers fan). It’s a heartwarming story with humor.
… a masterfully written detective tale
Nightshade by Michael Connelly

Connelly, a former crime reporter at the Los Angeles Times, is known for his books featuring detectives Harry Bosch and Renee Ballard, as well as his Lincoln Lawyer series starring defense attorney Mickey Haller. But his 40th novel introduces a new character, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Detective Stilwell, a loner who’s been transferred to the usually quiet Catalina Island in California from the homicide desk — exiled, in a way, after a falling-out with a colleague. Then a woman’s body is found, reports surface of poaching in a nature reserve, and his seemingly sleepy beat grows a lot more dangerous.
… a lighter mystery with an older sleuth
Murder Takes a Vacation by Laura Lippman

Fans of Lippman, another former journalist, enjoy her crime novels featuring Tess Monaghan, a reporter turned detective. The author’s latest stand-alone is a lighter-hearted mystery that leans more toward the cozy genre, but it brings back Muriel Blossom, Monaghan’s former assistant. Mrs. Blossom, as she’s known, is suddenly wealthy after finding a winning lottery ticket in a parking lot (as one does). She books a European river cruise, but her trip goes south when a beguiling man she meets on her transatlantic flight is later found dead in Paris, and she finds herself drawn into a mystery involving stolen art and international intrigue.
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