Summer 2026 Mystery Recap

To kick off the next season of episodes, Brook and Sarah discuss what they enjoyed reading and watching over the summer break.

Discussed and mentioned

Brook’s List

Marlow Murder Club (2021) Robert Thorogood

The 12:30 From Croydon (1934) Freeman Wills Crofts

The Hallmarked Man (2025) Robert Galbraith

Disclaimer (2015) Renée Knight

The Sheep Detectives (2026) Kyle Balda – director

Sarah’s List

One By One (2020) Ruth Ware

His & Hers (2020) Alice Feeney and His & Hers (2026) Netflix

The Killer Question (2025) Janice Hallett

The Mysterious Case of the Missing Crime Writer (2023) Ragnar Jónasson

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder (2026 series) Netflix

Related episodes

Reverse Mysteries (released February 24, 2026)

Freeman Wills Crofts (released June 30, 2026)

For more information

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Transcript

This transcript is generated by a computer and there may be some mis-spellings and strange punctuation. We try to catch these before posting, but some things slip through.

Sarah	Welcome to Clued in Mystery. I’m Sarah.
Brook	And I’m Brook, and we both love mystery.
Sarah	Hi, Brook.
Brook	Hi, Sarah. We’re back for another season of Clued in Mystery. I’m so happy to be back behind the mic with you. How was your summer break?
Sarah	It was great, thank you, lots of reading and a little bit of watching. And I am looking forward to finding out. what you got up to.
Brook	Well, one of the things that I did, as you said, was do a lot of reading. So let’s dive into the recap of our summer TBR lists. And the first one I’ll talk about is the Marlow Murder Club. This is a 2021 release from Robert Thorogood.
Brook	You know in our original episode where we discussed our list, I mentioned that I was looking forward to seeing how this title stacked up against… similar concepts like Thursday Murder Club or some of those that have these older um older groups of sleuths and i think it was great. It’s definitely more on the cozy side. It’s pretty quirky and light. But it was a great start to a series for anyone who enjoys those older sleuths, and very warm stories.
Sarah	I’m glad you enjoyed it, Brook. I have read a few books in this series and Yeah, you just know that it’s going to be a satisfying mystery, and a comfortable mystery.
Brook	That’s right. And for those of you who have the correct streaming service, there is the television adaptation. That doesn’t ah describe me sadly, but I can imagine it would be really great on screen too.
Sarah	Yeah, I don’t have it either. so um I’m. I’m with you. I’m sure it is great. um But. I’ll have to wait until it appears on another streaming service before I get to watch it.
Sarah	So the first one that I want to mention, Brook, is One by One, which is, as you know, by Ruth Ware. It was published in 2020. And you have talked about this book many times, which is why I put it on my list this year. It is set in winter, so not, ah you know, not a summertime theme. But, ah you were absolutely correct, Brook. It is a great book. um I thought it was a very solid interpretation of. And Then There Were None.
Sarah	Easily the worst work trip. that anybody could go on. Um. The one. thing that I. found um was that with the exception of two of the characters They were really unlikable. which I, you know maybe is worth a conversation. Another time to just talk about how does that change the… the mood of the book if If you’re not really rooting for the characters.
Brook	Yes, that would be a really good talk. And I would agree. like there’s basically no one in that group that has a lot of redeeming qualities. So yes, the worst work trip ever. With the worst group of people. I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Brook	The next one I will go over is The 12:30 From Croydon by Freeman Wills Crofts. This is a 1934 release and I listened to this book. I was really interested in reading another one of his books because we highlighted him as a Golden Age author.
Brook	And this book is an example of an inverted mystery, which we also spoke about recently. um it was quite drawn out Crofts’ books can be but I did really enjoy the mystery and, just one specific thing. Crofts is, as we mentioned in his episode, loves to describe logistics and… um you know, the the scenery and the way everything is laid out. And I thought that he did a wonderful job describing the experience of flying for the first time. It happens from the viewpoint of a young girl. And I just I was taken back to kind of that first time I ever flew. And so I thought that that was really well done. And and it is a great mystery.
Sarah	I’m glad you enjoyed it, Brook. I read it as part of the reading that I did for the episode that we did about him. But I agree that’s in the opening, the the description of that first flight. And that this that this character took. And you can just feel the awe. Right. Like this was a time when flight was still a relatively new experience that a lot of people wouldn’t have had, uh and you know. I’m sure airlines were happy that he had talked about it in this way because it just kind of makes you want to get on a plane.
Brook	Definitely. Yeah, it was really great.
Sarah	So the next on my list was His and Hers, which was also released in 2020, written by Alice Feeney. um and ah This year, it was also a series that was released on Netflix. So I read the book. And I watched this series. um I will say that I preferred the book to the series.
Sarah	I did enjoy both. um They changed the setting for the series. So the book is set in the UK. The series is set in the US. And I’m always curious about why they do that. I think it’s to appeal to the North American market. That’s my assumption. Um, The ending was slightly different between the two. uh But they were both very entertaining. I have enjoyed, I think, everything that I’ve read from Alice Feeney. and uh And I enjoyed the series as well.
Brook	That’s great. I was looking forward to your report on this one because I have only watched the series. So, I was um interested to see and I didn’t realize that the setting was different. And I am also interested that the ending is a little different because as you’ll recall, the ending of the series, I spoke on a different episode about how um it was a little off for me. So now I’m going to have to go grab that book and see how she ends at her, you know, in the original, in the original work.
Sarah	Mm hmm.
Brook	So my next mention is The Hallmarked Man. This is a 2025 release from Robert Gailbraith. I listened to this one. It’s the seventh book in the series, and I’ve listened to all of them. And it was over 30 hours long. So, this is another chunky book. um It might be the longest so far in the series. but I think that that’s partly because Gailbraith, who is a pen name for JK Rowling, does a really amazing thing with this book. So in this story, there’s an unidentified body. And four or maybe five, I can’t remember, missing men who could be the person that this body is. And along the way, she not only has Cormoran Strike and Robin Ellicott deduce who the actual victim is, they solve each and every one of those cases along the way. So, you know, rather than just saying, well, it can’t be Bob because, you know, he… is actually alive or whatever. Like each one of them has this large backstory and she solves those complete cases. So anyway, it’s pretty amazing and really a huge undertaking. It was really good. It was It kept me company for a couple of weeks.
Sarah	That sounds perfect for the summer because, your routine might be a little bit off. I certainly found that I didn’t have all of the. pockets of time that I usually have to read. I just didn’t, I didn’t have them, but having something that’s kind of long that you can listen to, keep you occupied throughout the summer sounds perfect.
Brook	It was great. We had some long drives and so I could just listen to my book. It was great.
Sarah	So next on my list ah was The Killer Question by Janice Hallett, and that was released in 2025. She did not disappoint. I have enjoyed all of her books, some more than others. And this one is in that category. I, I, I really enjoyed this. It was actually the first of her books that I read as a physical book. Her other books I have listened to. I didn’t have a strong preference for physical versus audio versions of the book of the books. The advantage with a physical copy is that you can go back and you know see how she’s done her very clever mystery.
Sarah	Yeah I would. happily listen to. Or… physically have a ah copy of her book for the next one. um So. Definitely recommend.
Brook	That sounds great. I um have listened and done ebooks of the Hallett books. And I found… um Because if anyone hasn’t read these, these are like strings of email conversations and maybe… court transcripts. It depends on the story. But um I did better when I was reading with my eyes, shall we say. So that’s really great though. And I’m glad you enjoyed this one. I’ll have to pick it up.
Brook	The last one I have for today is Disclaimer by Renee Knight. And this came out in 2015. I read it as a paperback, and this was an excellent thriller. The story went in a very unexpected place for me, and I found myself asking our favorite question a lot, Sarah, which is, “what would I do in this situation?” Which I think that’s a great sign for a book. If that main character is put in a… really good story conundrum. So that was great. I do want to mention that the plot does involve the topic of sexual assault. So, take that under advisement. um And once again, I don’t have the right streaming service, but for those of you who have Apple TV, the Cate Blanchett adaptation might be worth a watch because this is a really twisty, good thriller.
Sarah	Oh, well, I do have Apple TV, so I maybe have to check that out, Brook. It’s such a great experience when you can imagine yourself in the role of the um, main character because sometimes You know, it’s… it’s this life that is so far from yours. Right. And you can happily read about the the characters, but know that that’s never. a situation that you’re going to encounter. But then Other times, often in domestic thrillers. It’s… A little more grounded in…everyday life and it’s kind of fun to ask that which is why we do those episodes, right?
Brook	That’s right. If you have not tuned in for a What Would You Do episode, you’ll definitely want to do that and you’ll see exactly what we mean.
Sarah	So I have two left on my list, Brook. um One is The Mysterious Case of the Missing Crime Writer by Ragnar Jónasson. And I think I. I had put this on my… list of I would love to read this at some point in 2026. I got to it over the summer. It was published in 2023 in English and earlier in Icelandic.
Sarah	um And. It was the first book that I’ve read by him and I immediately sought out another because I thought it was just such a great book. This was actually the second featuring this particular detective but it worked as a standalone like i didn’t feel like i was um missing anything. And the book that I ended up reading next was the first book um that featured this, this detective. And yeah, it. Both were great. and uh I am definitely gonna read some more. uh, by Jónasson.
Brook	Oh, that sounds great. When anytime you just want to go out and find another book by that author. Great sign.
Sarah	Mm hmm.
Sarah	And so the final book that I had on my list was Miss Winter in the Library with a Knife by Martin Edwards. And this was published in 2025. So, this also takes place over the holiday season. So in the winter. Um, which I guess I must have been looking to just cool down a little bit.
Sarah	Um, I’m more familiar with Edwards’ nonfiction. So he’s written some really great books that I’ve turned to for multiple episodes as as research. He just is I think this fountain of knowledge about the origins of crime fiction. And for anyone who is interested in learning more about that after, you know, hearing some of our episodes, I would, I would recommend his books.
Sarah	But this was the first, I think the first fiction of his that I had read. um As I mentioned, it’s, you know. takes place over the Christmas season. So, if someone reads seasonally, you might want to wait until closer to the end of the year before you pick it up. But if you’re not a seasonal reader this is definitely worth picking up anytime. ah And it was, yeah, it was very clever.
Brook	Oh, that sounds great. I am the same. I think I have only read Martin Edwards’ nonfiction. But I did see this. I i can envision the cover and it sounds like a great read.
Brook	Well, Sarah, before we go, I was wondering if we could have just a quick conversation about a show that you um drew my attention to earlier in the year. You mentioned that you had seen ah the trailer for The Sheep Detectives, and we put it in a newsletter. And that was kind of the last I thought of it. but um Have you been able to watch it this summer?
Sarah	I did. I watched it and I loved it.
Brook	I did too. I… just, I just thought it was ah not only a wonderful mystery. but a really great story. Like there are levels of different storylines and different things happening between the different characters. And um I was really impressed. I didn’t expect it to be as great as as it was.
Sarah	It was great. And it was something um that I think kind of the whole family can watch uh, so I watched it with my son and he’s middle grade. And so. you know, he, he loved it as well. It was just a great film to watch with the family.
Brook	Yeah, that was one of the thoughts that I had when I… saw it And I think that you might see the… commercial for it and think that it’s specifically for kids, but that’s not the case at all. Definitely the the whole family would enjoy it. We might want to dissect it and dive a little deeper. Like I say, I feel like there are many threads to that story, not just the great mystery. So maybe ah listeners will have a bonus episode about The Sheep Detectives coming up.
Sarah	Oh, I think that would be great, Brook. Maybe I could just mention A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder on Netflix. Because I did watch that series. Have you had a chance to watch that series, Brook?
Brook	I watched it as well, Sarah, yes.
Sarah	Um, And, so our listeners ah who are subscribers to our free newsletter can listen to our breakdown of the first series of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder. The second series was released. um over the summer break. And so I watched it. um And. This is an an ah adaptation of a book series that… I think I’m either going to have to reread the book or do some research because I really felt like. I didn’t remember a lot of what happened in the show happening in the book.
Brook	Mm hmm. And I’m in a position where I have not read this book series. I’ve only been watching. the television adaptations and, so I don’t have that comparison to make, but I will say that this felt different than the first season. And so I was kind of interested to find out from you whether or not it was still following along with the book. She is podcasting in this season, which I know made you happy.
Sarah	Mm hmm.
Brook	Because in the first season, she did not. And that was kind of the whole crux of book one, I believe, of Holly Jackson’s story.
Sarah	That’s right. Yeah. Yeah. And I did, you know, when I read the books. I… Liked them less and less. and less with each book. The third book is my least favorite. of the series and uh so i don’t know how that will influence. I’m not sure if Netflix is doing an adaptation of that third book. um And if they continue to like really depart from the originals. Maybe I will like that one more than I liked the book. Um, But. Yeah, it was it it it was interesting. It wasn’t… I don’t know I didn’t find it as compelling.
Brook	I agree. And I felt. Pip was less confident, which didn’t make sense to me because… like you usually don’t regress in your skills. So um yeah, it was just just a little bit different feel.
Sarah	Okay, well, Brook, it has been so fun to just chat about mystery again with you and talk about what we’ve been reading over the last little bit and I am really looking forward to our next series of episodes.
Brook	I am too. We have some great shows lined up, everyone. So you’ll definitely want to tune in. ah But before we go, here’s your question of the week. We want to know what you read and watched this summer. Send us an email, ah hello@cluedinmystery.com and let us know. And you can always reach out to us on Instagram or Facebook as well, where we’re at cluedinmystery.
Brook	But until next time, everyone, thank you so much for joining us for another season of Clued in Mystery. I’m Brook.
Sarah	And I’m Sarah. And we both love mystery.