This week I read two books, and they couldn’t be more different.

Jane Harper’s The Dry is the first using Aaron Fulk as the protagonist (followed by Exiles.) I read them out of order but it didn’t matter.

Aaron returns to his small Australian town for the funeral of his childhood friend, Luke. When young teens, their good friend was found drowned – murdered and Aaron has always been blamed for the murder. Some of the townspeople, in fact, still blame him.

Aaron plans to leave immediately after the funeral, but he is sucked into investigating Luke’s murder. As he does so, he slowly unwinds the events of that long ago summer, and the identity of his friend’s murderer.

Amazing!

The second book is Joanne Fluke’s Triple Chocolate Cheesecake Murder.

When Mayor Bascombe is murdered, Hannah’s sister Andrea is the primary suspect. She was involved in a very public argument with the mayor that ended with Andrea slapping the Mayor and knocking him to the floor.

Since the Mayor is unlikeable, Hannah is sure there are other suspects in town.

Hannah’s investigation is interspersed with meals, recipes included.

The mystery is very light but the recipes look interesting and fun, as usual.