books

• Head Cases
• Presumed Guilty (Presumed Innocent No. 3)
• All the Colors of the Dark
• The Oligarch’s Daughter
• We Solve Murders
• Death in a Darkening Mist: A Lane Winslow Mystery (Lane Winslow Mystery No. 2)
• Night Watch

By the staff at Covered Treasures

“If I had a bookstore, I would make all the mystery novels hard to find.”—Demetri Martin

Check out the following titles for an engaging mystery.

Head Cases

By John McMahon (Minotaur Books) $28

FBI Agent Gardner Camden is an analytical genius with an affinity for puzzles. Gardner and his squad of brilliant, quirky agents make up the Patterns and Recognition (PAR) unit, brought in for cases that no one else can solve. When DNA links a murder victim to a serial killer long presumed dead, the team springs into action.

Presumed Guilty (Presumed Innocent No. 3)

By Scott Turow (Grand Central Publishing) $30

Rusty is a retired judge living in the rural Midwest with his wife, Bea. But the peace that’s taken Rusty so long to find evaporates when Bea’s son, Aaron, disappears. Aaron eventually turns up and his girlfriend is discovered dead. Aaron is arrested and set for trial on charges of first-degree murder. For Rusty, the question is not whether to defend Aaron, or whether the boy is in fact innocent—it’s whether the system to which he has devoted his life can ever provide true justice for those who are presumed guilty.

All the Colors of the Dark

By Chris Whitaker (Crown Publishing Group) $30

1975 is a time of change in America. The Vietnam War is ending. Muhammad Ali is fighting Joe Frazier. And in the small town of Monta Clare, Mo., girls are disappearing. When the daughter of a wealthy family is targeted, a most unlikely hero emerges. With a missing person mystery, a serial killer thriller, a love story, and a unique twist on each, Chris Whitaker has written a novel about what lurks in the shadows of obsession and the blinding light of hope.

The Oligarch’s Daughter

By Joseph Finder (Harper) $30

Paul Brightman is a man on the run, living under an assumed name in a small New England town with a million-dollar bounty on his head. When his security is breached, Brightman is forced to flee into the New Hampshire wilderness to evade Russian operatives who can seemingly predict his every move. Six years ago, Paul was a rising star on Wall Street who fell in love with a Russian oligarch, and the object of considerable interest from several U.S. intelligence agencies. Now, to save his own life, Paul must unravel a decades-old conspiracy that extends to the highest reaches of the government.

We Solve Murders

By Richard Osman (Pamela Dorman Books) $30

Steve Wheeler is enjoying retired life. He still does the odd bit of investigative work, but his days of adventure are over. Adventure is daughter-in-law Amy’s job now. Amy Wheeler thinks adrenaline is good for the soul. Working in private security, every day is dangerous. She’s currently on a remote island protecting mega-bestselling author Rosie D’Antonio, until a dead body and a bag of money mean trouble in paradise. As a thrilling race around the world begins, can Amy and Steve outrun and outsmart a killer?

Death in a Darkening Mist: A Lane Winslow Mystery (Lane Winslow Mystery No. 2)

By Iona Whishaw (Touchwood Editions) $20

On a snowy day in December 1946, Lane Winslow, a former British intelligence agent, is introduced to the local hot springs. While there, she is astonished to overhear nearby patrons speaking Russian. The investigation points to the Soviet Union, where Stalin’s purges are eliminating enemies. Her complicated relationship with the local police inspector is intensified by the perils of the case. It all comes to a frantic and shocking end with a perilous nighttime journey along treacherous snow-covered roads.

Night Watch

By Jayne Anne Phillips (Vintage) $18

In 1874, in the wake of the Civil War, 12-year-old ConaLee finds herself on a journey with her mother, Eliza, who hasn’t spoken in more than a year. They arrive at the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum in West Virginia. In the asylum, they get swept up in the life of the facility—the mysterious man they call the Night Watch; the orphan child called Weed; the fearsome woman who runs the kitchen; the remarkable doctor at the head of the institution. Epic, enthralling, and meticulously crafted, Pulitzer Prize-winning Night Watch is a stunning chronicle of surviving war and its aftermath.

Until next month, happy reading.

The staff at Covered Treasures can be reached at books@ocn.me.

Other Between the Covers articles

• Between the Covers at Covered Treasures Bookstore – March mystery madness (3/1/2025)
• Between the Covers at Covered Treasures Bookstore – Explore nature and the outdoors Explore nature and the outdoors (2/21/2025)
• Between the Covers at Covered Treasures Bookstore – Books that showcase love (2/1/2025)
• Between the Covers at Covered Treasures Bookstore – Adventure awaits (1/23/2025)
• Between the Covers at Covered Treasures Bookstore Ring in the New Year with a Book (1/4/2025)
• Between the Covers at Covered Treasures Bookstore – Great gift ideas (12/5/2024)
• Between the Covers at Covered Treasures Bookstore – New fall releases (11/2/2024)
• Between the Covers at Covered Treasures Bookstore – Book series for children and young adults (10/5/2024)
• Between the Covers at Covered Treasures Bookstore – Celebrating women authors (9/7/2024)
• Between the Covers at Covered Treasures Bookstore – New fiction titles to round out your summer (8/3/2024)

• Colorado Off the Beaten Path: Discover Your Fun
• How to Read the Wilderness: An Illustrated Guide to the Natural Wonders of North America
• Wildlife Anatomy: The Curious Lives & Features of Wild Animals Around the World
• The Secret World of Weather: How to Read Signs in Every Cloud, Breeze, Hill, Street, Plant, Animal, and Dewdrop
• Sounds Wild and Broken: Sonic Marvels, Evolution’s Creativity, and the Crisis of Sensory Extinction
• 100 Plants to Feed the Monarch: Create a Healthy Habitat to Sustain North America’s Most Beloved Butterfly
• 437 Edible Wild Plants of the Rocky Mountain West: Berries, Roots, Nuts, Greens, Flowers, and Seeds

By the staff at Covered Treasures

“Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.”—Albert Einstein

This is a glorious time to get outside in Colorado. Here’s a sampling of books to learn more about plants, wildlife, and getting outside.

Colorado Off the Beaten Path: Discover Your Fun

By Christine Loomis (Globe Pequot Press) $17.95

This new, updated 13th edition by local author Christine Loomis is an essential source of information about the sights and sites travelers and locals want to see and experience. From the best in local dining to quirky cultural tidbits to hidden attractions, unique finds, and unusual locales, this guide takes the reader down the road less traveled.

How to Read the Wilderness: An Illustrated Guide to the Natural Wonders of North America

By Nature Study Guild (Chronicle) $35

From the mountains to the ocean shores, from the wetlands to the deserts, North America teems with flora and fauna. With this book in hand, you will understand the language of nature and see those wild places with new eyes. For more than 60 years, these Guild guidebooks have helped hikers, campers, foragers, and explorers navigate the great outdoors. Now, the best of the guides’ informative text and iconic illustrations are gathered in one book, the perfect reference for today’s ramblers.

Wildlife Anatomy: The Curious Lives & Features of Wild Animals Around the World

By Julia Rothman (Storey Publishing) $18.99

Bestselling author/illustrator Julia Rothman shares a delightfully illustrated guide to all the beasts of the wild, from lions, tigers, and bears to elephants, giraffes, foxes, owls, and much more. This guide covers all the key features, right down to the anatomy of a lion’s claw and a wild horse’s hoof. All the illustrations are accompanied by labels, intriguing facts, and identifying details, such as: When is a Panther not a panther?

The Secret World of Weather: How to Read Signs in Every Cloud, Breeze, Hill, Street, Plant, Animal, and Dewdrop

By Tristan Gooley (Experiment) $17.95

Learn to “see” the forecast in the hidden weather signs all around you in this eye-opening trove of outdoor clues. Acclaimed natural navigator Tristan Gooley shows us how, by reading nature as he does, you’ll not only detect what the weather is doing (and predict what’s coming), you’ll enter a secret wonderland of sights and sounds you’ve never noticed before. Discover the ways that weather can reveal a hidden world with every step you take—through the woods or down a city street.

Sounds Wild and Broken: Sonic Marvels, Evolution’s Creativity, and the Crisis of Sensory Extinction

By David George Haskell (Penguin) $18

We live on a planet alive with song, music, and speech. David Haskell explores how these wonders came to be. Starting with the origins of animal song and traversing the whole arc of Earth history, Haskell illuminates and celebrates the emergence of the varied sounds of our world. This book is an invitation to listen, wonder, belong, and act.

100 Plants to Feed the Monarch: Create a Healthy Habitat to Sustain North America’s Most Beloved Butterfly

By The Xerces Society (Storey Publishing) $16.95

The plight of the monarch butterfly has captured public attention and sparked widespread interest in helping save their dwindling populations. In this in-depth portrait of the monarch butterfly, detailed instructions on how to design and create monarch-friendly landscapes are enriched by guidance on butterfly behavior and habits. You will find profiles of plant species that provide nourishment, including those that bloom in late season and sustain monarchs on their great migration. Gorgeous photographs of monarchs and plants, plus illustrations, maps, and garden plans, make this a visually engaging guide.

437 Edible Wild Plants of the Rocky Mountain West: Berries, Roots, Nuts, Greens, Flowers, and Seeds

By Caleb Warnock (Familius) $27.99

This thorough field guide documents 437 edible wild plants for Colorado, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, and New Mexico. Self-sufficiency expert Caleb Warnock brings the ultimate guidebook to living off the land, including a section on poisonous plants to avoid. Packed with over 1,450 photographs and invaluable information on plant identification, flavor, seasonality, history, common synonyms, eating and preparation instructions, and more, you can have accurate information. Be aware: Much false information on wild edibles has been widely distributed on the internet.

Until next month, happy reading.

The staff at Covered Treasures can be reached at books@ocn.me.

Other Book Review articles

• Between the Covers at Covered Treasures Bookstore – March mystery madness (3/1/2025)
• Between the Covers at Covered Treasures Bookstore – Explore nature and the outdoors Explore nature and the outdoors (2/21/2025)
• Between the Covers at Covered Treasures Bookstore – Books that showcase love (2/1/2025)
• Between the Covers at Covered Treasures Bookstore – Adventure awaits (1/23/2025)
• Between the Covers at Covered Treasures Bookstore Ring in the New Year with a Book (1/4/2025)
• Between the Covers at Covered Treasures Bookstore – Great gift ideas (12/5/2024)
• Between the Covers at Covered Treasures Bookstore – New fall releases (11/2/2024)
• Between the Covers at Covered Treasures Bookstore – Book series for children and young adults (10/5/2024)
• Between the Covers at Covered Treasures Bookstore – Celebrating women authors (9/7/2024)
• Between the Covers at Covered Treasures Bookstore – New fiction titles to round out your summer (8/3/2024)

• Publicity Stunt
• A Winter’s Wedding
• How to Love (Mindfulness Essentials No. 3)
• Time of the Child
• Nate the Great and the Mushy Valentine
• Share Your Love
• Guava and Grudges
• Answers to Dog

By the staff at Covered Treasures

“When we love, we always strive to become better than we are. When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too”—Paulo Coelho

February is the time to feel the love. Check out these titles that offer a wide variety of ways for people of all ages to reflect on love as it relates to family, friendships, self, and/or community.

Publicity Stunt

By Bernadette Marie (5 Prince Publishing and Books) $20

Despite their on-screen chemistry, co-stars Graham and Christina share no love off-screen. When rumors surface in the entertainment media suggesting they’re romantically involved, their managers seize the opportunity to capitalize on the speculation, offering incentives to enhance their fake relationship. Graham and Christina reluctantly comply, but unexpectedly, their pretend romance evolves into genuine affection.

A Winter’s Wedding

By Sarah Dressler (5 Prince Publishing and Books) $18

While on assignment in Las Vegas, America Greene gets a surprise visit from her fiancé, Leo. Their whirlwind romance becomes part of the story when they accidentally get married. With a wicked winter storm bearing down, their flight home is canceled and they set off on a cross-country road trip, determined to make it back to home for their dream wedding. As the snow piles up and temperatures drop, will they make it home in time or will their plans be frozen in snow?

How to Love (Mindfulness Essentials No. 3)

By Thich Nhat Hanh (Parallax Press) $10

How to Love is a unique gift for those who want a comprehensive yet simple guide to understanding the many different kinds of love, along with meditative practices that can expand the understanding of and capacity for love. Appropriate for those practicing in any spiritual tradition, whether seasoned practitioners or new to meditation, How to Love includes meditations you can do alone or with your partner to go deep inside and expand your own capacity to love.

Time of the Child

By Niall Williams (Bloomsbury Publishing) $29

Doctor Jack Troy was born and raised in Faha, Ireland, but his responsibilities for the sick and the dying mean he has always been set apart from the town. His eldest daughter, Ronnie, has grown up in her father’s shadow and remains there, having missed one chance at love—and passed up an unsuitable offer of marriage. But in December of 1962 their lives are turned upside down when a baby is left in their care. As the winter passes, father’s and daughter’s lives, their understanding of their family, and their role in the community are changed forever.

Nate the Great and the Mushy Valentine

By Marjorie Weinman Sharmat (Yearling Books) $7

Nate the Great hates mushy stuff. But when he spies a big red paper heart taped to the outside of Sludge’s doghouse, Nate knows he must help out his favorite pooch. Who has left Sludge a secret valentine? This children’s book is a fun valentine read.

Share Your Love

By Susan B. Katz (Bala Kids) $19

A playful, rhyming book for kids ages 3-7 on how to send loving, kind thoughts to yourself and others to make the world a better place. This book teaches young readers that even from far away, you can wish others happiness, good health, peace, and safety. Starting with the individual child and extending outward to the whole universe, the rhyming couplets and beautiful art carry the reader through the thoughtful process of extending love and kindness to yourself and all those around you.

Guava and Grudges

By Alexis Castellanos (Bloomsbury YA) $20

This young adult romantic comedy is about two teens from rival Cuban bakeries who create a recipe for disaster when they start to fall for each other. This is a heartwarming story about falling in love with a future that is chosen rather than a future imposed by others. It’s a perfect combination of food, romance, and treachery.

Answers to Dog

By Pete Hautman (Candlewick Press) $18.99

This heartwarming book for middle-grade readers explores friendship like no other—and the universal truth that dogs make life better for some people, especially for underdogs. Narrated in alternating viewpoints, this relatable contemporary novel has classic coming-of-age themes and is a satisfying read for animal lovers.

Until next month, happy reading.

The staff at Covered Treasures can be reached at books@ocn.me.

Other Covered Treasures Bookstore articles

• Between the Covers at Covered Treasures Bookstore – March mystery madness (3/1/2025)
• Between the Covers at Covered Treasures Bookstore – Explore nature and the outdoors Explore nature and the outdoors (2/21/2025)
• Between the Covers at Covered Treasures Bookstore – Books that showcase love (2/1/2025)
• Between the Covers at Covered Treasures Bookstore – Adventure awaits (1/23/2025)
• Between the Covers at Covered Treasures Bookstore Ring in the New Year with a Book (1/4/2025)
• Between the Covers at Covered Treasures Bookstore – Great gift ideas (12/5/2024)
• Between the Covers at Covered Treasures Bookstore – New fall releases (11/2/2024)
• Between the Covers at Covered Treasures Bookstore – Book series for children and young adults (10/5/2024)
• Between the Covers at Covered Treasures Bookstore – Celebrating women authors (9/7/2024)
• Between the Covers at Covered Treasures Bookstore – New fiction titles to round out your summer (8/3/2024)

• The Little Frog’s Guide to Self-Care: Affirmations, Self-Love and Life Lessons According to the Internet’s Beloved Mushroom Frog
• The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World
• Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones
• What to Cook When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking
• Priceless Facts about Money (Mellody on Money)
• The Art of Active Listening: How People at Work Feel Heard, Valued, and Understood
• Red Birds in a Tree
• Stretching: 40th Anniversary Edition

By the staff at Covered Treasures

“We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year’s Day..” …Edith Lovejoy Pierce

The new year is a wonderful time to focus on health and self-care or to find inspiration. Take a look at these titles for 2025.

The Little Frog’s Guide to Self-Care: Affirmations, Self-Love and Life Lessons According to the Internet’s Beloved Mushroom Frog

By Maybell Eequay (Summersdale) $12

With its mushroom hat and endless collection of fabulous footwear, this adorable amphibian is here to be your new best friend. Whether you need an emotional boost, some friendly encouragement or an honest view on the world, the little frog will be your guide.

The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World

By Dalai Lama & Desmond Tutu (Avery Publishing Group) $28

In April 2015, Archbishop Tutu traveled to the Dalai Lama’s home to celebrate His Holiness’s 80^th birthday and to create what they hoped would be a gift for others. They traded intimate stories, teased each other continually, and shared their spiritual practices. This book offers us a rare opportunity to experience their astonishing and unprecedented week together, from the first embrace to the final good-bye.

Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones

By James Clear (Avery Publishing Group) $27

Atomic Habits offers a proven framework for providing practical strategies that will teach you exactly how to form good habits, break bad ones, and master the tiny behaviors that lead to remarkable results. The author draws on the most proven ideas from biology, psychology, and neuroscience to create an easy-to-understand guide for making good habits inevitable and bad habits impossible.

What to Cook When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking

By Caroline Chambers (Union Square & Co.) $35

This book is brimming with efficient recipes that take the guesswork out of dinner. The recipes are organized by the amount of time they take to cook, so whether you have 15 minutes to throw together something or a little bit more time on your hands, dinnertime is totally doable. Most importantly, these recipes include swaps, tips, shortcuts, and more to be sure they work best for you, helping you save money, improvise, and even learn a thing or two.

Priceless Facts about Money (Mellody on Money)

By Mellody Hobson (Candlewick Press) $20

This fun children’s book sheds a friendly light on a daunting subject, from the meteorites that created the first mineral deposits to the ancient Maya who used chocolate as currency to the beginnings of the banking system itself. Readers learn about bartering, profit and loss, the origins of credit, ATMs, and even fun facts about money around the world.

The Art of Active Listening: How People at Work Feel Heard, Valued, and Understood

By Heather R. Younger (Berrett-Koehler Publishing) $22

When employees, colleagues, and customers are not being heard, organizational culture, employee happiness, and overall organizational success will suffer. How well do you listen? Active listening is the doorway to increased belonging, loyalty, profitability, innovation, and so much more. It is the difference between thinking we understand what people want and knowing what they want. Want to build stronger relationships, avoid misunderstandings, and anticipate problems before they surface at work?

Red Birds in a Tree

By Valerie Shereck (Austin Macauley) $8

Red Birds in a Tree is a collection of poems written, over a span of many years, about a woman as she moves her way through life. It is about love, loss, sorrow, nature, beauty, aging, resilience, joy, family, and relationships. The broad range of topics in this thought-provoking collection by a Colorado author will appeal to many readers.

Stretching: 40th Anniversary Edition

By Bob Anderson (Shelter Publications) $27.99

Local author Bob Anderson’s book is always worth revisiting at the start of a new year. The benefits of stretching are bountiful, from increased blood flow and better range of motion to improved physical performance and decreased risk of injury. Step-by-step illustrations make this book user-friendly, and the section titled “Stretches for the Digital World” presents stretches for people using mobile phones and/or computers, as well as tips for better posture and stretches to do in an office environment.

Until next month, happy reading.

The staff at Covered Treasures can be reached at books@ocn.me.

Other Covered Treasures articles

• Between the Covers at Covered Treasures Bookstore – March mystery madness (3/1/2025)
• Between the Covers at Covered Treasures Bookstore – Explore nature and the outdoors Explore nature and the outdoors (2/21/2025)
• Between the Covers at Covered Treasures Bookstore – Books that showcase love (2/1/2025)
• Between the Covers at Covered Treasures Bookstore – Adventure awaits (1/23/2025)
• Between the Covers at Covered Treasures Bookstore Ring in the New Year with a Book (1/4/2025)
• Between the Covers at Covered Treasures Bookstore – Great gift ideas (12/5/2024)
• Between the Covers at Covered Treasures Bookstore – New fall releases (11/2/2024)
• Between the Covers at Covered Treasures Bookstore – Book series for children and young adults (10/5/2024)
• Between the Covers at Covered Treasures Bookstore – Celebrating women authors (9/7/2024)
• Between the Covers at Covered Treasures Bookstore – New fiction titles to round out your summer (8/3/2024)