The Mystery of the Turkey Trot

Sitting around fighting off a tryptophan-induced snooze and not sure what to do with yourself? This morning CNN suggested that your average Thanksgiving dinner could be worked off with a brisk 20-mile walk. Alternatively--or, perhaps, in addition--you could curl up with a good book. And if it’s on topic, well, in a certain turkey-hazed condition, that might be just the thing.

If you need recommendations for Thanksgiving-related mysteries, ask the employees of your favorite independent mystery bookstore or your local librarian. Here’s a holiday reading list from the wonderful Lucius Beebe Memorial Library in Wakefield, Massachusetts.

The library does a fantastic Book Buzz section, which includes lists of date-appropriate reads for every occasion. Its rundown of Thanksgiving reads offers several crime-fiction selections--albeit mostly on the softer side--including The Ghost at the Table, by Suzanne Berne (Shannon Ravenel); Bitter Harvest, by Susan Bowden (Signet); Trap for Fools, by Amanda Cross (Trafalgar Square); both Hard Tack and Hard Christmas from Barbara D’Amato (Scribner); The Raven and the Nightingale, by Joanne Dobson (Bantam); The Thanksgiving Day Murder, by Lee Harris (Fawcett); Up Jumps the Devil, by Margaret Maron (Grand Central), and several others. The entire list can be found here.

Happy digesting! And have a wonderful day with family and friends ... and perhaps a good book.