These 5 mysteries that take place in northern California offer up incredible scenery, the thrills of San Francisco, murder, and mystery.

1. Firestorm by Nevada Barr

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“A raging forest fire in California’s Lassen Volcanic National Park traps exhausted firefighters, including Ranger Anna Pigeon, in its midst. Afterward, Anna finds two from her group have been killed. One a victim of the flames. The other, stabbed through the heart. Now, as a rampaging winter storm descends, cutting the survivors off from civilization, Anna must uncover the murderer in their midst.”

2. The Sleeping Doll by Jeffrey Deaver

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“California Bureau of Investigation interrogator and body language expert Kathryn Dance works to recapture a dangerous escaped killer with the help of three victims from his former cult and the lone survivor from a family he slaughtered.”

3. Mind Fields by Thomas Garlinghouse

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“From the Chinese takeover of Tibet in the early 1950s to present-day San Francisco, Big Sur, and Northern California, Mind Fields is a story of adventure, loss, mysticism, and ultimately, the importance of friendship and connection.”

4. Dead Midnight by Marcia Muller

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“Sharon McCone takes on a wrongful-death case in which a grieving family is suing a company for the suicide of a young employee, but as her investigation progresses, she discovers that there may have been more to the death than meets the eye.”

5. The 13th Juror by Dismas Hardy

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“Jennifer Witt, accused of murdering her husband, their young son, and her first husband, gainsays evidence her spouses abused her, frustrating Dismas Hardy’s attempts to mount a convincing defense.”

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