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Laura Lippman’s new novel, Murder Takes a Vacation, follows a shy widow on a European getaway that turns into a deadly adventure. Lippman was recently named a Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America. Below, she lists six favorite books about quests.
‘Possession’ by A.S. Byatt (1990)
Two young scholars, in competition with other academics, race to find out the truth behind love letters written by an important 19th-century poet. By turns satiric and poignant, the novel finds its climax on a dark and stormy night in a churchyard. But it’s the quiet devastation of the final chapter that will haunt you. Buy it here.
‘From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler’ by E.L. Konigsburg (1967)
Two suburban siblings run away and set up camp in New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, only to become obsessed with the statue of a marble angel, which may or may not have been carved by Michelangelo. Simply one of the best books ever written, in any genre. Buy it here.
‘True Grit’ by Charles Portis (1968)
A straightforward quest novel: Mattie Ross, only 14, is determined to avenge her father’s murder and hires U.S. Marshal Rooster Cogburn to be her protector as she ventures into dangerous territory. But it’s easy to forget that the story is told from the astringent point of view of a 60-something woman who has lived her life absolutely on her own terms, indifferent to public opinion. Buy it here.
‘Betsy and the Great World’ by Maud Hart Lovelace (1952)
In 1914, would-be writer Betsy Ray travels abroad, hoping to gain experiences that will help enrich her writing—and also help her recover from a broken heart. Buy it here.
‘Cadillac Jack’ by Larry McMurtry (1982)
This novel is full of coveted objects “scouted” by the titular character, who essentially lives in his pearl-colored Cadillac, uniting precious finds with covetous owners. But it’s the women he “collects” along his travels that leave him perpetually yearning for the one he can’t have. Buy it here.
‘Emma Who Saved My Life’ by Wilton Barnhardt (1989)
Gil Freeman arrives in New York City in 1974 determined to find success as an actor as well as the love of his life. Emma is his sometimes roommate, sometimes ideal, but this is not a typical rom-com. It’s an ode to the grimy New York of the 1970s and early 1980s, complete with a herpes subplot. Buy it here.
The Grand Master recommends works by E.L. Konigsburg, Charles Portis, and more