The Thief, The Queen of Attolia, & The King of Atolia by Megan Whalen Turner

Time for a break from mystery writing, so thought I'd turn you on to a couple of recent reads that I just could not put down. The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner doesn't start off as a page turner, but you will soon find yourself absorbed in both the story and characters' lives and the mystery of why the thief has been broken out of jail with the sanction of the king he had threatened to fleece. An author's note at the end tells us that the setting of the story was inspired by a visit to Greece, but the characters feel truly alive, especially the Thief himself. Expect plenty of twists and turns in plot, and be prepared to dive into the next two books, The Queen of Attolia, and The King of Attolia, neither of which I could put down. My advice: get all three, and go for a marathon weekend of reading. Of course, I have the perfect excuse for reading books like these. I call it research. After all, I am working on a young adult mystery, so reading a variety of mysteries, is part of my job. What's your excuse?