646 ratings | 412 reviews | avg rating:4.23

Susan’s Year In Books

Susan’s 2025 Year in Books

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Susan Oleksiw

Goodreads Author

Born

The United States

Website

http://www.susanoleksiw.com/

Twitter

susanoleksiw

Genre

Mystery & Thrillers

Influences

I prefer the traditional mystery but I read all sorts of crime fiction ...more

Member Since

February 2012

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"People say that life is the thing, but I prefer reading." Logan Pearsall Smith

I can't imagine a life without books. Some of my best memories of a quiet rainy afternoon when Dad let me poke among his books and pick something to read.

Born and raised in New England, I have long been fascinated by the traditional New Englander and the way of life found here. I try to capture that world in two of my series.

My most recent book, Below the Tree Line, is set on a farm in central Massachusetts. Felicity O'Brien has inherited the family farm, but she has also inherited, from her mother and ancestors, the ability to heal. This is both a blessing and a burden.

My first mystery series features Chief of Police Joe Silva, in the town of Mellingham. The bo ...more

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Susan Oleksiw’s books

Average rating: 3.7 · 462 ratings · 128 reviews · 41 distinct works

	Below the Tree Line (A Pioneer Valley Mystery #1) 3.45 avg rating — 62 ratings — published 2018 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Under the Eye of Kali (Anita Ray, #1) 3.27 avg rating — 52 ratings — published 2010 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Wrath of Shiva (Anita Ray, #2) 3.75 avg rating — 40 ratings — published 2012 — 8 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Murder in Mellingham (Mellingham, #1) 3.31 avg rating — 39 ratings — published 1993 — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	When Krishna Calls (Anita Ray #4) 4.06 avg rating — 31 ratings — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	For the Love of Parvati (Anita Ray, #3) 3.42 avg rating — 33 ratings — published 2014 — 7 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Deadly Nightshade: Best New England Crime Stories 2022 by Susan Oleksiw (Goodreads Author) (Editor), Christine Bagley (Editor), Leslie Wheeler (Editor) 4.50 avg rating — 14 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	A Reader's Guide to The Classic British Mystery 4.18 avg rating — 11 ratings — published 1988 — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	A Murderous Innocence (Mellingham, #5) 2.60 avg rating — 15 ratings — published 2001 — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Family Album (Mellingham, #3) 3.18 avg rating — 11 ratings — published 1994 — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Susan Oleksiw…

230 posts
Susan Oleksiw's Blog

A Neglected Aspect of the Writer's Life

The last two years with the pandemic and the changes it brought about has forced me to confront one aspect of life as a writer that I've mostly ignored. Every writer I know is careful in the area of craft. We think hard about word choices, sentences, paragraphs, and the arc of the story. We read widely and carefully, learning from our peers and colleagues and sharing our expertise when asked. We s Read more of this blog post »

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Published on May 20, 2022 08:14

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Series by Susan Oleksiw

Anita Ray (4 books)
by

Susan Oleksiw (Goodreads Author)

3.60 avg rating — 161 ratings

Mellingham (5 books)
by

Susan Oleksiw (Goodreads Author)

3.16 avg rating — 80 ratings

A Pioneer Valley Mystery (1 book)
by

Susan Oleksiw (Goodreads Author)

3.45 avg rating — 62 ratings

Susan is Currently Reading

Susan Oleksiw is currently reading

Rattlesnake Hill

by Leslie Wheeler

bookshelves: mysteries, currently-reading

read in November 2017

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Susan Oleksiw said: " The charming countryside of the Berkshires has a dark side, which Kathryn Stinson, a curator currently on leave from her Boston job, discovers when she arrives to track down an old family mystery. With photograph of an unidentified woman in hand, she ...more "

Nov 24, 2017 07:54AM · see review

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Susan’s Recent Updates

Susan Oleksiw rated a book really liked it The Silence in the Garden by William Trevor	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 04, 2026 01:57PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Silence in the Garden by William Trevor. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Silence in the Garden by William Trevor <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Susan Oleksiw and 16 other people liked Beverly's review of A General Theory of Love: "An amazing book written by 3 doctors about the human brain and the 'home' of emotions. Did you know we have three brains? Reptile, limbic and neocortic? It's a fascinating read and a must read for anyone with chronic love and relationship problems. U" Read more of this review »
Dec 30, 2025 09:54AM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of A General Theory of Love by Thomas Lewis. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — A General Theory of Love by Thomas Lewis <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Susan Oleksiw and 28 other people liked Gilbert 04's review of A General Theory of Love: "This book was an eye-opening experience for me. Since my early teens, I've established a pattern of being in relationships that start out on a high and then eventually deteriorate and fail. I've never understood why I involve myself-a successful, int" Read more of this review »
Dec 30, 2025 09:53AM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of A General Theory of Love by Thomas Lewis. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — A General Theory of Love by Thomas Lewis <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Susan Oleksiw and 72 other people liked Manny's review of A General Theory of Love: "I found this book fascinating, but, since it concerns a subject I know little about, I have a hard time evaluating its reliability. The initial idea, which I have seen many times before, is that our brains are divided into three main parts: the "rept" Read more of this review »
Dec 30, 2025 09:51AM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of A General Theory of Love by Thomas Lewis. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — A General Theory of Love by Thomas Lewis <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Susan Oleksiw rated a book it was amazing A General Theory of Love by Thomas Lewis	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Dec 30, 2025 09:37AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of A General Theory of Love by Thomas Lewis. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — A General Theory of Love by Thomas Lewis <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Susan Oleksiw rated a book really liked it Cerebral Entanglements: How the Brain Shapes Our Public and Private Lives by Allan J. Hamilton	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Dec 26, 2025 01:03PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Cerebral Entanglements by Allan J. Hamilton. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Cerebral Entanglements by Allan J. Hamilton <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Susan Oleksiw rated a book really liked it Tom Lake by Ann Patchett	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Dec 25, 2025 12:37PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Tom Lake by Ann Patchett. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Tom Lake by Ann Patchett <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Susan Oleksiw rated a book really liked it Learning to Talk by Hilary Mantel	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
This collection of six short stories about childhood is bracketed by a preface by the author and an excerpt from her memoir Giving Up the Ghost. Because the stories are so clearly based on Mantel's life, the reader may not feel she's discovering anyt ...more
Nov 27, 2025 08:03AM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Learning to Talk by Hilary Mantel. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Learning to Talk by Hilary Mantel <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Susan Oleksiw rated a book it was amazing A Bit on the Side by William Trevor (2005-05-05) by Unknown Author	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
William Trevor is one of my favorite writers for his style, grace, and wisdom, all of this shining in simple stories about uncomplicated people. In the first story, "Sitting with the Dead," two professional mourners arrive at a house after the husband ...more
Nov 22, 2025 11:12AM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of A Bit on the Side by William Trevor by Unknown Author. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — A Bit on the Side by William Trevor by Unknown Author <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Susan Oleksiw rated a book really liked it My Head for a Tree: The Extraordinary Story of the Bishnoi, Guardians of Nature by Martin Goodman	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I have lived in India and visited several times over the years, but I'd never heard of the Bishnoi. I picked up this book because of my interest in the environment as well as India, and I enjoyed it but not as a scholar of India. In the end, the book ...more
Nov 19, 2025 02:16PM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of My Head for a Tree by Martin Goodman. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — My Head for a Tree by Martin Goodman <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

More of Susan's books…

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