Little Mysteries: Nine Miniature Puzzles to Confuse, Enthrall, and Delight

by Sara Gran

Who destroyed Professor Wolf’s prize-winning tomatoes? What’s behind the mysterious goings-on at Killington Manor? And why does life sometimes feel like we’re stuck in a mystery, with few clues and no solutions? In her first collection of short stories, Sara Gran explores what detective stories mean and why we need them. If you love mysteries, and wonder why, this book is for you. With Claire DeWitt and More.

“Full of wisdom and life and perfect sentences that make other writers tear their hair out in jealousy.” -- Ed Brubaker, Eisner-winning author of Criminal

"Irresistible...the perfect introduction to one of my favorite writers." --Ed Park, Pulitzer-nominated author of Same Bed, Different Dreams

"Profound, amusing, and just plain fun." -- Sara Paretsky, author of Indemnity Only

"Packed with clever twists and wry humor." --Alison Gaylin, Edgar--winning author of We Are Watching

“A darkly glittering cabinet of delights and curiosities by a master of the craft.” —John Wray, author of Gone to the Wolves

"Only Gran can take us this deep with this much pleasure in the reading." --Conner Habib, author of Hawk Mountain

"Gran is both blowing up the mystery genre and tying herself to its mast—what an incredible light show." -- Kirkus (Starred Review)

Genres: Short Stories, Mystery, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Crime, Adult, Adult Fiction

204 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 11, 2025

About the author

Sara Gran's most recent book is LITTLE MYSTERIES, available from Dreamland Books on 2/11/25. She is the author of 7 1/2 previous novels, a screenwriter, and a publisher.

Reviews

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a lot of fun. Self-published in 2024 by Sara Gran via her Los Angeles based press Dreamland Books, Little Mysteries: Nine Miniature Puzzles to Confuse, Enthrall and Delight is comprised of micro-fiction dedicated to the authors who've published under the pen name "Carolyn Keene," and Nancy Drew fan worship is strong with this one. Very self-aware, very meta, but a quick and enjoyable read.

San Francisco private detective Claire DeWitt or her favorite fictional Young Adult sleuth Cynthia Silverton factor into most of these entries, but as with good writers, it isn't necessary to have read Gran's novels or be familiar with her characters to enjoy this one. The longest entry--The Mystery at Killington Manor, or, The Feeling of Seeing Clear Blue Sky After Being Lost in the Woods--is Gran writing a Nancy Drew-type novella because she loves Nancy Drew, like Quentin Tarantino writing four teleplays for his fictitious 1950s TV western Bounty Law (as glimpsed in Once Upon a Time In Hollywood) because he loved black & white network TV westerns and got carried away creating one whole cloth.

Sara Gran finds a way to work her passion for rare books or magazines, printing presses, inks, paper, or stamps into most of her work. She deconstructs what a mystery story is, the difference between a crime, a case and a mystery, and how they affect both her detectives and the reader. Gran is one of my favorite authors because she hits the sweet spot between a plot-driven genre thriller and an existential literary novel, similar to Tana French, but with a great deal more brevity and infusion of popular culture and profanity.

As a writer, I have Gran to thank for making me think about what a mystery is and how despised a true detective really would be, particularly to themselves, even a woman, particularly a woman. In spite of rejecting a lot of the pageantry of what we tend to associate with a private eye going back to Philip Marlowe, Gran's stories are a lot of fun.

First sentence: Sheriff Brown surveyed the crime scene through sleepy and bloodshot eyes: Professor Wolf's books, papers, and household goods had been thrown around his formerly neat cottage seemingly at random, much of his exceptional china now broken, antiquarian books from his carefully curated library torn at the spine.

Favorite passage: I was in my loft in San Francisco, drinking coffee with a big splash of amaretto for breakfast, feeling exhausted after the Case of the Broken Sparrow. Sometimes it seemed like no one won in life. Not really. Once an old homicide cop told me that he felt no better solving a murder than not. "You just ruined a bunch more lives," he said--he meant the lives of those who loved the killer, happiness now forever lost--"and you didn't bring anyone back."

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC for review. To be published February 10, 2025.

Subtitled: “Nine Miniature Puzzles to Confuse, Enthrall and Delight”

This was very inventive with everything from an old MASH game from middle school to stories featuring strong females, including Claire DeWitt whom Gran has written about before. Some stories are playful, some have more depth and the last is truly lovely. If you know you like Gran you’ll like this. If you enjoy strong female detectives, give this a try.

[Tabatha (tab.talks.books) · Rating 3 out of 5]

* 2.75⭐️0🌶️
* A collection of nine short stories that blend classic mystery elements with existential and philosophical themes. The stories, inspired by childhood detective series like Encyclopedia Brown and Nancy Drew, delve into deeper questions about life, maturity, and the nature of reality. Gran explores the blurring lines between fear and anxiety, and the challenges of remaining a good person in a complex world. The collection includes recurring characters like Claire DeWitt and Cynthia Silverton, and features puzzles that focus on emotional and psychological mysteries rather than just physical clues.

[Fred Jenkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Several of the stories feature Claire DeWhitt and associates, a couple Cynthia Silverton, teen detective. One of the Silverton stories is a choose your own mystery, with options to follow several paths to one of three conclusions. The longest, "The Mystery at Killington Manor," is a standalone with none of Gran's regular characters, a riff on the country house mystery. As always in Gran, there is a good deal of snarky social commentary just under the surface and sometimes on it. I like some stories more than others (more Claire DeWhitt is always a good idea!) but there were no duds. Gran is a very good writer and she clearly had fun with this collection.

Détection was a book about solving mysteries. But the more one read it, the more one realized everything was a mystery and nothing was ever really solved, because most people prefer obfuscation to clarity, and favor soothing, slick lies over truth--including at times, or maybe most of the time, myself.

In Gran's mysteries, the crime is rarely the real mystery. The detective is always trying to solve their own mystery as much as any crime.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoy Sara Gran's writing style, even though this felt significantly different from the previous novel I read from her, THE BOOK OF THE MOST PRECIOUS SUBSTANCE. Something about her style and quirky concepts really clicks with me, so I found myself enjoying each individual piece of this collection. The stories are connected, but I think I missed some of the broader impact of the whole story since I ended up reading this in pieces over a longer period of time than I usually do. I'd recommend reading it more like a novel if you pick it up!

Thank you to the publisher for granting me access to an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions remain my own.

[Ruxandra Grrr]

A new Sara Gran book is such a reason to celebrate that I might pop the cork of the champagne I've been keeping in my fridge since my birthday 2022, but maybe a much better occassion is pub day. So excited for this!

[Nikki | Nikkimariereads · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Some days it feels like people just exist to break your heart, and other days and other people exist just to pour salt in the open flesh; sometimes it feels like entire months, years, whole decades exist just to hurt us like it’s their fucking hobby.”

Little Mysteries: Nine Miniature Puzzles to Confuse, Enthrall, and Delight is a short story collection that only Sara Gran could pull off. Ugh, I am not normally a short story kind of gal, but I ate this collection up in two days flat!

This series touched on so much of what it is to be human and to live a life worth living. For these stories being a bit quirky, there is so much depth hidden in these pages. I really love how there are overarching themes that pull the stories into one cohesive piece of work even if they don’t necessarily all contain the same characters.

This is one of those books where I feel like I cannot put the magic into words, but you just need to live it! Thank you to @netgalley for the advanced copy of this beautiful collection in return for an honest review. This book releases on 2/11/25 and you don’t want to miss it!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

[Carolyn Walsh · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was not what I expected. I had never read anything by popular author Sara Gran, and I was looking forward to this introduction to her work. I thought this would be a selection of miniature mysteries with clues so the reader could try to solve the crimes. However, not enough clues were given. One selection, which contained two timelines on one page, was challenging to read on my Kindle. Its title, Nine Miniature Puzzles to Confuse, was suitable (but I would omit the Enthrall and Delight wording).

The chapters were well-written and should appeal to fans of her books, but they didn't work for me. I did not read all the short stories. I think reading one of her books would be a better introduction to this author's works.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. Little Mysteries is due to be published today. 2.5 Stars.

[Manon (mysterymanon) · Rating 5 out of 5]

W-O-W did this speak to me. The format, the characters, the tone. The exploration of A) mystery as entertainment and B) the mystery of life.

There is a bit of everything: minute mysteries, a choose-your-own adventure, a novella, some experimental formats. Cynthia Silverton was my favorite character; “Choose Your Own Heartbreak” was my favorite story.

If you prefer your fiction to be more conventional, this is not for you. But if you want a bit of adventure and whimsy that leads to, perhaps, some deeper understanding of the self, look no further. (Especially if you believe in the power of the mystery genre, that it can be so much more than what you think it is.)

[Artemisthepinkreader · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book for free and I write this review voluntarily. I am a fan of thrillers, especially the Golden Era's whodunits. So, it was a great opportunity for me to read Sara Gran's beautiful novel. This novel has two parts. First part has short stories about Claire DeWitt, best detective in the world. She reminds me of Scandinavian thriller detectives, not so perfect in their lives, not easy to work with but a genius when it comes to work. The author uses different writing styles successfully in this part, which should be praised. The second part is my favourite part. This part set in 1949, in Killington Manor. Everything seems to be in order in the manor, even the deaths. But are they really? Mystery shadows the manor and with an Agatha Christie style ending (everybody in a room, everybody's motives discussed by the 'detective'), mystery unfolds. I thank author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity.

[Shannon Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know what I expected from this, but it was not at all what I thought it would be. A truly fun and thought-provoking blend of mystery and lit fic. There were a few stories that made me laugh and others that made me cry. Some were classic mysteries and some were about the mysteries of life. I loved it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eArc!

[Emma Freddura · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had high hopes for this, but there was just too much going on. The pages with split time line were annoying to read. The choose different paths also was too much going on. I get where she was going with it but not just for me. I get the whole teen detective thing but it seemed a bit elaborate.

[tala · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Dreamland books and NetGalley for the ARC!!

☆3.5 stars
Sara Gran’s Little Mysteries is a collection of detective stories that are more character-driven than the average whodunnit. The detective stories we’re most familiar with are crafted with intricate plot twists and stock characters that serve as eye-catching ornaments in an elaborate narrative maze. Gran primarily contends with how mysteries affect human emotion and connection. The Killington Manor story was by far my favourite followed by the choose-your-own-adventure story and the bite-sized mysteries. I reviewed the individual stories below!

‘Five-Minute Mystery: The Case of the Mysterious Dr Crowley Or Fuck This World Indeed’ ⭐⭐⭐💫
Fun, quick and clever. Cynthia Silverton is a really striking character which I appreciate!

‘The Mystery of the Mycelial Net…’ ⭐⭐
I enjoyed the glib, sort-of breezy writing style. I noticed here that this is more of a character study than a collection of standard mysteries, which I really enjoy as an idea, but I found this particular story underwhelming.

‘The Good Smell of New York City/ The Ocean-Salted Air’ ⭐⭐💫
What this story does with form is really interesting but I found it pretty underwhelming.

‘The Case of the Jewel in the Lotus’ ⭐⭐⭐
Interesting exploration of the thrill of the solve and the urge to satiate that thirst. Bleak and introspective to the point where it sort of dragged. Gran explores the fallout after a crime is committed by someone close and the emptiness at seeing the fissures in people’s lives that a solve causes.

‘One-Minute Mystery: The Case of the Razor’s Edge Between Life and Death’ ⭐⭐💫
I enjoyed reading it but ended up disappointed with the solution to the mystery. Or rather how they got there, as all the evidence seemed like pure guesswork and Claire just pulling it out of nowhere. I do think it was quite well-written though

‘The Case of the Blood on the Snow’ ⭐⭐⭐
Really enjoyed this sincere and bittersweet story despite the fact that I generally didn’t like Claire Dewitt as a protagonist.

‘Choose Your Own Heartbreak’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐
This was so, so fun I loved it! The choose-your own-adventure format was really exciting and novel. I just kept rereading until I read all the possible routes. I especially like the route where she decides to have faith in those closest to her. I really enjoyed the second person perspective as well. It’s lovely, quick and clever while still being reflective and poignant. Everything in this story boils down to the bonds we make and break. Some might find it trite or cheesy to focus on something so simple but I think it’s very human and sincere.

‘Cynthia Silverton & The Charnel House Grounds’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐
A deeply absurd story about a 19 year old university student detective in an existential rut that I really enjoyed. Cynthia Silverton is pure camp and fun and glitter and heart.The writing style is super ridiculous and has the campiness of a magician pulling a glittery dove out of their back pocket. It seemed like a satire of the pomp of a traditional mystery. Gran’s exploration of identity and our relationships with others was pretty well done as well.

‘The Mystery at Killington Manor’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This was an incredibly charming story with vivid, striking characters, a playful style and some lovely prose. There was also pretty good exploration of grief, privilege and dysfunctional family dynamics. I really enjoyed the heartfelt relationship between Poppy and Mrs Kitty.

[Carolina · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite author in the entire world. I would love to stand on that beach in the dark, too. Maybe I am standing there right now?

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe the real mystery was the friends we made along the way...

If you were a fan of Nancy Drew or the choose-your-own-adventure books as a kid, this is a literary take on the genre. Each chapter is a different mystery that reads like a short story. The mystery itself isn't very satisfying or central to the plot, but the chapters have interconnected theme, share an overarching story, and feature the same rotating cast of characters. Taken on their own, the little mysteries sometimes felt like the Quick Mysteries show on Interdimensional Cable ("I'm the killer, here's the weapon and a pair of handcuffs") and other times felt like a really depressing episode of a teen detective and drug addict's life. By the end, I could see the broader picture, though, and it came together nicely.

I'll give this book an A+ on creativity. The chapters alternated between perspective (first, second, and third person), used a variety of media types and stylistic choices, and varied in tone quite a bit (humorous to depressing to a combination of both). Enjoyment-wise, I didn't love it. This is my second book from Sara Gran and something about her writing just doesn't connect with me. At a sentence level, I think she's skilled and there were even a few passages I underlined, but at a story-level, you couldn't pay me to care about these characters (and, in general, reading about drug addiction just puts me into a slump).

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[natália ✿ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for another ARC,

Little Mysteries: Nine Miniature Puzzles to Confuse, Enthrall, and Delight, by Sara Gran was a delightful little surprise. I have heard of Sara’s work before, Come Closer is currently on my October/Halloween TBR, but I didn’t know that she wrote mysteries. Most of the nine short stories of Little Mysteries feature Claire DeWitt, Gran’s very own Poirot, sort to speak.
Claire DeWitt is the world’s best private detective and, to be honest? I believe her.

Because I didn’t read any of her books before (Claire DeWitt and the City of the Dead; Claire DeWitt and the Bohemian Highway and The Infinite Blacktop) I don’t know too much about her as a character but, from what I read, I absolutely loved her. She is a flawed human being but you can’t help but love her, because she never stops trying.

I have half a mind to read everything that Sara Gran ever wrote.

[Alicia Ceasar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Little Mysteries by Sara Gran is a collection of short stories that all have different mysteries to them. Most of the were inspired by classic whodunnit style stories and some of them feel more original.

I have loved books by this author so when I saw it available to request, I was on it! I didn’t know that this would lean a lot more on the cozy side so that was a surprise. I found this to be a mostly endearing little collection that I had a good time with but it wasn’t anything super impactful.

I can see why some readers would love this and I know exactly who I would recommend this to so I don’t think it is any way a bad book, just not exactly my thing. I do think the eARC was hard to read because of the way the story telling was done so I encourage anyone picking this up to try the physical book.

[Sarah O'Riordan | travelseatsreads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Little Mysteries is an unusual and somewhat charming little collection of curious vignettes and reflections on life.

I went in expecting a fun combination of puzzle-like mysteries and whodunnits but found instead a series of simple stories pondering life's meaning and mysteries.

There also seems to be a focus on character's from Gran's previous work (that I haven't read) which makes me think her existing readers would love this.

An interesting one to pop in and out of but definitely a case of not for me.

2.5/5

If you enjoyed this review come follow me on Instagram @TravelsEatsReads for more

[Jenni Creekmur · Rating 3 out of 5]

As much as I love the way Sara Gran writes, the Claire DeWitt series never really resonated with me. That being said, most of the stories in this book revolve in some way around Claire DeWitt and so unfortunately, those stories didn't resonate with me either. The stories that had nothing to do with Claire were a lot of fun to read with immersive mysteries that were ultimately really dark which was an excellent contrast to the light language and youth/innocence of the main characters.

This collection also sparked a huge sense of nostalgia for me and maybe someone else who grew up in the nineties can help steer me in the right direction. The whole 2 minute mystery or 5 minute mystery thing is giving me deja vu in the best way. Of course, it's a hugely popular thing now so a basic search didn't get me very far. Was this a thing in the 90's? Was there a series of YA books like this or something?

I loved the nostalgia of the choose your own adventure story too. I used to love those when I was a kid.

Anyway, long story short - love Sara Gran books for her characters and darkness but not a fan of the Claire Dewitt series. This collection of mysteries is mostly Claire Dewitt but the ones that don't feature her are excellent. So...basically...swim at your own risk with this one!

[Anna Vaa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a truly unique blend of mystery and lit fic that I thoroughly enjoyed. Murdle-lovers will enjoy the bite-sized format and I also found unexpected thought-provoking moments of magical realism and philosophy. Some stories were more successful than others- parallel stories of overdoses during the AIDS epidemic and COVID pandemic felt heavy-handed while the longest story of Killington Manor was an immediate favorite and the allegorical(?) detective Cynthia’s stories had surprising depth.

Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC!

[Maya · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the ARC.
I didn’t expect Sara Gran to write something so cozy and wholesome. This reads more like an outlines for different novels with the same main character. Every story is pretty short and I would say unsatisfying. The backstories of the characters are laid out well but we spend so little time with the mysteries itself, we don’t have enough of information to investigate or for more details to be provided, the solutions are abrupt and dry. This would be a good read if you’re looking for some easy little stories. 2.5 stars.

[Arkasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Little Mysteries by Sara Gran contained definitely more than nine titles within it. Most of the stories was written around Claire DeWitt (I have to be honest I have never read a book by Sara Gran prior to this one), her assistant Claude, or teen detective extraordinaire Cynthia Silverton. I was initially very impressed that the first couple of stories managed to have a certain melancholic quality to them, they were more like literary stories where someone happened to solve a mystery. By the 6th or 7th story I felt quite jaded, because ALL the stories were very bleak and had the same sad human condition (loneliness) as the main thing the characters ruminate about. I think only the second to last story was a real, proper murder mystery, instead of a sad detective story. Not to say that I didn't enjoy this book. I had a good time reading it and it was very well-written. It was just a bit one-note when read directly from start to finish.

eARC provided by NetGalley and Dreamland Books.

[Brandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really fun read! I haven’t read many mysteries, but each story within this book were really engaging, The story that felt like a Goosebumps “choose your own adventure” was cool. I like how each story has a life lesson within that the reader can think on after they’re done with the book.

Thank you Net Galley for an advanced copy of this book.

[Kyra Leseberg (Roots & Reads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

A quirky collection of short mysteries featuring well-known characters from Gran's Claire DeWitt series.
I can't imagine this book will work well for readers who haven't already been introduced to Claire DeWitt / Cynthia Silverton.
Part noir, part Nancy Drew parody with a depressed philosophizing detective - not much more to say other than I weirdly love it, especially the "choose your own adventure" story.

[Gina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of the stories are quite interesting. Others not so much. Still, that's common in a book of short stories.

[Geonn Cannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was disappointed the new Sara Gran wasn't a Claire DeWitt book. But then... IT WAS! She's all throughout this fun little collection. Definitely worth checking out.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect, perfect perfect. I am obsessed with Sara Gran.

[Larry Tse · Rating 5 out of 5]

They could never make me hate you Sara

[Lola C · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet little book thats full of stories that are secretly anti capitalist and very obviously feminist. Delightful and a quick read.

[Clair O’Brien · Rating 3 out of 5]

that was so fun- some plot twists later and i was entertained.