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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.
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'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.
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6 homes for entertainingFeature Featuring a heated greenhouse in Pennsylvania and a glamorous oasis in California
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Obesity drugs: Will Trump’s plan lower costs?Feature Even $149 a month, the advertised price for a starting dose of a still-in-development GLP-1 pill on TrumpRx, will be too big a burden for the many Americans ‘struggling to afford groceries’
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The ‘Kavanaugh stop’Feature Activists say a Supreme Court ruling has given federal agents a green light to racially profile Latinos
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6 homes for entertaining
Feature Featuring a heated greenhouse in Pennsylvania and a glamorous oasis in California
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Film reviews: ‘Jay Kelly’ and ‘Sentimental Value’Feature A movie star looks back on his flawed life and another difficult dad seeks to make amends
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6 homes on the Gulf CoastFeature Featuring an elegant townhouse in New Orleans’ French Quarter and contemporary coastal retreat in Texas
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The vast horizons of the Puna de AtacamaThe Week Recommends The ‘dramatic and surreal’ landscape features volcanoes, fumaroles and salt flats
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The John Lewis ad: touching, or just weird?Talking Point This year’s festive offering is full of 1990s nostalgia – but are hedonistic raves really the spirit of Christmas?
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Margaret Atwood’s memoir, intergenerational trauma and the fight to make spousal rape a crime: Welcome to November booksThe Week Recommends This month's new releases include ‘Book of Lives: A Memoir of Sorts’ by Margaret Atwood, ‘Cursed Daughters’ by Oyinkan Braithwaite and 'Without Consent' by Sarah Weinman
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Train Dreams pulses with ‘awards season gravitas’The Week Recommends Felicity Jones and Joel Edgerton star in this meditative period piece about a working man in a vanished America
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Middleland: Rory Stewart’s essay collection is a ‘triumph’The Week Recommends The Rest is Politics co-host compiles his fortnightly columns written during his time as an MP
