Books like The Proof of the Pudding by Rhys Bowen

A determined woman sleuth unravels a cold case in Victorian London, weaving romance and societal intrigue into a gripping historical mystery.

Bunyip Bluegum, a curious Australian koala, teams up with a sailor and a penguin to protect their ever‑refilling magic pudding from thieves.

"I very much need to be dead." These are the chilling last words left by a man who had everything to live for but took his own life. In the void that remains stands his widow, FBI agent Jane Hawk, surrounded by questions destined to go unanswered unless she does what all the grief and fury inside her demand: Find the truth, no matter what. People of talent and accomplishment, people seemingly happy and sound of mind, have recently been committing suicide in surprising numbers. A disturbing pattern is beginning to emerge. Jane is determined to give up everything to find out why. And if that means going rogue and becoming America's Most Wanted, then so be it. Those arrayed against her are legion, and devoted to protecting something profoundly important-or terrifying-enough to exterminate any and all in their way. But Jane is as clever as these enemies are cold-blooded, as relentless as they are ruthless. And she is driven by a righteous rage they can never comprehend. Because it is born of love.

A mysterious murder in the heart of London draws in a new private detective, Marion Lane, and a thrilling crime story that keeps readers guessing until the final page.