I typically think of winter as “jigsaw puzzle season.” It’s too cold to play outside, and the sun sets by 5 p.m., so an indoor activity that consumes time and engages the mind is ideal for those evenings and puzzles fit the bill.

If you’re the kind of person who doesn’t want to complete the same puzzle twice but has grown a collection of purchased puzzles, the Delaware County District Library has just the thing for you – a jigsaw puzzle swap! From July 24-28 the Orange Branch Library will gladly accept your donations of lightly used jigsaw puzzles. Take them off your shelves, count those pieces to be sure it’s complete, and then drop them off at the Orange Branch Library circulation desk.

Then, on Saturday, July 29, jigsaw puzzle enthusiasts are invited to come back to the Orange Branch Library from 2-3 p.m. During this time, we’ll have all the donated puzzles on display and community members are invited to take a new-to-you puzzle home, bring more to donate, or simply sit at one of the tables in the community room and complete one.

Though summertime doesn’t generally fit with my winter puzzle goals, it will serve as the perfect time for me to prep for those cold, dark nights that will be upon us before we know it. It also is a great opportunity for anyone who has had unsold puzzles in a garage sale to share them with a greater community through the library.

Start looking through your shelves now, and we’ll see you at the Orange Branch Library, 7171 Gooding Blvd, sometime between July 24-29.

Is your brain drawn to other kinds of puzzles? Perhaps a mystery is just the type of novel for you. Filled with a steady stream of who-dun-its for your solving delight, here are some of the latest mysteries on our shelves at the Delaware County District Library.

• “Play the Fool” by Lina Chern. Introducing Katie True, a lonely 29-year-old tarot card reader who works a dead-end job at a shop in a mall and dreams of better things. Katie reads cards for an injured man, and before he leaves, spies a photo on his phone of what appears to be the dead body of a woman who works at a nearby shop. Determined to do right by her friend, Katie teams up with a local cop and her super-smart brother.

• “Ozark Dogs” by Eli Cranor. In a small town full of secrets in Arkansas’s Ozark Mountains, the Fitzjurl and Ledford families have hated each other for years. Now, high school senior Joanna Fitzjurl is missing. The Ledfords see Joanna as payment for the killing of their family member by Joanna’s dad – but Joanna’s grandfather, who was a sniper in Vietnam, will do anything to get back the granddaughter he raised.

• “A Death in Denmark” by Amulya Malladi. Gabriel Præst is an elegant blues-loving PI and former Copenhagen cop who was fired for leaking details about corruption. Præst agrees to help his lawyer ex-lover prove that a Muslim immigrant isn’t guilty of the murder he’s been convicted of, in a case with ties to Denmark’s role in World War II. Fans of evocative Scandinavian crime fiction with intriguing detectives and those who enjoy well-researched fast-paced mysteries will eat this up.

• “Symphony of Secrets” by Brendan Slocumb. The Delaney Foundation hires expert Bern Hendricks to authenticate a newfound work by famed composer Frederic Delaney, who worked in 1920s and ’30s New York City. What Bern and a computer-savvy friend discover could upend their lives and the music world – and there’s a murder to deal with too. With chapters set in the past and the present, this “superb novel” (Kirkus Reviews) offers fascinating characters, a compelling plot, and an insightful look at racism in classical music.

• “Heart of the Nile” by Will Thomas. 1893 London: Inquiry agents Cyrus Baker and Thomas Llewelyn hunt for a missing British Museum volunteer who’d found a heart-shaped ruby in the chest of a heretofore ignored female mummy. But then – the mummy might be Cleopatra, a murdered man is found in the Thames, and our delightful duo travel the city looking for answers! Series alert: This is the atmospheric 14th in the Barker and Llewelyn mysteries, but newcomers can start here. Those who want to start with the pair’s 1st outing can check out “Some Danger Involved.”

If you have a question that you would like to see answered in this column, mail it to Nicole Fowles, Delaware County District Library, 84 E. Winter St., Delaware, OH 43015, or call us at 740-362-3861. You can also email your questions by visiting the library’s web site at www.delawarelibrary.org or directly to Nicole at [email protected]. No matter how you contact us, we’re always glad you asked!