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Appearances are deceiving in this fast-paced thriller, and the characters are introduced gradually so as not to overwhelm the outstanding series debut.
Short (a.k.a. “Ruby Vaughn Mysteries” author Jess Armstrong) masters the descriptions of the fierce winter lake in an atmospheric suspense novel of murder, gangsters, and desperation.
PREMIUM
A Girl Like Us
With its fast-paced intriguing prose, this story filled with complicated family dynamics à la Saltburn or Succession, coupled with the isolation of a Ruth Ware novel or Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, will appeal to mystery/thriller lovers.
PREMIUM
The Reluctant Sheriff
The sequel to Code of the Hills is an atmospheric, exquisitely written Southern noir.
Blue Bloods fans will delight as Wade delivers a complicated police drama of the Don Winslow variety, written in the neo-noir style of Robert B. Parker’s Spenser books.
PREMIUM
The Case of the Missing Maid
Osler has created a likable heroine, a good mystery, and a solid LGBTQIA+ fiction entry.
PREMIUM
The Matchmaker
An engaging, quick read, Saeed’s mystery-romance hybrid will be popular at public libraries.
PREMIUM
My Darling Boy
Readers who like the slow burn of a mystery will enjoy this atmospheric thriller. Recommend to fans of Tana French or Kate Morton.
The author of The End of the Road introduces a determined, innovative courier in the vein of Lee Child’s Jack Reacher or James Byrne’s Dez Limerick. Appearances are deceiving in this fast-paced thriller, and the characters are introduced gradually so as not to overwhelm the outstanding series debut.
PREMIUM
Shoot the Moon
Barry captures her protagonist’s history of trauma, loss, and addiction in ways that help this somewhat formulaic mystery ring true.
PREMIUM
You Can’t Hurt Me
Pages fly by as secrets rise to the surface, and the engrossing premise keeps readers speculating. This debut builds alluring suspense into an exhilarating twist.
PREMIUM
Mask of the Deer Woman
Strongly consider this for public libraries, particularly those serving tribal land.
PREMIUM
Schooled in Murder
The first in the “Campus Sleuth Mysteries” series isn’t quite up to the quality of Gilbert’s “Blue Ridge Library” or “Hunter and Clewe” mysteries. However, fans of cozies set in the world of academia might enjoy.
PREMIUM
A Lethal Walk in Lakeland
The sequel to A Deadly Walk in Devon is an atmospheric mystery with delightful descriptions of the countryside in the Lake District. The story may appeal to fans of closed-house or Golden Age mysteries.
PREMIUM
The Next Deadly Chapter
Fans of this long-running cozy series will find two delightful mysteries in one, contemporary and historical, in the sequel to Murder on Tour.
PREMIUM
Holy City
This notable Southern noir debut is a welcome addition to the genre. For fans of gritty, small-town crime fiction and S.A. Cosby.
PREMIUM
I Know She Was There
This audio will appeal to listeners seeking a complex thriller with a deeply unreliable narrator. Recommended for fans of A.J. Finn, Ruth Ware, and Lisa Jewell.
The Grey Wolf by Louise Penny is the top holds title of the week. LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting to read this buzziest book.
PREMIUM
The Ice Retreat
Readers who prefer a likable narrator may be slow to warm to Hollie’s icy personality and hidden inner turmoil. But the suspense, the gothic setting, and a few unexpected twists will hook audiences into the mystery of what goes on behind the Ice Retreat’s locked doors.
Big books out this month include titles from Carl Hiaasen, Chris Pavone, Nora Roberts, and Brendan Slocumb.
Rachel Howzell Hall starts a new series featuring an LAPD cop, Freya Sampson sets her newest within a dysfunctional book club, and the sheep are on the case in Leonie Swann's latest.
In Too Deep by Lee Child & Andrew Child is the top holds title of the week. LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting to read this buzziest book.
Like a classic Golden Age mystery, this clever, snappy, and enjoyable cozy offers solid characterizations and comical twists and turns.
PREMIUM
The Cat Who Cracked a Cold Case
This third “Conrad the Cat Detective” title (after The Cat Who Solved Three Murders) will satisfy those looking for a book that blends cozy sensibilities and more gritty mystery-thriller elements and explores an unusual crime-fighting partnership.
This powerful, provocative novel humanizes the staggering statistics of thousands of Indigenous women who go missing or are murdered. This gripping story is for readers of Rendon’s Cash Blackbear series or Ramona Emerson’s books.
The Waiting by Michael Connelly is the top holds title of the week. LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting to read this buzziest book.
Stars’s drag-themed cozy mystery debut is a must-purchase. Give it to fans of Kitty Murphy, Rob Osler, and Frank Anthony Polito.
The Last One at the Wedding by Jason Rekulak is the top holds title of the week. LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting to read this buzziest book.
A gritty crime novel with a pace that never lets up; Mosley’s best work since the incomparable Easy Rawlins series.
The Boyfriend by Freida McFadden is the top holds title of the week. LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting to read this buzziest book.
A solid Pentecost and Parker installment, Spotswood’s newest title takes on another closed-door mystery to great effect. He balances the tension, the red herrings, and the clues well, and fans of the series will be in for a treat. Mystery readers in general would do well to place this series on their TBR lists to enjoy the twists and turns that make these titles a joy to read.
Fans of Armstrong’s debut and other gothic mysteries will appreciate this haunting, intriguing novel.
Stars’s drag-themed cozy mystery debut is a must-purchase. Give it to fans of Kitty Murphy, Rob Osler, and Frank Anthony Polito.
PREMIUM
The Note
Burke’s trademark style creates tension and suspense, but the deeply flawed protagonists might turn off some readers.
PREMIUM
Knife Skills for Beginners
It might disappoint readers seeking a character-led story, but this novel speaks to budding foodies, who will appreciate the recipes and culinary setting, as well as readers who favor a neatly tied-up mystery.
PREMIUM
Haunting and Homicide
Fans of Ellen Byron’s cozies will appreciate this new series centered on an atmospheric, haunted New Orleans.
PREMIUM
Chain Reaction
Byrne’s sequel to Deadlock is a fast-paced, explosive thriller with a charming hero, Russian terrorists on U.S. soil, high-stakes money schemes, and a worthy opponent.
PREMIUM
Pretty Dead Things
Though it can be slow-moving and repetitive, this novel may interest readers who enjoy cold cases with dual timelines.
PREMIUM
Alter Ego
This entertaining sequel vividly depicts the IP-obsessed contemporary comic book world and its threats to comic artists, such as being replaced by artificial intelligence. It’s a compelling setting for Segura’s richly complicated characters, who make up for some clunkiness and contrivance in the plotting.
PREMIUM
The Crime Brûlée Bake Off
Connolly (A Sporting Season), known for romances, ably opens this new ro-mystery series, crafting a slow, charming, sweet fall and filling the case with details of baking, estate living, and reality TV filming.
PREMIUM
She Doesn’t Have a Clue
The dialogue sparkles and the eccentric characters will delight readers. For fans of the movie Knives Out and those who zipped through Jesse Q. Sutanto’s Dial A for Aunties.
As much as Griffiths’s fans will be excited for this collection, mystery readers in general will enjoy these fun mystery and ghost stories. This is a strong purchase for mystery collections.
PREMIUM
They All Fall the Same
The follow-up to Hillbilly Hustle is vicious, violent rural noir, a story of warring Kentucky drug kingpins who are reminiscent of the Hatfields and McCoys. The language and violence will turn some off, but it may remind readers of S.A. Cosby’s novels, without the humor.
A gritty crime novel with a pace that never lets up; Mosley’s best work since the incomparable Easy Rawlins series.
Tipping her literary cap to Stephen King’s The Shining, Konen serves up a superbly crafted novel of suspense that will thrill and delight fans of Lucy Foley, Alice Feeney, and Sarah Pearse.
PREMIUM
Imposter Syndrome
Readers may find this an unnecessarily complicated puzzle mystery with little real suspense and few memorable characters. The ending will be unanticipated, though perhaps too tricky to fall for.
Fans of Benedict’s previous novels and those who enjoy historical whodunits will find this hard to put down.
Clark follows Fall with the third in the series featuring a complex Black police officer haunted by multiple violent deaths in her life. Characters are well-developed in this hard-hitting police procedural that examines justice, and who metes it out.
Cozies don’t often work when the author removes the amateur sleuth from their usual environment, but Gemma’s gang comes along to comfort series readers. Fans who traveled to London with the crew in There’s a Murder Afoot will enjoy the return.
PREMIUM
Cabaret Macabre
This audio will appeal to listeners seeking a richly detailed historical mystery with a classic Christie-esque detective denouement. Recommended for fans of Nicola Upson, Fiona Davis, and Jessica Fellowes.
PREMIUM
The Astrology House
The fraught relationships, deeply held secrets, and mysteries of astrology might pique the interest of listeners seeking suspense about betrayal and revenge.
PREMIUM
Hidden Rooms
Featuring genuinely moving depictions of women facing chronic, mysterious illnesses, this fresh debut will be welcomed by those who love strong women protagonists and small-town mysteries.
This atmospheric mystery from a pseudonymous novelist, actor, dramatist, and professor will appeal to readers who enjoy Southern or bookstore settings, quirky characters, and beautiful, descriptive writing.
This novel is effective in innumerable ways, particularly with its attention to the generational gap and the emotional disconnection created by the internet. Pargin’s deft combination of mystery and satire will appeal to the YA audience and to older readers.
We Solve Murders by Richard Osman is the top holds title of the week. LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting to read this buzziest book.
Readers can look forward to a Jazz Age murder mystery featuring Jay Gatsby’s sleuthing younger sister, a story inspired by a real-life antiquities scandal in Pakistan, and the return of senior sleuth Vera Wong.
David Baldacci sets his latest in a 1944 London bookshop, Julia Bartz offers a locked-room thriller, and Heather Graham writes about a would-be-murderous smart house and personal AI.
This intriguing assortment should appeal to Child’s many fans, as well as mystery/thriller/crime readers.
PREMIUM
The Blue Hour
Mystery and psychological thriller readers will enjoy peeling back the countless layers of this novel.
Connelly’s name on the cover guarantees a great read; his latest is no exception. The story follows the cases methodically and realistically, and the characters continue to grow. With a TV series on Amazon Prime coming soon starring Maggie Q as Renée Ballard, this novel will generate more interest than usual.
Charming and witty with a well-paced murder to solve, this series starter is sure to delight both Austen fans and mystery lovers.
PREMIUM
The Cat Who Cracked a Cold Case
This third “Conrad the Cat Detective” title (after The Cat Who Solved Three Murders) will satisfy those looking for a narrative that blends cozy sensibilities and more gritty mystery-thriller elements and explores an unusual crime-fighting partnership.
PREMIUM
Double Barrel Bluff
Berney’s third Shake Bouchon novel (after Whiplash River) is as much fun as the others. Enthusiastically recommended for all crime fiction fans.
PREMIUM
The Rush
This quick but intense tale will have listeners on the edge of their seats. Fans of Jane Harper will want to check this out.
PREMIUM
The Last Note of Warning
Though those new to the series may want to catch up before diving in, this book should appeal to fans of glitzy historical mysteries.
PREMIUM
One Perfect Couple
A tense fight for survival featuring multilayered characters and satisfyingly complex relationships. Ware’s fans will be all in.
PREMIUM
Off the Air
Estes’s debut combines an entertaining mystery with a thought-provoking look at how news is produced. Pair with Tamron Hall’s Watch Where They Hide, another mystery penned by a real-life journalist.
PREMIUM
Camino Ghosts
A brilliantly narrated, captivating story of cruelty, enslavement, and resilience. An essential purchase.
PREMIUM
Tell Me Who You Are
For fans of intense psychological thrillers in the vein of Stacy Willingham’s A Flicker in the Dark.
PREMIUM
Pay Dirt
The disappearance of a young athlete and the unearthing of a property’s seamy secrets makes for compelling listening. Paretsky’s many fans will clamor for this.
PREMIUM
The Summer of Love and Death
Fans of this series and those who enjoy murder mysteries should enjoy this deft and surprising police procedural.
PREMIUM
The Dredge
A promising debut paired with a deft narrator make this an enjoyable and satisfying listening experience for suspense fans.
PREMIUM
Safe and Sound
McHugh’s atmospheric latest traces the story of a teenage girl who tries to leave her suffocating small town but vanishes without a trace. The many suspects and twists and turns will keep listeners spellbound.
Whodunit buffs will enjoy this witty romp and marvel at how the author has woven plausible outcomes, eras later, for the heroines Austen carefully crafted. Gray doesn’t miss a beat to complicate matters for her sleuthing, would-be lovers and leaves listeners eager for more.
PREMIUM
Cold to the Touch
A taut, well-executed mystery/thriller for fans of Dana Stabenow’s Kate Shugak or Liam Campbell series.
PREMIUM
One of Our Kind
A gripping book for those seeking a suspenseful novel that grapples with race, identity, and privilege. Listeners who enjoyed Jordan Peele’s Get Out will want to check out this provocative slow-burn thriller, sure to terrify and spark intense conversation in equal measure.
PREMIUM
The Murder Inn
The suspense and the body count mount in Patterson and Fox’s exciting thriller, a follow-up to their bestselling The Inn. Fans of this popular writing duo will be satisfied.
PREMIUM
Cirque du Slay
With its intriguing circus setting and fascinating glimpses into the main characters’ dating columns, this mystery satisfies. Suggest to fans of Mark Waddell’s The Body in the Back Garden or Ellen Hart’s “Jane Lawless” mystery series.
PREMIUM
The Father She Went To Find
Wilson’s (The Dead Husband) propulsive psychological thriller boasts an intriguing premise and plenty of narrow escapes. It’s occasionally over the top, but riveting.
PREMIUM
The Hunter’s Daughter
A riveting story, combining elements of a psychological thriller and supernatural horror with discussions of mental health.
PREMIUM
Love Letters to a Serial Killer
This audio will appeal to listeners seeking an intricate, unsettling psychological thriller about serial killers and the women who love them. Recommended for fans of Karen E. Olson and Ana Reyes.
PREMIUM
When We Were Silent
The audiobook, while filled with upsetting moments of grooming and abuse, will cause listeners to speed to the end to find out if Lou receives justice. Recommend to readers of noir mysteries and psychological suspense.
A satisfying mystery, enhanced by excellent narration and an intriguing introduction to Saffron’s Moriarty.
PREMIUM
Cobra Pose
Listeners hoping for a little armchair travel, complete with a fun mystery and endearing characters, need look no further.
PREMIUM
When I Was Alice
This audio will appeal to listeners seeking a historical Hollywood mystery with a time-travel twist. Recommended for fans of Renee Patrick and Kelley Armstrong.
PREMIUM
The Return of Ellie Black
This audio will appeal to listeners seeking an intricate, intensifying suspense about kidnapping and control. Recommended for fans of Stacy Willingham, Karin Slaughter, and Amy Tintera.
PREMIUM
The Sleepwalkers
A bleakly amusing he said/she said that makes excellent use of the audio format.
PREMIUM
The Main Character
This audio will appeal to listeners seeking compelling contemporary suspense with nods to Agatha Christie classics. Recommended for fans of Laura Dave, Alice Feeney, and Paula Hawkins.
PREMIUM
Kill for Me, Kill for You
Tension builds steadily, and while some may guess the central mystery in this tale of many mysteries, they’ll enjoy the ride nonetheless.
PREMIUM
Tree Pose
An entertaining, superbly narrated audio mystery for those seeking action, intrigue, and romance.
PREMIUM
A Grave Robbery
A sparkling production and highly recommended purchase for any audio mystery collection. Recommend to fans of Elizabeth Peters’s Amelia Peabody series.
PREMIUM
Murder by Lamplight
A deliciously atmospheric historical mystery, sure to delight fans of C.S. Harris and Ambrose Parry.
PREMIUM
One of Us Knows
A twisty, atmospheric thriller with a creepy gothic setting and a cast of unforgettable characters. For fans of Maria Dong’s Liar, Dreamer, Thief.
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