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The Family Remains, by Lisa Jewell (Atria), is the top holds title of the week. LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting to read this buzziest book.
PREMIUM
Wealth Management
The chapters are unusually short, enabling Zuckerman to keep a lot of thematic balls in the air; he really hits his stride in his first time out, telling a story torn from the headlines with a quick-read focus.
PREMIUM
Murder on the Vine
Fans of David P. Wagner’s Italian mysteries will appreciate the lush descriptions of food and wine in Trinchieri’s third atmospheric “Tuscan Mystery” (following The Bitter Taste of Murder). The complicated personal relationships (helpfully elucidated in the book’s list of characters) add to the enjoyment.
Agatha Award winner Flower’s (“Amish Candy Shop” and “Magical Bookshop” series) first historical mystery introduces a courageous Emily Dickinson as a protagonist who’s stronger than expected. The thoughtful story involving class, social, and political issues may appeal to the poet’s fans, as well as readers of Edith Maxwell’s “Quaker Midwife Mysteries” series.
Fields’s seventh Josie Gray mystery is a timely police procedural that deals with current issues from border policing to election tampering. Suggest for readers who appreciate atmospheric procedurals that capitalize on setting.
Black Dog, by Stuart Woods (Putnam), is the top holds title of the week. LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting to read this buzziest book.
PREMIUM
Among Wolves
Readers will find 50 shades of domestic suspense in this sexy thriller focused on unreliable narrators and cheating spouses. Regular readers of the genre will likely have the twist figured out long before the ending, but they will enjoy the journey. Recommended for readers of Tarryn Fisher or Shari Lapena.
The tension and foreboding builds gradually in this outstanding gothic debut, allowing readers to savor Ann’s voice. The disturbing account plays with class differences and women friendship, set against a medieval, academic atmosphere sheltered from the city.
PREMIUM
Behind Her Lives
Cole’s characters are well developed and compelling. Fans of B. A. Paris and Liv Constantine will enjoy this book.
PREMIUM
No Strangers Here
Known for her cozies, O’Connor (“Home to Ireland” and “Irish Village” series) moves into darker territory here. For fans of Louise Penny.
PREMIUM
Marple: Twelve New Mysteries
Readers will be eager to try this anthology as a dozen celebrated crime fiction authors try their hand at writing traditional short stories featuring Christie’s amateur sleuth. As in any collection, some stories stand out, but they all capture the character of the shrewd, always underestimated Miss Marple.
Add another wise, experienced senior sleuth to a group that includes Richard Osman’s “Thursday Murder Club” series and even Miss Marple. De Castrique’s (“Blackman Agency Investigations” series) quirky characters and offbeat twists will appeal to Osman’s readers.
PREMIUM
Flight Risk
This lighthearted mystery with its travel agent/psychic and her occasional, unofficial partner is a good choice for cozy mystery lovers, animal lovers, and fans of the author. Recommended.
PREMIUM
Magpie
Fans of Fatal Attraction and Single White Female will enjoy this character-driven and intensely suspenseful thriller.
PREMIUM
Other People’s Clothes
Highly recommended for fans of twisty psychological suspense in the vein of Stephanie Wrobel’s This Might Hurt or Tara Isabella Burton’s Social Creature.
PREMIUM
Geiger
This recommended debut thriller from Sweden is a complex, layered story of spies and murder.
PREMIUM
The Dead Won’t Tell
Waters’s first novel is an engrossing mix of small-town lack of privacy, quirky friendships, feisty women, and several plot twists that truly do surprise Abbie as well as the reader.
PREMIUM
Next of Kin
Abdullah’s third legal thriller (after Truth Be Told) is crisply written, with a plot that never lags, well-written characters, and a heartrending backstory. The novel is marred by the introduction of totally new information and an unprepared-for plot twist at the end, which lessens an otherwise fine tale.
Fans of Raybourn’s “Veronica Speedwell” historical mysteries will enjoy this well-plotted story, and a thriller featuring four skilled, well-trained women is a treat in a male-dominated genre. A fast-paced, explosive, fun novel, reminiscent of the 2010 movie RED.
PREMIUM
Blackmail and Bibingka
Filipino American culture and family take centerstage in the third mystery by Agatha Award–winning Manansala (Homicide and Halo-Halo; Arsenic and Adobo). There’s an emphasis on humor, friendship, and food in this cozy that’s lighter in tone than the previous ones.
This novel takes time to tell the story while slowly ratcheting up the suspense to nearly uncomfortable levels. Gardiner and Mann are legends, and this book will be a best seller that leads the cry for a film version.
Full of fascinating history and lore, as well as the underwater geography of these fearsome waterways, this new mystery from “Mattie Winston” series author Ryan is a tour de force featuring a plucky and imminently likable sleuth. A deliciously clever and entertaining puzzle, highly recommended.
PREMIUM
Murder in Westminster
Riley’s introduction to Lady Worthing is a bit overstuffed with plot and subplots, but fans of Regency-era historical mysteries featuring intelligent heroines (such as Andrea Penrose’s Lady Arianna or Tasha Alexander’s Lady Emily) will find this series a welcome addition to the genre.
This is an engrossing and beautifully written mystery, with complex characters that Lee delicately strips bare.
PREMIUM
Confidence
Overstuffed with subplots and extraneous characters, this story has a confusing ending. Mostly for fans of the first book.
The Last To Vanish, by Megan Miranda (Scribner/Marysue Rucci Books), is the top holds title of the week. LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting to read this buzziest book.
Portrait of an Unknown Woman, by Daniel Silva (Harper), is the top holds title of the week (7/18/22). LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting to read this buzziest book.
PREMIUM
On Spine of Death
Berry’s sequel to Buried in a Good Book is a quirky story for those who enjoy funny cozies.
PREMIUM
Mrs. Claus and the Evil Elves
Ireland’s third “Mrs. Claus” title (after Mrs. Claus and the Halloween Homicide) is a fresh take on a Christmas cozy. It’s a delightful mix of humor, technology, and murder in an unconventional mystery.
The It Girl, by Ruth Ware (Scout; LJ starred review), is the top holds title of the week. LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting to read this buzziest book.
PREMIUM
We Lie Here
Hall conveys the racist atmosphere of a small town and writes knowingly of extreme family dysfunction, but the meandering narrative, self-gaslighting protagonist, and several plot holes weaken the story.
PREMIUM
The Lost Kings
This is a moving story about a woman coming to terms with her past childhood trauma so that ultimately, she can find happiness.
PREMIUM
Upgrade
This accessible, swiftly paced, thought-provoking novel should garner Crouch’s widest readership yet. Recommended for fans of science fiction, crime, or spy thrillers.
PREMIUM
The Foulest Things
A fascinating mystery for readers who enjoyed Eva Jurczyk’s The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections.
The first “Witches’ Brew” mystery is a compelling debut with a mature amateur sleuth, a solid supporting cast, and a cat to rival Miranda James’s Diesel. For readers who enjoy the paranormal elements in Juliet Blackwell’s and Bree Baker’s cozies.
PREMIUM
Whisper Room
Kies’s sequel to the Sue Grafton Award nominee Shadow Hill is a compelling story for readers who want to follow investigative reporters into the crime scenes.
Krueger, a Lefty Award winner for Lightning Strike, is one of those rare authors who combines intricately plotted, issue-oriented stories with mysticism and action. A must for fans of beautifully written crime fiction.
PREMIUM
The Housekeeper
Recommended for fans of women-led suspense novels such as Mary Kubica’s The Other Mrs. and Ruth Ware’s The Lying Game.
Perfect for a single-sitting read, Glass’s thriller (the first in a planned series) is an adrenaline-fueled tour of clandestine London. What’s next for Emma Makepeace? More, please.
PREMIUM
The Deal Goes Down
There’s enough action in this thoroughly enjoyable comedy of errors to please the most discriminating reader, but it’s the humor that captures. For fans of crime capers and Donald Westlake’s “Dortmunder” tales.
PREMIUM
Die Around Sundown
Convoluted and contrived at times, but the novel’s historical aspects and police detective will intrigue fans of World War II mysteries.
Fans of Golden Age mysteries like Dorothy Sayers’s Gaudy Night will love the book’s Oxford setting, while readers of trendy dark academia suspense novels, in the manner of Alex Michaelides’s The Maidens, will feel right at home. Top-drawer entertainment from a modern master of mystery.
PREMIUM
The Blame Game
As the “he said/she said” roller-coaster plunges to a shocking finale, readers may wish for a bit more backstory on ancillary characters and their motivations. However, aficionados of Jones’s work will find this tantalizing psychological fare worth their time.
PREMIUM
Treasure State
Readers needn’t be familiar with the series to appreciate this fast-paced mystery that pits betrayal, anger, and hate against hope and longing as it examines the lasting effect of a community used and abandoned after making a fortune for the titans of the copper mining industry. Will appeal to fans of Bryan Gruley, Lisa Sandlin, and Tim Johnston.
PREMIUM
The Summer We Buried
Narrator Emily Ellet adds to Gehrman’s atmospheric novel with an urgent performance that also captures the wistfulness of someone looking back on their youth. Each twist and turn will leave listeners on edge until the shocking conclusion.
Listeners will cheer Jane along as they bite their nails throughout this relentless novel. Highly recommended.
PREMIUM
The Sweet Remnants of Summer
Hand this title to those looking for a more contemplative approach to their mysteries, without any violence or gore.
The House Across the Lake, by Riley Sager (Dutton), is the top holds title of the week. LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting to read this buzziest book.
Slaughter skillfully leads readers on a thrilling journey into the past to solve the murder that a small town wants to forget, yet is still haunted by. Will appeal to fans of Michael Koryta, Joe Lansdale, and Jennifer Hillier.
This complex novel focuses on the raw emotionality of young love, with a darker “he said/she said” plot. A must-read for fans of domestic suspense.
PREMIUM
A Dark and Stormy Tea
Recommended for fans of the series and lovers of culinary cozy mysteries. Recipes and “Tea Time Tips” are included.
PREMIUM
The Deepest Black
The author of the Ryan DeMarco books immerses himself in a conspiracy-theory mystery that combines true crime, UFOs, and sex cults. For fans of Silvis.
The Woman in the Library, by Sulari Gentill (Poisoned Pen; LJ starred review), is the top holds title of the week (6/6/22). LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting to read this buzziest book.
PREMIUM
The Finalists
Bell (Kill Your Darlings; The Request) has crafted a contemporary whodunit reminiscent of Agatha Christie that thriller fans will devour.
PREMIUM
Something Fishy This Way Comes
The follow-up to Much Ado About Nauticaling is another humorous cozy mystery with an emphasis on island lifestyle and attractions. The eccentric characters will appeal to fans of Bree Baker’s “Seaside Café” mysteries.
PREMIUM
The Unkept Woman
This will appeal to mystery readers who enjoy humor, historical fiction, and well-written crime-solving teams.
Mystery fans beguiled by Donna Tartt’s The Goldfinch and women’s fiction readers who adored Taylor Jenkins Reid’s The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo will equally fall under the spell of this totally transporting tale.
PREMIUM
The Last Lie Told
The author of numerous series, including “Devlin and Falco,” launches a new one that leaves threads unresolved. Though it’s confusing at times, Webb’s fans will still want to read it.
The intricately plotted mystery puts a new spin on several historical figures, including O’Keeffe and the Lindberghs, who are guests at the ranch. Lasky (“Calista Jacobs” mysteries) provides vivid descriptions through O’Keeffe’s eyes that bring the setting and timeframe to life.
Fans will appreciate the return of beloved characters, including the dogs. Chapter headings, quotes about love, are appropriate and unusual in a masterly story with a climatic wedding scene.
PREMIUM
Funeral Train
The sequel to Death of a Rainmaker (an LJ Best Book of 2018), is just as atmospheric. The anguish and struggles of the Dust Bowl and Depression years are vividly depicted in this historical mystery.
This explosive cautionary tale of a “podcast meets sex cult meets murder” will captivate fans of twisted psychological suspense.
PREMIUM
Daisy Darker
Feeney’s nod to Agatha Christie’s classic mystery And Then There Were None adds a delightful twist to this quirky thriller. Aficionados of locked-room stories and family dramas (plus Feeney’s large fan base) will enjoy this highly recommended title.
PREMIUM
Yesterday’s Spy
The atmospherics, geopolitical issues, montage writing style, and protagonist’s moral ambiguities will remind readers of spy novels by Jack Higgins and Frederick Forsyth.
PREMIUM
Shutter
The arid New Mexico landscape and Emerson’s stark prose add layers of bone-chilling believability to the story. Fans of thrillers with supernatural elements will enjoy this great first novel.
A richly detailed historical mystery that spotlights social issues like postwar persecution of LGBTQ communities in both Sydney and Paris. Readers of Sulari Gentill’s “Rowland Sinclair” mysteries, set in interwar Sydney, will appreciate Moss’s riveting series.
PREMIUM
The House Across the Lake
Casey as the unreliable narrator mixed with suspicious neighbors, supernatural undertones, and multiple blindsiding twists, means Sager (Survive the Night) has written another winner.
Readers of Pearse’s earlier book or Ruth Ware’s suspense novels will be hard-pressed to put down this atmospheric, sometimes creepy novel.
Goldberg’s compelling follow-up to Gated Prey is a fast-paced, riveting police procedural influenced by actual events in California. A character-driven series entry that skillfully depicts Hollywood corruption.
PREMIUM
The Love of My Life
Walsh’s (Ghosted) latest is a great listen for fans of stories involving family secrets and issues of postnatal depression.
Most listeners will be left hoping that Pek (a Singapore-born, New York City–based lawyer at a global investment company) is already at work on a sequel.
PREMIUM
Augusta Hawke
The author of the award-winning “DCI St. Just” and “Rev. Max Tudor” series launches another with a mystery writer at the center, but the slow-paced story rambles at times and lacks the humor of the St. Just novels. Fans will be better served by Malliet’s previous titles.
PREMIUM
Bark to the Future
Fans of the series will enjoy this new entry in the case files. Chet’s narration provides humor and insight, and Bernie’s search into his own past provides meditations on growing up and growing apart.
PREMIUM
The Fields
This dark and gritty series launch, with a TV adaptation in development, should have wide appeal.
PREMIUM
Cherish Farrah
Morrow’s (MEM; A Song Below Water) social horror/psychological thriller is definitely worth a listen.
PREMIUM
The Old Woman with the Knife
Narrator Nancy Wu’s lilt, emphasis, and pacing are impeccable, bringing life to Gu’s characters, making them easy to differentiate and identify as the engrossing story unfolds.
Readers of Robert Ludlum genre novels will especially enjoy Hood’s (The Treadstone Resurrection) thriller.
PREMIUM
Woman Last Seen
Although the novel has a slow-burn start, listeners get to hear the investigation unfold through multiple voices and perspectives as the story flashes back to the time before the women went missing, which adds to the suspense of this unique missing-person mystery.
PREMIUM
Woman on Fire
Fans of Dan Brown’s “Robert Langdon” series will enjoy watching Margaux weave her web of deception to get her way in the art world.
Although there is a lot of legal jargon to digest, the author and narrators execute this legal thriller effortlessly by creating a deep and compelling story full of plot twists and unreliable facts that will keep listeners questioning the truth until the very end.
PREMIUM
Knit or Dye Trying
Following the simple recipe of most cozy mysteries, this plays into the tropes while also providing a story with enough murder, humor, and romance to keep listeners engaged.
PREMIUM
Finding the Other Woman
Despite Araya’s solid narration, the unconvincing plot and predictable conclusion make this a strictly optional purchase.
A highly recommended purchase; this twisty heist thriller is also a poignant coming-of-age story, making it an excellent choice for many young adults, especially those interested in music.
PREMIUM
Diablo Mesa
Fans of the series will enjoy the tension, mystery, suspense, and romance the characters experience in this installment.
PREMIUM
The Violence
The message of Dawson’s thriller is surprisingly hopeful, but the road to that message is bloody, dark, and difficult.
PREMIUM
Last Seen Alive
This fifth “Ellery Hathaway” mystery continues the story of the complex main characters well known to series fans. Newcomers might feel the lack of background from previous series installments.
PREMIUM
The Cartographers
Peng’s (The Book of M) action-packed thriller is too unique to forget anytime soon.
PREMIUM
Like a Sister
The narration by Bahni Turpin showcases her talent as she brings Garrett’s characters to life, easily giving each their own personality that adds to the mystery and intrigue of the story.
PREMIUM
A Safe House
Another winning entry by Woods, and a good place to jump into the series for those who do not want to start with book one.
PREMIUM
Dream Town
Readers of period crime stories and Baldacci fans will enjoy this third installment in the “Archer” series.
PREMIUM
Four Aunties and a Wedding
Listeners will need to suspend their disbelief at times, but it’s worth it for the laughs. Will leave them eagerly awaiting Sutanto’s third “Aunties” installment.
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