MOST-ANTICIPATED SPRING 2022 CRIME BOOKS
NEW CRIME FICTION RELEASES, APRIL & MAY 2022
Is it just me, or have the first few months of 2022 flown by?! I can’t believe it’s already April—but here we are, and it’s time to talk about the incredible crop of new crime fiction that Spring 2022 has in store for us!! 2022 is already shaping up to be an outstanding year for new crime fiction (then again, when is it not a great year for new crime books!), and in today’s blog post, I’m shining a spotlight on my most-anticipated new crime books publishing in April and May 2022! Whether you’re in the market for a new detective novel, a twisty psychological thriller, a spine-tingling supernatural suspense novel, or just about anything in between, you’ll find it in this blog post. April and May 2022 will see the return of fan-favorite thriller writers including Sarah Pinborough, Tessa Wegert, and May Cobb, and they might just introduce you to some new-to-you voices, too! I’ve been lucky enough to read advance copies of many of the books on this list, and others are on my to-read list as soon as they publish. It’s going to be an incredible spring for new crime fiction, and I hope you’ll find a book (or two, or three!) to add to your to-read list in this blog post!
In case you missed it: catch my list of most-anticipated early 2022 crime books here! And be sure to check back in early June for my list of most-anticipated summer crime fiction, which I’m already working on and can’t wait to share with you. As always, thank you so much for taking the time to read this blog post, and for all your support of CBTB. Happy reading!
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DEAD WIND by Tessa Wegert
Available April 5, 2022
WHY I’M EXCITED:
Tessa Wegert’s excellent Shana Merchant series has quickly become one of my personal must-read detective series, and I’m so excited that Shana is back (this week, in fact!) in DEAD WIND! DEAD WIND is the third installment in Wegert’s series, and if you haven’t given these books a try yet, consider this your reminder to do so. Each installment in the Shana Merchant series blends a stand-alone mystery with a continuous thread that runs throughout the books: Shana’s history with a serial killer who held her captive in New York City prior to the events of the series’ first installment. In DEAD WIND, Wegert takes readers into Shana’s latest case at her job as an investigator in Thousand Islands, New York: the discovery of a woman’s body on a nearby island. DEAD WIND is brimming with atmosphere, and immerses readers in small-town secrets and intrigue. Reuniting with Wegert’s series protagonist Shana feels like reuniting with an old friend; Shana is exactly the kind of crime fiction protagonist I tend to become most invested in: she’s down-to-earth, relatable, intelligent, and brave, and I always love spending time in her company. Fans of detective series featuring strong female leads: add the Shana Merchant books to your to-read pile immediately.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Senior Investigator Shana Merchant must dredge up dark secrets and old grudges if she's to solve the murder of a prominent local citizen in the Thousand Islands community she now calls home.
The body is discovered on Wolfe Island, under the shadow of an enormous wind turbine. Senior Investigator Shana Merchant, arriving on the scene with fellow investigator Tim Wellington, can't shake the feeling that she knows the victim - and the subsequent identification sends shockwaves through their community in the Thousand Islands of Upstate New York.
Politics, power, passion . . . there are dark undercurrents in Shana's new home, and finding the killer means dredging up her new friends and neighbors' old grudges and long-kept secrets.
That is, if the killer is from the community at all. For Shana's keeping a terrible secret of her own: eighteen months ago she escaped from serial killer Blake Bram's clutches. But has he followed her . . . to kill again?
INSOMNIA by Sarah Pinborough
Available April 12, 2022
WHY I’M EXCITED:
I’ve already been lucky enough to read Sarah Pinborough’s forthcoming psychological thriller INSOMNIA, and when I tell you I loved this book, I loved this book. INSOMNIA is a superb psychological thriller that steeps readers in the increasingly-unhinged mindset of its protagonist. Protagonist Emma has it all: a high-powered law career, a loving husband, and two beautiful children. There’s just one problem. Emma’s mother lost her mind on her fortieth birthday, and now, in the days leading up to her own fortieth birthday, Emma begins to fear that the exact same thing is happening to her. INSOMNIA is page-turning, gripping, and unsettling in the best possible way; this is one psychological thriller that will genuinely have you questioning everyone and everything in it, and you’ll love every moment spent in its twisted world. Readers who love unreliable narrator thrillers done right will want to pick up INSOMNIA immediately—this book is not to be missed, and it’s sure to be one of my 2022 favorites.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
IN THE DEAD OF NIGHT, MADNESS LIES . . .
Emma can’t sleep.
CHECK THE WINDOWS.
It’s been like this since her big 4-0 started getting closer.
LOCK THE DOORS.
Her mother stopped sleeping just before her own fortieth birthday.
She went mad and did the unthinkable because of it.
LOOK IN ON THE CHILDREN.
Is that what’s happening to Emma?
WHY CAN’T SHE SLEEP?
THE NEW NEIGHBOR by Carter Wilson
Available April 12, 2022
WHY I’M EXCITED:
It’s been far too long since I read a Carter Wilson thriller, and I intend to rectify that this spring with Carter’s newest release, THE NEW NEIGHBOR! I was a huge fan of Wilson’s thriller Mister Tender’s Girl when I read it a few years ago, and I’m excited to give his new thriller a try in the weeks to come. Early praise for THE NEW NEIGHBOR has been outstanding: S.A. Cosby raves that THE NEW NEIGBOR is “a Byzantine maze of psychological suspense,” while Stuart Turton calls the book “brilliant escapism.” Sign me up! THE NEW NEIGHBOR follows what happens when a man wins the lottery—on the day of his wife’s funeral. This thriller tackles themes of loss, grief, and the cost of happiness, and I can’t wait to dive in.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Aidan holds the winning Powerball numbers.
Is today the best day of his life... or the worst?
Aidan Marlowe is the superstitious type—he's been playing the same lottery numbers for fifteen years, never hitting the jackpot. Until now. On the day of his wife's funeral.
Aidan struggles to cope with these two sudden extremes: instant wealth beyond his imagination, and the loss of the only woman he's ever loved, the mother of his twin children. But the money gives him and his kids options they didn't have before. They can leave everything behind. They can start a new life in a new town. So they do.
But a huge new house and all the money in the world can't replace what they've lost, and it's not long before Aidan realizes he's merely trading old demons for new ones. Because someone is watching him and his family very closely. Someone who knows exactly who they are, where they've come from, and what they're trying to hide. Someone who will stop at nothing to get what they want...
YOUNG RICH WIDOWS (Audible Original) by Kimberly Belle, Layne Fargo, Cate Holahan, and Vanessa Lillie
Available April 14, 2022 (audiobook!)
WHY I’M EXCITED:
Confession time: Young Rich Widows is only the second audiobook I’ve ever listened to, and the it’s the first audiobook I’ve listened to in at least 5 years! When I heard that four amazing crime writers were teaming up on an Audible original thriller set in the 80’s, I knew it was time for me to expand my horizons and give audiobooks another try—and I’m so, so glad that I did! I’m finishing up the audiobook of Young Rich Widows as we speak, and I’ve loved being immersed in this expertly-crafted, highly-entertaining crime story. I was drawn to this audiobook thanks to the powerhouse team of authors who crafted it, and their storytelling prowess absolutely delivers in their joint thriller venture. What happens when the wives of the four partners of a prominent law firm find themselves in charge of their spouses’ business after the partners are killed in a mysterious plane crash? Young Rich Widows delves into the dark secrets of these lawyers, and follows the women who are left to pick up the pieces and fix what their spouses have broken. If you’re an audiobook fan (or even if you’re someone who rarely listens to audiobooks, like me!) this one is well worth a listen.
ABOUT THE AUDIOBOOK:
When the four partners of a prominent law firm are killed in a mysterious plane crash, their widows must come together to uncover the truth in this explosive, edge-of-your-seat novel.
It’s 1985 in Providence, Rhode Island, and the four partners of a prominent, mafia-affiliated law firm have been killed in a private jet that went down outside New York City. Four very different women have just lost the loves of their lives: Justine, a former fashion model adjusting to suburban life; Camille, a beautiful, young second wife some suspect is a gold digger; Krystle, committed to leaving the firm to her sons after her husband worked his whole life to support them all; and Meredith, a stripper at the local club who was in a secret relationship with the firm’s sole female partner. While the crash is initially ruled a tragic accident, something’s not adding up: The team wasn’t supposed to be in New York that day, and it’s soon revealed that there was a very large sum of cash that burned up with the plane. The women find themselves thrown together in search of the truth, with new danger and threats unfolding at every turn.
Could a dissatisfied client be seeking revenge? Or were the partners involved in something bigger—something dangerous and deadly? What other secrets were the partners keeping, and how far might people go to ensure they stay hidden? The widows must find the answers in order to protect their inheritance, their families, and their lives.
THE CHILDREN ON THE HILL by Jennifer McMahon
Available April 26, 2022
WHY I’M EXCITED:
I read my first Jennifer McMahon book last year (THE DROWNING KIND) and absolutely loved it—and I’ve been eagerly anticipating her next “chiller” ever since! THE CHILDREN ON THE HILL is a supernatural suspense novel inspired by Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein…which is basically all you need to tell me to sell me on this book. When I read McMahon’s THE DROWNING KIND, I particularly loved the way she balanced genuine supernatural thrills with character-driven, atmospheric suspense, and I’m excited to see what her newest release is like—it sounds poised to deliver more of what I loved about THE DROWNING KIND, this time with a nod to the work of Mary Shelley! THE CHILDREN ON THE HILL centers around a brilliant psychiatrist who, one day, brings home a child to stay with her family… but something about this girl isn’t quite right. I’m totally intrigued by the idea of a suspense novel inspired by Frankenstein, and ready to be creeped out by this spine-tingling tale.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Drowning Kind comes a genre-defying new novel, inspired by Mary Shelley’s masterpiece Frankenstein, that brilliantly explores the eerie mysteries of childhood and the evils perpetrated by the monsters among us.
1978: At her renowned treatment center in picturesque Vermont, the brilliant psychiatrist, Dr. Helen Hildreth, is acclaimed for her compassionate work with the mentally ill. But when she’s home with her cherished grandchildren, Vi and Eric, she’s just Gran—teaching them how to take care of their pets, preparing them home-cooked meals, providing them with care and attention and love.
Then one day Gran brings home a child to stay with the family. Iris—silent, hollow-eyed, skittish, and feral—does not behave like a normal girl.
Still, Violet is thrilled to have a new playmate. She and Eric invite Iris to join their Monster Club, where they catalogue all kinds of monsters and dream up ways to defeat them. Before long, Iris begins to come out of her shell. She and Vi and Eric do everything together: ride their bicycles, go to the drive-in, meet at their clubhouse in secret to hunt monsters. Because, as Vi explains, monsters are everywhere.
2019: Lizzy Shelley, the host of the popular podcast Monsters Among Us, is traveling to Vermont, where a young girl has been abducted, and a monster sighting has the town in an uproar. She’s determined to hunt it down, because Lizzy knows better than anyone that monsters are real—and one of them is her very own sister.
WATCH OUT FOR HER by Samantha Bailey
Available April 26, 2022
WHY I’M EXCITED:
Samantha Bailey is an author who first came across my radar thanks to good old Instagram, where I saw author P.J. Vernon recommending her work! I finally read (and absolutely loved!) Samantha Bailey’s debut thriller WOMAN ON THE EDGE last month, and I can’t wait to get my hands on her newest release, WATCH OUT FOR HER. I loved the way Samantha Bailey wove together an emotionally-resonant exploration of motherhood with a gripping thriller plot in WOMAN ON THE EDGE, and based on the plot description for WATCH OUT FOR HER, it sounds like this newest Bailey thriller might have similar themes. I also loved how utterly gripping and entertaining WOMAN ON THE EDGE was, and I’m fully expecting WATCH OUT FOR HER to deliver that same entertainment value! I loved Bailey’s debut thriller, and can’t wait to read more from this crime writer to watch.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
A tense psychological thriller about a mother who must keep watch at all times if she wants to keep her family safe—from USA TODAY and #1 national bestselling author Samantha M. Bailey.
Wherever you go…she’ll be watching.
Sarah Goldman, mother to six-year-old Jacob, is relieved to move across the country. She has a lot she wants to leave behind, especially Holly Monroe, the pretty twenty-two-year-old babysitter she and her husband, Daniel, hired to take care of their young son last summer. It started out as a perfect arrangement—Sarah had a childminder her son adored, and Holly found the mother figure she’d always wanted. But Sarah’s never been one to trust very easily, so she kept a close eye on Holly, maybe too close at times. What she saw raised some questions, not only about who Holly really was but what she was hiding. The more Sarah watched, the more she learned—until one day, she saw something she couldn’t unsee, something so shocking that all she could do was flee.
Sarah has put it all behind her and is starting over in a different city with her husband and son. They’ve settled into a friendly suburb where the neighbors, a tight clique of good citizens, are always on the lookout for danger. But when Sarah finds hidden cameras in her new home, she has to wonder: Has her past caught up to her, and worse yet, who’s watching her now?
A spine-tingling, page-turning novel from USA TODAY and #1 national bestselling author Samantha M. Bailey, Watch Out for Her is psychological suspense at its very best—a chilling look at trust, voyeurism, and obsession in the modern age, and how far we will go to watch out for those we love.
I’LL BE YOU by Janelle Brown
Available April 26, 2022
WHY I’M EXCITED:
2022 appears to be the year of the cult thriller, and I couldn’t be happier about it! This year has already given us Stephanie Wrobel’s excellent THIS MIGHT HURT, and in April, readers who love suspense novels involving cults will want to add Janelle Brown’s I’LL BE YOU to their to-read pile. This is another book that I’ve been lucky enough to read an early copy of, and it’s a winner, particularly for fans of character-driven suspense. In her newest release, bestselling author Janelle Brown crafts a story of two sisters torn apart by time and secrets. When protagonist Sam hears from her parents that her twin sister Elli hasn’t been seen or heard from ever since she checked into a mysterious spa retreat, Sam sets out on a mission to find her—and, in the process, finds herself drawn into a mysterious and sinister organization that seems to have Elli under their spell. I’LL BE YOU takes readers on a deep-dive into the mysterious organization that might just be holding Elli hostage, and, perhaps even more importantly, into the complex bond between two sisters. I’LL BE YOU blends mystery, character study, and examination of “self help” culture into one engrossing, immersive package.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Two identical twin sisters and former child actors have grown apart—until one disappears, and the other is forced to confront the secrets they've kept from each other in this twisty suspense novel from the New York Times best-selling author of Pretty Things.
“You be me, and I’ll be you,” I whispered.
As children, Sam and Elli were two halves of a perfect whole: gorgeous identical twins whose parents sometimes couldn’t even tell them apart. They fell asleep to the sound of each other’s breath at night, holding hands in the dark. And once Hollywood discovered them, they became B-list child TV stars, often inhabiting the same role.
But as adults, their lives have splintered. After leaving acting, Elli reinvented herself as the perfect homemaker: married to a real estate lawyer, living in a house just blocks from the beach. Meanwhile, Sam has never recovered from her failed Hollywood career, or from her addiction to the pills and booze that have propped her up for the last 15 years.
Sam hasn't spoken to her sister since her destructive behavior finally drove a wedge between them. So when her father calls out of the blue, Sam is shocked to learn that Elli’s life has been in turmoil: her husband moved out, and Elli just adopted a two-year-old girl. Now she’s stopped answering her phone and checked in to a mysterious spa in Ojai. Is her sister just decompressing, or is she in trouble? Could she have possibly joined a cult? As Sam works to connect the dots left by Elli’s baffling disappearance, she realizes that the bond between her and her sister is more complicated than she ever knew.
I’ll Be You shows Janelle Brown at the top of her game: a story packed with surprising revelations and sharp insights about the choices that define our families and our lives—and could just as easily destroy them.
BREATHLESS by Amy McCulloch
Available May 3, 2022
WHY I’M EXCITED:
I can never resist an isolated-location thriller, and Amy McCulloch’s forthcoming BREATHLESS looks like exactly the outdoorsy, closed circle mystery I need in my life this spring. In BREATHLESS, McCulloch draws on her experience as a mountain climber to craft a serial killer thriller that takes place on a mountain (!). In BREATHLESS, a journalist is pursuing a story that will make or break her career: an interview with a world-famous mountaineer who is attempting to break a climbing record. There’s just one problem: someone is picking off members of the climbing expedition one by one, and our protagonist might be the killer’s next intended victim. I always love seeing how authors put their own unique spins on the locked room or closed circle mystery, and I can honestly say I’ve never read a locked room mystery that takes place on a mountain. Sign me up! (Not to mention, I know we’re not supposed to judge books by their covers… but look how stunning this book’s cover is!)
ABOUT THE BOOK:
A high-altitude thriller that will take your breath away—Cecily Wong is on her most dangerous climb yet, miles above sea level. But the elements are nothing compared to one chilling truth: There's a killer on the mountain.
There’s a killer on the mountain …
Journalist Cecily Wong is in over her head. She’s come to Manaslu, the eighth-highest peak in the world, to interview internationally famous mountaineer Charles McVeigh on the last leg of a record-breaking series of summits. She’s given up everything for this story—her boyfriend, her life savings, the peace she’s made with her climbing failures in the past—but it’s a career-making opportunity. It could finally put her life back on track.
But when one climber dies in what everyone else assumes is a freak accident, she fears their expedition is in danger. And by the time a second climber dies, it’s too late to turn back. Stranded on a mountain in one of the most remote regions of the world, she’ll have to battle more than the elements in a harrowing fight for survival against a killer who is picking them off one by one.
THE HACIENDA by Isabel Cañas
Available May 3, 2022
WHY I’M EXCITED:
I sometimes can’t believe how far I’ve come in terms of my interest in supernatural thrillers. Back in the day, a book with any supernatural components was a total turn-off for me…and now here I am, seeking them out! If you’re a fan of suspense novels that incorporate elements of the supernatural, you’ll want to add Isabel Cañas’ debut supernatural suspense novel THE HACIENDA to your list of spring books to check out immediately. THE HACIENDA is a Gothic suspense tale that has been called “Mexican Gothic meets Rebecca”—um, yes please!! Set in the aftermath of the Mexican War of Independence, THE HACIENDA invites readers into the sinister, dangerous world of Hacienda San Isidro—an estate in the countryside that is far from the sanctuary that protagonist Beatriz hoped it would be. I was just recently talking about how much I love Gothic suspense novels on Instagram, and I have a feeling I’m going to be obsessed with this one!
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Mexican Gothic meets Rebecca in this debut supernatural suspense novel, set in the aftermath of the Mexican War of Independence, about a remote house, a sinister haunting, and the woman pulled into their clutches...
During the overthrow of the Mexican government, Beatriz’s father was executed and her home destroyed. When handsome Don Rodolfo Solórzano proposes, Beatriz ignores the rumors surrounding his first wife’s sudden demise, choosing instead to seize the security that his estate in the countryside provides. She will have her own home again, no matter the cost.
But Hacienda San Isidro is not the sanctuary she imagined.
When Rodolfo returns to work in the capital, visions and voices invade Beatriz’s sleep. The weight of invisible eyes follows her every move. Rodolfo’s sister, Juana, scoffs at Beatriz’s fears—but why does she refuse to enter the house at night? Why does the cook burn copal incense at the edge of the kitchen and mark the doorway with strange symbols? What really happened to the first Doña Solórzano?
Beatriz only knows two things for certain: Something is wrong with the hacienda. And no one there will save her.
Desperate for help, she clings to the young priest, Padre Andrés, as an ally. No ordinary priest, Andrés will have to rely on his skills as a witch to fight off the malevolent presence haunting the hacienda and protect the woman for whom he feels a powerful, forbidden attraction. But even he might not be enough to battle the darkness.
Far from a refuge, San Isidro may be Beatriz’s doom.
THE MURDER RULE by Dervla McTiernan
Available May 10, 2022
WHY I’M EXCITED:
As always, I’ll be honest: I very rarely explore the legal thriller genre. However, I’ve been hearing really excellent things about Irish crime writer Dervla McTiernan’s THE MURDER RULE—if ever there were a legal thriller that might get me to step outside my comfort zone and give this subgenre another try, this book looks like it! THE MURDER RULE follows a young law student who appears to be passionate about reforming the legal system, but may have ulterior motives. THE MURDER RULE promises to blend elements of psychological suspense with legal thrills, and it’s already received some outstanding praise: Karin Slaughter calls it “gripping and full of tension,” while Liz Nugent raves: “The Murder Rule is utterly absorbing, entertaining and intriguing.”
ABOUT THE BOOK:
For fans of the compulsive psychological suspense of Ruth Ware and Tana French, a mother daughter story—one running from a horrible truth, and the other fighting to reveal it—that twists and turns in shocking ways, from the internationally bestselling author of The Scholar and The Ruin.
First Rule: Make them like you.
Second Rule: Make them need you.
Third Rule: Make them pay.
They think I’m a young, idealistic law student, that I’m passionate about reforming a corrupt and brutal system.
They think I’m working hard to impress them.
They think I’m here to save an innocent man on death row.
They're wrong. I’m going to bury him.
IT COULD BE ANYONE by Jaime Lynn Hendricks
Available May 10, 2022
WHY I’M EXCITED:
I have a serious soft spot for the destination wedding thriller, and I was lucky enough to get my hands on an early copy of Jaime Lynn Hendricks’ IT COULD BE ANYONE a few months ago. I devoured this highly entertaining wedding-gone-wrong thriller in just about one sitting, and highly recommend this one for fans of Lucy Foley’s The Guest List and/or J.T. Ellison’s Her Dark Lies! In IT COULD BE ANYONE, Jaime Lynn Hendricks invites readers to attend a destination wedding that’s destined for tragedy. IT COULD BE ANYONE moves between the perspectives of members of the wedding party, piecing together the events that led to the death of the groom on his wedding day. I love books where it feels like every single character has a motive for murder, and that’s exactly the kind of cast of highly suspicious characters that Jaime Lynn Hendricks gives us here. IT COULD BE ANYONE will be a perfect choice for readers looking for a mystery featuring lots of entertainment value, interpersonal secrets and drama, and a highly entertaining (and untrustworthy!) cast of characters.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Murder motives abound when the groom dies at a destination wedding in this new novel by the author of Finding Tessa
To anyone on their flight out of New York, they appear to be five best friends excited for a destination wedding in Miami. No one would guess that each of them has a reason to want the groom dead.
Trevor Vaughn, the groom in question, wooed his bride-to-be by first becoming close with her friends―which is to say that he learned all of the five’s darkest, most dangerous secrets and blackmailed them into convincing Fiona to say “I do.” The friends were forced to convince a doubting Fiona to go through with the wedding, no matter what, and now the charade is set to continue all the way to the altar.
Trevor has his own reasons for wanting to marry into Fiona’s family, and he’ll stop at nothing to make his plan a reality. But when he dies of an apparent allergic reaction at the wedding, surrounded by such close enemies, the possibility of murder isn’t far behind. And for the authorities investigating the case, anyone present could be a suspect...
MY SUMMER DARLINGS by May Cobb
Available May 17, 2022
WHY I’M EXCITED:
Looking for a spicy, sexy suspense novel to add to your TBR list this summer? I’d be willing to bet that May Cobb’s MY SUMMER DARLINGS will be your perfect read! I haven’t read this one yet, but based on how much I loved Cobb’s previous release THE HUNTING WIVES, it’s a safe bet that I’m going to devour MY SUMMER DARLINGS, too. Cobb has a knack for writing the kinds of characters I love best: “unlikeable” women, whose complexities, messiness, and inner darkness are explored in her writing to utterly riveting—and highly entertaining—end. I devoured Cobb’s novel THE HUNTING WIVES last summer and absolutely loved the juicy, dramatic, wildly-entertaining world she crafted in its pages, and I can’t wait to experience MY SUMMER DARLINGS! Now I just need to plan a vacation and clear my calendar—I have a feeling this is the kind of book I’ll want to experience poolside, with a cocktail in hand.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Three lifelong friends plus a dangerous, sexy new stranger in town add up to a scorching summer of manipulation, obsession, and murder, from the acclaimed author of The Hunting Wives.
A woman in the forest thinks she’s going to die.
I know he’s coming back for me.
Jen Hansen, Kittie Spears, and Cynthia Nichols have been friends since childhood. They are now approaching forty and their lives have changed, but their insular East Texas town has not. They stay sane by drinking wine in the afternoons, dishing about other women in the neighborhood, and bonding over the heartache of their own encroaching middle age and raising ungrateful teens.
Then Will Harding comes to town, moving into one of the neighborhood’s grandest homes. Mysterious and charming, he seems like the answer to each woman’s prayers. He’s a source of fascination for Jen, Kittie, and Cynthia, but none of them are ready for the way Will disrupts their lives.
As Will grows closer with each of the women, their fascination twists into obsession, threatening their friendships and their families. When he abruptly pulls away, each woman scrambles to discover the source of his affection. But what they’ll uncover is far more sinister and deadly than any of them could have ever imagined.
HIDE by Kiersten White
Available May 24, 2022
WHY I’M EXCITED:
I’ll be honest, this book first caught my eye thanks to its stunning cover—and then I dove into an early digital copy and became completely obsessed with the story itself. I devoured HIDE in one breathless sitting. This white-knuckle supernatural thriller has it all: a cinematic setting, elements of supernatural horror, folklore, gripping pacing, characters you’ll fall in love with, and the kind of palpable tension that will quite literally have you holding your breath. In HIDE, a group of strangers are brought to an amusement park to participate in a high-stakes hide-and-seek competition… but nothing is quite as it seems, and the stakes in this competition are even higher than any of the contestants could have imagined. HIDE is an utterly thrilling, edge-of-your-seat reading experience. This story is brought to life by a highly endearing cast of characters (yes, I did in fact cry once or twice while reading this book—that’s how much I loved these characters!), and the suspense and tension that the author creates leaps off the page. HIDE feels made for the big-screen; if this book doesn’t become a movie today, I will never forgive Hollywood. This book is a true supernatural thriller (supernatural components are an integral part of the plot), but if that sounds like your cup of tea, you will love HIDE. This will be another 2022 favorite for me!
ABOUT THE BOOK:
A high-stakes hide-and-seek competition turns deadly in this dark supernatural thriller from New York Times bestselling author Kiersten White.
The challenge: Spend a week hiding in an abandoned amusement park and don’t get caught.
The prize: enough money to change everything.
Even though everyone is desperate to win—to seize a dream future or escape a haunting past—Mack is sure she can beat her competitors. All she has to do is hide, and she’s an expert at that.
It’s the reason she’s alive and her family isn’t.
But as the people around her begin disappearing one by one, Mack realizes that this competition is even more sinister than she imagined, and that together might be the only way to survive.
Fourteen competitors. Seven days. Everywhere to hide but nowhere to run.
Come out, come out, wherever you are.
NEVER COMING HOME by Hannah Mary McKinnon
Available May 24, 2022
WHY I’M EXCITED:
I read my first Hannah Mary McKinnon book last year, and I can’t believe I’d never tried her work sooner! My experience with McKinnon’s work is limited thus far, but I was totally hooked on the book of hers I read in 2021 (You Will Remember Me), and can’t wait to give her 2022 release NEVER COMING HOME a try! NEVER COMING HOME is already earning outstanding praise: P.J. Vernon calls it “a diabolical tour de force,” while Lisa Unger says “don’t miss this propulsive, hypnotic thrill ride.” With endorsements like that, how could this book not be on my to-read list?! I love thrillers featuring antihero protagonists, and it sounds like that’s exactly the kind of twisted character McKinnon has in store for us with this book’s protagonist, Lucas—a man who, for years, has been developing his perfect plan to inherit his wife’s fortune. I’m also very intrigued by this one because of the way it seems to blend some dark comedy into its thriller plot—it sounds to me a little bit reminiscent of the way Samantha Downing’s books balance twisted plots with elements of humor, and I can’t wait to see what it’s like!
ABOUT THE BOOK:
First comes love. Then comes murder.
Lucas Forester didn’t hate his wife. Michelle was brilliant, sophisticated and beautiful. Sure, she had extravagant spending habits, that petty attitude, a total disregard for anyone below her status. But she also had a lot to offer. Most notably: wealth that only the one percent could comprehend.
For years, Lucas has been honing a flawless plan to inherit Michelle’s fortune. Unfortunately, it involves taking a hit out on her.
Every track is covered, no trace left behind, and now Lucas plays the grieving husband so well he deserves an award. But when a shocking photo and cryptic note show up on his doorstep, Lucas goes from hunter to prey.
Someone is on to him. And they’re closing in.
THE FAVOR by Nora Murphy
Available May 31, 2022
WHY I’M EXCITED:
Domestic suspense can be hit or miss for me, but I read an early copy of Nora Murphy’s THE FAVOR and am happy to report that this one was an absolute winner! In THE FAVOR, Murphy puts a Strangers on a Train-inspired twist on the domestic thriller, exploring what happens when two women leading parallel lives are brought together in a deadly twist of fate. This gripping story tackles dark subject matter (domestic abuse), and explores what happens when women are pushed to their limits and forced to take matters into their own hands. It’s dark, gripping, and utterly riveting—I tore through this one and was cheering for its two central characters every step of the way. Readers who love domestic suspense and fans of authors like Shari Lapena and B.A. Paris won’t want to miss this one—and if you, like me, tend to be extra-picky about your domestic thrillers, I’m betting this one will work for you, too. THE FAVOR is an excellent debut domestic suspense novel, tightly plotted and highly entertaining, and one that tackles dark themes with compassion and care.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
A gripping debut domestic suspense novel, Nora Murphy's thrilling The Favor explores with compassion and depth what can happen when women pushed to the limit take matters into their own hands.
Leaving would be dangerous. Staying could be worse.
Leah and McKenna have never met, though they have parallel lives.
They don’t—ever—find themselves in the same train carriage or meet accidentally at the gym or the coffee shop.
They don’t—ever—discuss their problems and find common ground.
They don’t—ever—acknowledge to each other that although their lives have all the trappings of success, wealth and happiness, they are, in fact, trapped.
Leah understands that what’s inside a home can be far more dangerous than what’s outside. So when she notices someone else who may be starting down the same path she’s on, she pays attention. She watches over McKenna from afar. Until one night she sees more than she bargained for. Leah knows she can’t save herself, but perhaps she can save McKenna.
Leah and McKenna have never met. But they will.
Home ownership feel like a distant dream? Zillow listings have you convinced you’ll be renting for the rest of your life? The woman at the heart of Carissa Orlando’s debut The September House feels your pain—and she’s prepared to put up with a lot if it means she and her husband can finally have a place to call their own. In this case, that might just mean living in a house that’s haunted. Playful and irreverent, spine-tingling and spooky, The September House puts a fresh spin on the classic haunted house story, delivering an immersive tale about the secrets lurking within one building’s walls, and within the lives of its inhabitants.