MUST-READ SUMMER 2022 CRIME BOOKS
Recommended New Crime Fiction Releases, June - August 2022
I have a confession to make: this blog post was originally supposed to be my “Most-Anticipated” summer books list…but then life got really busy! Before I knew it, I looked up and it was July, and not only had a bunch of the books on the list already been published, but I realized that I had actually already read all of the books I wanted to include in this list anyway. So instead of making this a “most-anticipated” list, I’ve culled my initial list a little bit and converted it into a “must-read” list, highlighting my picks for the best new crime fiction that Summer 2022 has to offer. In a way, I hope that this new format might actually be even more helpful for you; these aren’t just books I’m anticipating, they’re all books I’ve read and loved and highly recommend! From returning favorites to new-to-me voices, from twisty psychological thrillers to “book within a book”-style stories and more, Summer 2022 has some absolutely incredible new crime fiction releases in store for us. Whether your idea of a perfect “beach read” is a page-turning domestic suspense novel or a dark, visceral horror story, I’m betting (and hoping!) you’ll be able to find it on this list. Without further ado, let’s dive on in to my picks for Summer 2022’s Must-Read Crime Books!
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THE HOUSE ACROSS THE LAKE by Riley Sager
Available June 21, 2022
Recommended For Fans Of:
Rear Window, books with truly shocking plot twists, voyeuristic thrillers
Why I Loved It:
Riley Sager is one of my go-to, absolute favorite authors—and this summer, he delivered what I think must be his most ambitious thriller yet. THE HOUSE ACROSS THE LAKE is Riley’s take on a Rear Window-inspired story of voyeuristic suspense (think: Riley’s spin on a story that sounds a whole lot like The Woman in the Window or The Girl on The Train… but is anything but). In THE HOUSE ACROSS THE LAKE, Riley takes a familiar premise—a woman whose life is spiraling out of control, and who relies a bit too much on alcohol to escape from her woes, spots something suspicious about her neighbors—and twists and turns this story in genuinely shocking ways you absolutely won’t see coming. I loved every moment spent in this wildly entertaining and truly unpredictable thriller. Inspired by movies Riley loves, and aimed at upending all our expectations of what has become quite a familiar thriller premise, THE HOUSE ACROSS THE LAKE is bold, ambitious, and seriously fun to read—an absolute winner from one of my favorite authors. This was a 5/5 star read for me!
About the Book:
The New York Times bestselling author of Final Girls and Survive the Night is back with his “best plot twist yet.” (People, "Best Summer Books")
Be careful what you watch for . . .
Casey Fletcher, a recently widowed actress trying to escape a streak of bad press, has retreated to the peace and quiet of her family’s lake house in Vermont. Armed with a pair of binoculars and several bottles of bourbon, she passes the time watching Tom and Katherine Royce, the glamorous couple living in the house across the lake. They make for good viewing—a tech innovator, Tom is powerful; and a former model, Katherine is gorgeous.
One day on the lake, Casey saves Katherine from drowning, and the two strike up a budding friendship. But the more they get to know each other—and the longer Casey watches—it becomes clear that Katherine and Tom’s marriage isn’t as perfect as it appears. When Katherine suddenly vanishes, Casey immediately suspects Tom of foul play. What she doesn’t realize is that there’s more to the story than meets the eye—and that shocking secrets can lurk beneath the most placid of surfaces.
Packed with sharp characters, psychological suspense, and gasp-worthy plot twists, Riley Sager’s The House Across the Lake is the ultimate escapist read . . . no lake house required.
THE LIES I TELL by Julie Clark
Available June 21, 2022
Recommended For Fans Of:
Thrillers involving vigilante justice; complex female characters; cat-and-mouse tension
Why I Loved It:
THE LIES I TELL is a gripping, immersive, downright triumphant revenge thriller that follows the cat-and-mouse chase between a journalist and a con artist—two women whose paths crossed years ago and changed the trajectory of their lives, and whose fates are still deeply intertwined. In THE LIES I TELL, journalist Kat has been waiting years for con artist Meg to come back into her life. That day is finally here, and Kat thinks she’s ready for it… but is Meg closing in on Kat even as Kat thinks she’s closing in on Meg? I loved following the dangerous dance that develops between these two women, each driven by their own hidden motives and fueled by their own personal agendas. Multiple POVs give readers an up-close-and-personal glimpse into the inner lives of the book’s characters, and readers might just find themselves rooting for the story’s “villain” as much as they’re rooting for its “hero.” Driven by two complex, vividly-crafted female protagonists, THE LIES I TELL draws readers into a thrilling web of deceit and revenge. 5/5 stars!
About the Book:
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Last Flight comes a twisted con-woman thriller about two women out for revenge―or is it justice?
Two women. Many aliases.
Meg Williams. Maggie Littleton. Melody Wilde. Different names for the same person, depending on the town, depending on the job. She's a con artist who erases herself to become whoever you need her to be―a college student. A life coach. A real estate agent. Nothing about her is real. She slides alongside you and tells you exactly what you need to hear, and by the time she's done, you've likely lost everything.
Kat Roberts has been waiting ten years for the woman who upended her life to return. And now that she has, Kat is determined to be the one to expose her. But as the two women grow closer, Kat's long-held assumptions begin to crumble, leaving Kat to wonder who Meg's true target is.
The Lies I Tell is a twisted domestic thriller that dives deep into the psyches and motivations of two women and their unwavering quest to seek justice for the past and rewrite the future.
OUTSIDE by Ragnar Jonasson
Available June 28, 2022
Recommended For Fans Of:
Slow-burning, atmospheric suspense; isolated locations; crime stories set in Iceland
Why I Loved It:
Icelandic crime writer Ragnar Jonasson spins a claustrophobic and tense tale of suspense in OUTSIDE. In this slow-burning and character-driven crime story, four friends’ adventure into the Icelandic highland takes a deadly turn when a snowstorm descends, forcing the group to take shelter in an abandoned hunting lodge. OUTSIDE shifts between the perspectives of the various members of the friend group, slowly but surely exposing the fault-lines in their relationships with one another—and revealing the dangerous secrets from the past that they have tried so hard to keep buried. I always love Ragnar’s atmospheric and immersive writing, and this book was no exception! OUTSIDE is subtle, slow-burning suspense—readers who love crime stories that reveal their secrets in a quiet, understated way will relish this tense story. 4/5 stars.
About the Book:
Four friends. One night. Not everyone will come out alive . . .
When a deadly snowstorm strikes the Icelandic highlands, four friends seek shelter in a small, abandoned hunting lodge.
It is in the middle of nowhere and there's no way of communicating with the outside world.
They are isolated, but they are not alone . . .
As the night darkens, and fears intensify, an old tragedy gradually surfaces - one that forever changed the course of their friendship.
Those dark memories could hold the key to the mystery the friends now find themselves in.
And whether they will survive until morning . . .
FIRST BORN by Will Dean
Available July 5, 2022
Recommended For Fans Of:
NYC-set thrillers; stories about twins; genuinely shocking plot twists!!
Why I Loved It:
Okay, I’ll keep this simple: I devoured this one. Will Dean’s FIRST BORN is a gripping, twisty, wickedly entertaining thriller about twin sisters and the secrets that exist between the two of them. I have an oddly-specific soft spot for thrillers involving twins, and I absolutely loved the unpredictable spin that Will Dean puts on this trope in FIRST BORN. Twins Molly and Katie are terrific foils of one another: where Molly is structured and risk-averse, Katie is carefree and spontaneous. When Katie is found murdered in New York, Molly makes the trip to the big city to help catch her sister’s killer… and finds herself drawn into an intricate web of secrets that her twin was keeping. FIRST BORN delivers a jaw-dropping twist (or two, or maybe more…?) and a gripping reading experience that kept me glued to the pages. 5/5 stars!
About the Book:
Sisters. Soulmates. Strangers.
Molly Raven lives a quiet, structured life in London, finding comfort in security and routine. Her identical twin Katie, living in New York, is the exact opposite: outgoing, spontaneous, and adventurous.
But when Molly hears that Katie has died, possibly murdered, she is thrown into unfamiliar territory. As terrifying as it is, she knows she must travel across the ocean and find out what happened. But as she tracks her twin’s final movements, cracks begin to emerge, and she slowly realizes her sister was not who she thought she was and there’s a dangerous web of deceit surrounding the two of them.
THE IT GIRL by Ruth Ware
Available July 12, 2022
Recommended For Fans Of:
Dark academia; murder mysteries; dual timelines
Why I Loved It:
Along with Riley Sager (whose new book also appears on this list!), Ruth Ware is another one of a select few authors whose work I will simply always read. This summer, Ruth gives readers a story that is a bit of a departure from the kinds of mysteries we normally associate with Ware—but it’s no less entertaining or clever! THE IT GIRL is an irresistible blend of dark academia and “whodunnit” murder mystery. It follows a sympathetic protagonist (Hannah) whose college experience was marked by tragedy when her roommate, April, was murdered in their Oxford dormitory. Fast forward ten years, and Hannah is married and expecting her first child…when a shocking piece of news upends all she thought she knew about April’s death. THE IT GIRL moves seamlessly between past and present, giving readers a glimpse into Hannah’s college experience in the past (if you love campus suspense novels, you will love this thread of the story!) and Hannah’s investigation into April’s death in the present (the “whodunnit” element of the book!). Ware’s writing is immersive and easy to devour, and she brings the atmosphere and setting of Oxford vividly to life. If you loved The Maidens by Alex Michaelides, you’ll love this one. 4.5/5 stars!
About the Book:
April Clarke-Cliveden was the first person Hannah Jones met at Oxford.
Vivacious, bright, occasionally vicious, and the ultimate It girl, she quickly pulled Hannah into her dazzling orbit. Together, they developed a group of devoted and inseparable friends—Will, Hugh, Ryan, and Emily—during their first term. By the end of the year, April was dead.
Now, a decade later, Hannah and Will are expecting their first child, and the man convicted of killing April, former Oxford porter John Neville, has died in prison. Relieved to have finally put the past behind her, Hannah’s world is rocked when a young journalist comes knocking and presents new evidence that Neville may have been innocent. As Hannah reconnects with old friends and delves deeper into the mystery of April’s death, she realizes that the friends she thought she knew all have something to hide…including a murder.
“The Agatha Christie of our generation” (David Baldacci, #1 New York Times bestselling author) proves once again that she is “as ingenious and indefatigable as the Queen of Crime” (The Washington Post) with this propulsive murder mystery that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
THINGS WE DO IN THE DARK by Jennifer Hillier
Available July 19, 2022
Recommended For Fans Of:
Dark psychological suspense; character-driven crime stories; “whodunnits”
Why I Loved It:
You know those authors who you feel are just waiting for their breakout moment? Jennifer Hillier is at the top of that list for me. Hillier has been writing some of the best psychological thrillers in the game for years now—and her outstanding new thriller THINGS WE DO IN THE DARK feels poised to be the book that gets her the widespread name recognition she deserves. THINGS WE DO IN THE DARK begins with a deceptively simple premise: a woman is arrested under suspicion of having murdered her celebrity husband. But this shocking event is just the tip of the iceberg in THINGS WE DO IN THE DARK, which quickly reveals itself to be a layered, intricate story of past traumas and their present-day fallout. Hillier is ever the expert at crafting multifaceted characters who are just as much of a mystery to be unraveled as is the story’s central crime, and readers will feel that the women and men who fill the pages of this outstanding book might in fact be real people, not characters at all. THINGS WE DO IN THE DARK effectively blends a traditional “whodunnit” setup with a story that expands into something much darker and deeper, thoughtfully and sensitively exploring the bonds that tie even the most dysfunctional of families together. 5/5 stars, a must-read.
About the Book:
Things We Do in the Dark is a brilliant new thriller from Jennifer Hillier, the award-winning author of the breakout novels Little Secrets and Jar of Hearts. Paris Peralta is suspected of killing her celebrity husband, and her long-hidden past now threatens to destroy her future.
When Paris Peralta is arrested in her own bathroom―covered in blood, holding a straight razor, her celebrity husband dead in the bathtub behind her―she knows she'll be charged with murder. But as bad as this looks, it's not what worries her the most. With the unwanted media attention now surrounding her, it's only a matter of time before someone from her long hidden past recognizes her and destroys the new life she's worked so hard to build, along with any chance of a future.
Twenty-five years earlier, Ruby Reyes, known as the Ice Queen, was convicted of a similar murder in a trial that riveted Canada in the early nineties. Reyes knows who Paris really is, and when she's unexpectedly released from prison, she threatens to expose all of Paris's secrets. Left with no other choice, Paris must finally confront the dark past she escaped, once and for all.
Because the only thing worse than a murder charge are two murder charges.
THE RETREAT by Sarah Pearse
Available July 19, 2022
Recommended For Fans Of:
Crime stories set in isolated locations; female detective protagonists; "whodunnits”
Why I Loved It:
I have a special place in my heart for detective novels, and Sarah Pearse’s Detective Elin Warner novels are some of my favorites I’ve read recently! On the heels of her Reese’s Book Club pick THE SANATORIUM, Pearse returns this summer with another isolated location-style mystery: this one set against the backdrop of a stunning island getaway (aka the perfect isolated location mystery for your summer vacation!). In THE RETREAT, Detective Elin Warner is recovering from the traumatic events she recently endured and easing herself back into her work as a police officer when she is called to the scene of a suspicious death on an island off the English coast. The island is home to an idyllic wellness retreat—but it’s got a dark past, too, and was once the home of a serial killer. Elin travels to the island, where a young woman has been found dead under suspicious circumstances. And then another body is found. Is a killer at work on the island? THE RETREAT blends the instant-appeal of a locked room-inspired mystery with Pearse’s knack for character development and clever plotting. I have a soft spot for mysteries about troubled detectives seeking redemption through their work, and Pearse’s Detective Elin Warner is a character I will happily follow for many books to come. 4.5/5 stars.
About the Book:
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Sanatorium, a Reese’s Book Club pick, here, Detective Elin Warner uncovers the truth behind the suspicious deaths on a stunning island getaway
They couldn’t wait to stay here.
An idyllic wellness retreat has opened on an island off the English coast, promising rest and relaxation—but the island itself, known locally as Reaper’s Rock, has a dark past. Once the playground of a serial killer, it’s rumored to be cursed.
But now they can’t leave.
A young woman is found dead below the yoga pavilion in what seems to be a tragic fall. But Detective Elin Warner soon learns the victim wasn’t a guest—she wasn’t meant to be on the island at all.
And they would do anything to escape.
The longer Elin stays, the more secrets she uncovers. And when someone else drowns in a diving incident, Elin begins to suspect that there’s nothing accidental about these deaths. But why would someone target the guests at this luxury resort? Elin must find the killer—before the island’s history starts to repeat itself.
Most are here to recharge and refresh. But someone’s here for revenge. . . .
THE DEVIL TAKES YOU HOME by Gabino Iglesias
Available August 2, 2022
Recommended For Fans Of:
Cross-genre blend - supernatural horror + noir; character-driven crime sagas; visceral and vivid storytelling
Why I Loved It:
Heist-meets-horror in Gabino Iglesias’ outstanding THE DEVIL TAKES YOU HOME, a cross-genre mash-up about a reluctant hitman whose death-defying assignment brings him face to face with events beyond any earthly comprehension. The premise here: a man who has just lost everything he holds dear and now finds himself buried in medical debt signs on for what might be a suicide mission, intercepting a cartel cash shipment before it crosses from Texas into Mexico. From this premise, readers might expect cinematic violence and a gripping heist plot—and they’ll get that, sure, but they’ll get so much more, too. As this story progresses, author Gabino Iglesias deftly weaves in elements of the supernatural that will upend everything that our story’s protagonist thinks he knows about the world around him. THE DEVIL TAKES YOU HOME is a gripping thriller story, to be sure, but it’s also a powerful reckoning with faith, and with the evils of this world in its many forms. This book is a visceral, gritty, horrific, downright beautiful reading experience—I savored every last word. 5/5 stars.
About the Book:
From an award-winning author comes a genre-defying thriller about a father desperate to salvage what's left of his family—even if it means a descent into violence.
Buried in debt due to his young daughter’s illness, his marriage at the brink, Mario reluctantly takes a job as a hitman, surprising himself with his proclivity for violence. After tragedy destroys the life he knew, Mario agrees to one final job: hijack a cartel’s cash shipment before it reaches Mexico. Along with an old friend and a cartel-insider named Juanca, Mario sets off on the near-suicidal mission, which will leave him with either a cool $200,000 or a bullet in the skull. But the path to reward or ruin is never as straight as it seems. As the three complicated men travel through the endless landscape of Texas, across the border and back, their hidden motivations are laid bare alongside nightmarish encounters that defy explanation. One thing is certain: even if Mario makes it out alive, he won’t return the same.
The Devil Takes You Home is a panoramic odyssey for fans of S.A. Cosby’s southern noir, Blacktop Wasteland, by way of the boundary-defying storytelling of Stephen Graham Jones and Sylvia Moreno-Garcia.
WRONG PLACE WRONG TIME by Gillian McAllister
Available August 2, 2022
Recommended For Fans Of:
Mind-bending thrillers; Groundhog Day; stories told in creative and unique ways
Why I Loved It:
I’ve been on a kick lately where I’ve been craving books that deliver something unexpected and maybe even a little bit wild—and if that sounds like something you’d want in a thriller too, you’ll love Gillian McAllister’s WRONG PLACE, WRONG TIME. This page-turning psychological thriller takes a cue from Groundhog Day, delivering a high-concept suspense story that all begins with the question: can you stop a murder after it’s already happened? One night, a mother witnesses something horrific: her teenage son kills a stranger. After a nightmarish evening with the police, she finally falls asleep… and then she wakes up, and it’s yesterday. She has no idea how it’s possible, but she finds herself moving back in time, and begins to wonder if the purpose of this time-travel is to allow her to stop the chain of events that led to this murder before they can be set in motion. WRONG PLACE, WRONG TIME is wildly entertaining blend of more traditional domestic suspense elements (a glimpse into the inner workings of a marriage, and a family) coupled with an inventive nesting doll-style plot that will keep readers on their toes! Fans of high concept thrillers will want to read this one. 4/5 stars.
About the Book:
From UK bestselling author Gillian McAllister comes an astonishing, compulsively twisty psychological thriller about a mother who witnesses her teenage son stab a man and then seizes on an unconventional way to try to save him, deemed “perfection, every word, every moment” by Lisa Jewell.
Can you stop a murder after it’s already happened?
Late October. After midnight. You’re waiting up for your seventeen-year-old son. He’s late. As you watch from the window, he emerges, and you realize he isn’t alone: he’s walking toward a man, and he’s armed.
You can’t believe it when you see him do it: your funny, happy teenage son, he kills a stranger, right there on the street outside your house. You don’t know who. You don’t know why. You only know your son is now in custody. His future shattered.
That night you fall asleep in despair. All is lost. Until you wake . . .
. . . and it is yesterday.
And then you wake again . . .
. . . and it is the day before yesterday.
Every morning you wake up a day earlier, another day before the murder. With another chance to stop it. Somewhere in the past lies an answer. The trigger for this crime—and you don’t have a choice but to find it . . .
YOU’RE INVITED by Amanda Jayatissa
Available August 9, 2022
Recommended For Fans Of:
Wedding-gone-wrong thrillers; crime stories where everyone’s a suspect; smart, razor-sharp storytelling with a humorous edge
Why I Loved It:
I became completely obsessed with Amanda Jayatissa last year after I devoured her outstanding debut thriller MY SWEET GIRL (reminder: read that book if you haven’t yet!!), and I was beyond thrilled to see Amanda return this summer with YOU’RE INVITED—a razor-sharp, wickedly entertaining wedding-gone-wrong thriller. YOU’RE INVITED begins with protagonist Amaya receiving an invitation she never, ever wanted: an invite to attend the wedding of her former best friend and her ex-boyfriend. Against her better judgment, Amaya decides to attend the wedding—after all, what’s the worst that could happen? The worst, it turns out, is having the bride vanish and becoming the number one suspect in her presumed murder. YOU’RE INVITED is a fresh spin on the wedding-gone-wrong thriller (think: perfect for fans of Lucy Foley’s The Guest List or J.T. Ellison’s Her Dark Lies). Darkly humorous and impeccably plotted, YOU’RE INVITED comes to life thanks to the compelling and irreverent characters who fill its pages… and uncovering the dark secrets these characters are hiding proves a gripping, wickedly entertaining ride. 4.5/5 stars!
About the Book:
What could be worse than your ex-boyfriend marrying your childhood best friend? Getting accused of her murder… From the author of My Sweet Girl comes a dangerously addictive new thriller about a lavish Sri Lankan wedding celebration that not everyone will survive.
When Amaya is invited to Kaavi’s over-the-top wedding in Sri Lanka, she is surprised and a little hurt to hear from her former best friend after so many years of radio silence. But when Amaya learns that the groom is her very own ex-boyfriend, she is consumed by a single thought: She must stop the wedding from happening, no matter the cost. But as the week of wedding celebrations begin and rumors about Amaya’s past begin to swirl, she can’t help but feel like she also has a target on her back. When Kaavi goes missing and is presumed dead, all evidence points to Amaya. However, nothing is as it seems as Jayatissa expertly unravels that each wedding guest has their own dark secret and agenda, and Amaya may not be the only one with a plan to keep the bride from getting her happily ever after…
THE FAMILY REMAINS by Lisa Jewell
Available August 9, 2022
Recommended For Fans Of:
Domestic suspense novels; suspense stories with multiple POVs and timelines; Lisa Jewell’s previous novel The Family Upstairs
Why I Loved It:
Domestic suspense queen Lisa Jewell returns this summer with THE FAMILY REMAINS, an irresistible follow-up to her beloved novel THE FAMILY UPSTAIRS! I will preface this little paragraph by saying: while I do think you could read this book on its own if you wish to do so, I would highly recommend going back and reading THE FAMILY UPSTAIRS first. You will appreciate this story best if you have that backstory on its central characters—plus, THE FAMILY UPSTAIRS was a great read, so why not enjoy that one too?! In true Lisa Jewell fashion, THE FAMILY REMAINS begins with a seemingly disconnected array of plot threads that will ultimately be tied effortlessly together. Police are called to a gruesome discovery on the shores of the Thames; a woman receives a phone call that her husband has been found dead in his home in France; a woman and her children return home to London, only to discover that her brother has fled in pursuit of a person from their past. Lisa Jewell is, in my mind, the undisputed master of the one-sitting suspense novel; THE FAMILY REMAINS draws readers instantly into its intricate web of secrets, and will keep you hooked from the first page to the very last. 4/5 stars.
About the Book:
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author Lisa Jewell comes an intricate and affecting novel about twisted marriages, fractured families, and deadly obsessions in this standalone sequel to the “brilliantly chilling” (Ruth Ware, New York Times bestselling author) The Family Upstairs.
Early one morning on the shore of the Thames, DCI Samuel Owusu is called to the scene of a gruesome discovery. When Owusu sends the evidence for examination, he learns the bones are connected to a cold case that left three people dead on the kitchen floor in a Chelsea mansion thirty years ago.
Rachel Rimmer has also received a shock—news that her husband, Michael, has been found dead in the cellar of his house in France. All signs point to an intruder, and the French police need her to come urgently to answer questions about Michael and his past that she very much doesn’t want to answer.
After fleeing London thirty years ago in the wake of a horrific tragedy, Lucy Lamb is finally coming home. While she settles in with her children and is just about to purchase their first-ever house, her brother takes off to find the boy from their shared past whose memory haunts their present.
As they all race to discover answers to these convoluted mysteries, they will come to find that they’re connected in ways they could have never imagined.
In this masterful standalone sequel to her haunting New York Times bestseller, The Family Upstairs, Lisa Jewell proves she is writing at the height of her powers with another jaw-dropping, intricate, and affecting novel about the lengths we will go to protect the ones we love and uncover the truth.
STAY AWAKE by Megan Goldin
Available August 9, 2022
Recommended For Fans Of:
Thrillers about amnesia; fast-paced/page-turning psychological thrillers; thrillers featuring unreliable narrators
Why I Loved It:
I’m a relative newcomer to Megan Goldin’s work, having only read her suspense novel THE ESCAPE ROOM previously, but I won’t miss another one of her books after how much I loved her August 2022 release STAY AWAKE. This gripping psychological thriller is exactly my kind of “beach read”: cleverly-plotted, brimming with entertainment value, and delivering a knockout ending that ties the story together with the kind of attention to detail every crime reader hopes for. STAY AWAKE is a thriller about lost memories and dangerous secrets. Liv wakes up in the back of a taxi, with no idea how she got there or where she was coming from. The only clue she can find? A note written on her arm, reading “stay awake.” STAY AWAKE moves between Liv’s uncertain present, as she grapples with her memory loss and the disturbing connections between her and a recent murder, and the events of two years prior, right before Liv lost her memory—plus readers get glimpses into the ongoing police investigation of that murder, too. Author Megan Goldin effortlessly juggles shifting timelines and perspectives to piece together the full picture of what really happened to Liv. Speaking of Liv: she is an engaging spin on an unreliable narrator—a character we don’t know if we can trust, because she doesn’t even know if she can trust herself. Readers will be rooting for Liv even as they wonder if she could possibly be a killer. Pick up STAY AWAKE for a gripping, fast-paced psychological thriller that - pardon the pun! - really will keep you up all night. 5/5 stars!
About the Book:
A murder she doesn’t remember committing. A killer she doesn’t remember meeting. Megan Goldin’s Stay Awake is an electrifying novel that proves memory can be deadly.
Liv Reese wakes up in the back of a taxi with no idea where she is or how she got there. When she’s dropped off at the door of her brownstone, a stranger answers—a stranger who claims to live in her apartment. She reaches for her phone to call for help, only to discover it’s missing. In its place is a bloodstained knife. Her hands are covered in scribbled messages, like graffiti on her skin: STAY AWAKE.
Two years ago, Liv was thriving as a successful writer for a trendy magazine. Now, she’s lost and disoriented in a New York City that looks nothing like what she remembers. Catching a glimpse of the local news, she’s horrified to see reports of a crime scene where the victim’s blood has been used to scrawl a message across a window, similar to the message that’s inked on her hands. What did she do last night? And why does she remember nothing from the past two years? Liv finds herself on the run for a crime she doesn’t remember committing. But there’s someone who does know exactly what she did, and they’ll do anything to make her forget—permanently.
A complex thriller that unfolds at a breakneck speed, Stay Awake will keep you up all night.
RUN TIME by Catherine Ryan Howard
Available August 16, 2022
Recommended For Fans Of:
Suspense stories told through creative plot structures (“book within a book”-style - or in this case, “script within a book”!); books about movies; fans of slasher films!
Why I Loved It:
Okay, we already know how obsessed I am with Catherine Ryan Howard. Of all the new-to-me authors I’ve begun reading over the last couple years, Catherine Ryan Howard is right there at the top of the list. I simply cannot get enough of her creative, inventive storytelling; I can always count on CRH to deliver suspense stories told in ways I just won’t find anywhere else. So you can imagine my excitement, then, when I learned that Catherine Ryan Howard was writing a psychological thriller about one of my other obsessions: slasher movies. RUN TIME follows an actress whose career has all but dried up…until, in the middle of the night, she gets a call that could change everything. Final Draft, a slasher movie being filmed deep in the forest in Ireland, has just had their lead actress drop out. Can our protagonist step in urgently and take over the leading role? What follows is a gripping, page-turning, wildly entertaining thrill ride: because, much to our protagonist’s horror, it soon begins to appear that the events of Final Draft might just be playing out in real life, too. Catherine Ryan Howard’s RUN TIME is somehow both thrilling and playful all at once; it’s a story that pokes fun at genre tropes even while effectively utilizing them to create tension on the page. CRH’s skill at telling thrillers in inventive ways shines through here, too, as RUN TIME is told in a “book within a book” (or, in this case, “script within a book”!) style, moving between the script of Final Draft itself and our protagonist’s experiences in the real world. Catherine Ryan Howard continues to cement herself as one of my favorite authors, and I am already looking forward to what she does next. 5/5 stars.
About the Book:
Movie-making can be murder.
The project
Final Draft, a psychological horror, being filmed at a house deep in a forest, miles from anywhere in the wintry wilds of West Cork.
The lead
Former soap-star Adele Rafferty has stepped in to replace the original actress at the very last minute. She can’t help but hope that this opportunity will be her big break -- and she knows she was lucky to get it, after what happened the last time she was on a set.
The problem
Something isn’t quite right about Final Draft. When the strange goings-on in the script start to happen on set too, Adele begins to fear that the real horror lies off the page …
THE LAST HOUSEWIFE by Ashley Winstead
Available August 16, 2022
Recommended For Fans Of:
Thrillers about cults; very dark thrillers; thrillers involving podcasts/podcast “transcripts”
Why I Loved It:
Everyone is buzzing about Ashley Winstead’s THE LAST HOUSEWIFE, and it’s easy to see why. This must be one of the most outstanding psychological thrillers not only of the summer, but of the whole year. In this gripping, triumphant suspense novel, Winstead spins a tale of a woman’s quest for justice in the face of horrific abuses of power. Protagonist Shay has worked hard to put the dark events of her past behind her. She has a picture-perfect life in a quiet suburb…but it all comes crashing down one day when she puts on the latest episode of her favorite true-crime podcast, and learns that her former best friend - a woman with whom Shay escaped a cult (!) - has died. Is the past that Shay thought she had successfully buried really gone for good? THE LAST HOUSEWIFE follows Shay as she, with the help of the podcast host, digs into the events surrounding her friend’s death—and discovers that the powerful forces that once held her captive might still be at large. THE LAST HOUSEWIFE is seductive, immersive, gripping, and very sinister. This is a thriller that grapples with dark themes in an unflinching way; readers will be instantly drawn into this story’s world, captivated by the author’s masterful unspooling of this story’s sinister plot. THE LAST HOUSEWIFE is a blend of cult thriller, feminist thriller, and murder mystery, with a touch of dark romance elements as well. It’s a fascinating (and horrifying) deep-dive into a cult, plus a consideration of true crime and how we consume true crime content. It’s a knockout, and a must-read. 5/5 stars!
About the Book:
From the author of the acclaimed In My Dreams I Hold a Knife comes a pitch-black thriller about a woman determined to destroy a powerful cult and avenge the deaths of the women taken in by it, no matter the cost.
While in college in upstate New York, Shay Evans and her best friends met a captivating man who seduced them with a web of lies about the way the world works, bringing them under his thrall. By senior year, Shay and her friend Laurel were the only ones who managed to escape. Now, eight years later, Shay's built a new life in a tony Texas suburb. But when she hears the horrifying news of Laurel's death―delivered, of all ways, by her favorite true-crime podcast crusader―she begins to suspect that the past she thought she buried is still very much alive, and the predators more dangerous than ever.
Recruiting the help of the podcast host, Shay goes back to the place she vowed never to return to in search of answers. As she follows the threads of her friend's life, she's pulled into a dark, seductive world, where wealth and privilege shield brutal philosophies that feel all too familiar. When Shay's obsession with uncovering the truth becomes so consuming she can no longer separate her desire for justice from darker desires newly reawakened, she must confront the depths of her own complicity and conditioning. But in a world built for men to rule it―both inside the cult and outside of it―is justice even possible, and if so, how far will Shay go to get it?
THE DARKNESS OF OTHERS by Cate Holahan
Available August 23, 2022
Recommended For Fans Of:
Domestic suspense; stories set in NYC; character-driven suspense
Why I Loved It:
Cate Holahan has for a while now been one of my favorite “hidden gem” suspense writers. Her books consistently deliver cleverly-crafted plots, compelling characters, and just-one-more-page pacing, and I wasn’t surprised in the least to see that the same holds true for her August 2022 release, THE DARKNESS OF OTHERS. In this page-turning domestic suspense novel, Holahan uses the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic to create a pressure cooker for her characters. In THE DARKNESS OF OTHERS, a picture-perfect Brooklyn neighborhood is the site of a brutal crime when a man is murdered in his home, and his wife vanishes without a trace. Protagonist Imani, the missing woman’s best friend, steps in to care for the couple’s daughter—and, in the process, begins to piece together the details surrounding the shocking crime. True to form for author Cate Holahan, THE DARKNESS OF OTHERS is an impeccably-crafted story (side bar: I will never forget the first time I ever interviewed Cate, she showed me the extensive method she has of plotting out her books—suffice it to say her hard work always pays off!!) that moves at a gripping pace, thanks to some very creepy chapters interspersed that I can’t say too much about (!), and ties together with reveals that are both unpredictable and thoroughly satisfying. Pick this book up for its deep-dive into the secrets that a seemingly idyllic Brooklyn community is keeping, stay for its sympathetic and compelling cast of characters whose development over the course of the book makes for gripping reading. 4.5/5 stars!
About the Book:
USA Today bestselling author Cate Holahan delivers her latest nail-biting thriller, perfect for fans of Ruth Ware and Lisa Jewell.
Imani Banks lives in a posh Brooklyn Heights neighborhood that has just been rocked to its core. An acclaimed movie director has been murdered, and his blond trophy wife—Imani’s closest friend—is missing. Their neighbors, along with the media, jump to the conclusion that Melissa Walker has killed her husband in a fit of rage and is on the run.
Fortunately for the missing actress, Imani is a psychiatrist as well as a steadfast friend. She will never give up her search and is determined to prove Melissa’s innocence. It shouldn’t take a degree in human behavior to know that Melissa would never leave her daughter behind.
Recently, Imani and her chef husband rented some extra rooms in their house to a struggling waitress from his restaurant. Tonya Sayre has moved in with her teen daughter and the convenient timing and her suspicious behavior soon lead Imani to suspect that the true killer is living right under her own roof. Now all she has to do is prove it.
DAISY DARKER by Alice Feeney
Available August 30, 2022
Recommended For Fans Of:
Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None; thrillers with suspicious characters; thrillers with genuinely shocking plot twists!
Why I Loved It:
Queen of the killer twist Alice Feeney returns this summer with what is officially my favorite book of hers yet! Anyone who has read an Alice Feeney thriller in the past will already know what an absolute gift Feeney has for writing thrillers that defy all of our cleverest assumptions—and the same is absolutely true here. DAISY DARKER is Feeney’s ode to Agatha Christie’s classic, And Then There Were None—but it’s not quite like any other Christie homage you’ve read before. It all centers around a highly dysfunctional family, the Darker family, who have gathered at their grandmother’s isolated old home to celebrate her 80th birthday. There’s just one oddity about this home: it’s located on a tidal island, so when the tide comes in, the Darker family will be cut off from the world for 8 hours. The tide comes in, and then their grandmother is found dead. Who among the Darkers is the killer? DAISY DARKER is a fresh, ambitious spin on one of the Queen of Crime’s greatest stories. It’s brought to life by an eccentric, highly memorable cast of characters, and the process of peeling back their secrets and uncovering their hidden motivations is a ton of fun. Add in an immersive, atmospheric setting that amps up the story’s claustrophobia and sinister chill (not just the island but the house itself, which is just as eccentric as its owner!), plus an absolute knockout of a twist that will surprise even the savviest reader, and you’ve got an absolute winner. 5/5 stars.
About the Book:
The New York Times bestselling Queen of Twists returns…with a family reunion that leads to murder.
After years of avoiding each other, Daisy Darker’s entire family is assembling for Nana’s 80th birthday party in Nana’s crumbling gothic house on a tiny tidal island. Finally back together one last time, when the tide comes in, they will be cut off from the rest of the world for eight hours.
The family arrives, each of them harboring secrets. Then at the stroke of midnight, as a storm rages, Nana is found dead. And an hour later, the next family member follows…
Trapped on an island where someone is killing them one by one, the Darkers must reckon with their present mystery as well as their past secrets, before the tide comes in and all is revealed.
With a wicked wink to Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None, Daisy Darker’s unforgettable twists will leave readers reeling.
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.